Wagon Train followed the trials and tribulations of pioneering families as they set out from the East to carve out a new life in the West soon after the American Civil War. For some of the travellers it was a happy ending, but not for all, which only heightened the drama along the way.
Ratings
| Year | Rank | Audience |
| 1957 | 23 | 11,611,840 |
| 1958 | 2 | 15,865,950 |
| 1959 | 2 | 17,568,000 |
| 1960 | 2 | 16,142,400 |
| 1961 | 1 | 15,586,155 |
| 1962 | 25 | 11,066,000 |