The wise parent may well decide to provide his young hopeful, as early as the balancing age, with a simply designed train such as the one pictured in Figure 2.12. Devoid of mechanical fastenings to confuse small fingers, these simple ball-and-socket couplings, which are literally built into each car, will permit various combinations in the makeup of this floor train.

The bases of all cars are identical in shape, with that of the combination engine and coal car 2 in. longer than the others. During the learning-to-walk stage while crawling remains the more dependable means of locomotion, a short train consisting of the combination locomotive and tender, a passenger (or baggage) car, a tank car, and a caboose, will prove sufficiently engrossing. As walking or toddling becomes more assured, however, so also the coordinated skill of car switching will increase to a point where more and varied types of rolling stock will be needed. Therefore it will be well to cut a templet from cardboard or wrapping paper, of a typical car base as shown in detail A, for use as a quick guide in future construction.

Fig. a. 12a. Wheelless train.

Scraps of 1-in. by 3-in. stock (actually 3/4 in. x 2 5/8 in.) are ideal for bases and can be bandsawed or compass sawed to form the male coupling and the rounded opposite end out of which the female coupling is bored. After a male coupling (with a i-in. diameter) has been cut in a second base and sanded smooth, it is laid on the rear end of the first base and a line traced to insure a close fit. It can then be bored out with a i-in. bit, first from one side and then the other to avoid splintering. The interior of the coupling can be sanded with a strip of sandpaper wound around a smaller dowel. It is the loose, but secure, fit of these couplings that will make or mar the toy.

The engine boiler is a 2 1/2-in. length of 1 1/2-in. curtain or closet pole, cut flat on the bottom. It is butted against the combination Cab and tender which consists of a block of wood 1 1/2 in. thick, 2 in. wide, and 3 in. long. The tender or coal car portion is beveled off the rear half down to within 1/2 in. of the bottom edge, as shown in the drawing. The smokestack is a section of spool of 1-in. diameter which is set in a hole f in. back from the front edge of the boiler so that the stack is 3/8 in. high. In like manner a i-in. dowel rounded off 1/2 in. high is located 1/2 in. behind the spool stack.

Although a good gluing job can be relied upon to attach the various bodies to their bases, and roofs to the bodies, nevertheless a few brads or thin finishing nails, judiciously inserted, will afford additional security against inevitable rough handling. When the boiler and cab-tender have been centered and fastened to the base, the roof of the cab can be glued and bradded in place. This is 1/2 in. thick, 2 1/4 in. wide, and 1 1/2 in. long with the eaves well beveled. It is fastened flush with the front and back edges of the cab proper, to overhang 1/8 in. on each side.

The tank car is made in the same way as the engine boiler, from a 3-in. section of 1 1/2-in. drapery pole. The end of a broom handle about 1/2 in. long makes an excellent dome for the center of the top.

The freight-baggage-passenger car is a 1 1/2-in. by 2-in. by 3 1/4-in. block surmounted by the same type of roof as the cab, except that it is 4 in. long, overhanging the front and rear by f in. To make a caboose, all that is necessary is to glue and brad a 1-in. square block to the center of the top. The side edges or eaves are beveled for looks and to remove sharp edges.

A gondola car will prove to be a welcome addition to the rolling stock because it can be actually loaded and unloaded with freight or doll passengers. A simple form consists of cigar box wood 1 1/4 in. wide, bradded together as illustrated to form a frame 2§ in. wide by 3 1/4 in. long which can be attached to 1/2-in. square cleats nailed to the base inside each end.

Not shown in the drawing is a cattle or circus car, which can be assembled by drilling corresponding holes in both the base and a freight car top to receive £-in. dowels at the four corners, with 4 1/8-in. dowels or lollipop sticks equally spaced between to form the bars. If a favorite toy animal is enclosed before the top is glued on, a difficulty may arise concerning its removal upon the owner's urgent demand. With this in mind it would be advisable to make the holes in the roof for one or two adjacent "bars" extra deep, so that the bars can be lifted clear of the base for removal.

Another popular "car" with very juvenile railroaders consists of a typical base upon which is fastened a block of wood 1 1/8 in. thick, 2 in. wide, and 3 1/4 in. long. Evenly spaced along the top of the block are three holes which are bored loose enough to receive three passengers cut from the smooth upper portions of old-style wooden clothespins, amusingly painted.

When applying the bright colored enamels in finishing the train, care must be exercised to keep the couplings free from gummy deposits. One suggested combination is to enamel all bases yellow, the engine boiler and tank black, the smokestack, both domes, the cupulo of the caboose and all roofs red, and the freight car body and gondola green.