5 5
124 3/ 4" 3/4" 3/4" 11/ 8 " dia. 3/ 23/8" 3/ 4" 3/4"
Drill six 1/2 " dia. holes. 3/
8"
23/8" 11/2" 3/
4" 3/4" 3/4"
Drill six 1/2 " dia. holes.
" 23/4" 1/4" Drill two 11/ 8 " dia. holes. 25/ 8 " 13/16 " 61/2 " 4" 7/ 8" 15/16" 1/ 4" 1/2" 21/2" 13/4" 1" 1" 23/ 4" 13/ 4" 5/ 8" 3/8" 3/ 4" 3/4" 3/4" 51/ 2" 1" 23/ 8" 11/2" 3/4" 3/4" 3/4" Cupola assembly 11/ 8 " dia. Drill six 1/ 2 " dia. holes. 3/8"
CABOOSE PLAN
Caboose roof (side view)
Caboose roof (top view)
Cupola body (top view)
Cupola body (end view) Caboose sides (make two)
Caboose assembly (top view) Caboose assembly (side view) Cupola body (side view)
8
8..
Lay out for the large (11⁄8-in.-dia.) holes 4 in.
from one end (see the drawing facing page). Drill using a Forstner-style bit, which allows the holes to overlap a little (you could use a small drill and a coping saw if no large bit is available).
9
9..
Still working on the roof, drill the 1⁄4-in.-dia.
hole 25⁄
8in. from the end. Again, you may need to
drill a tiny bit oversize or sand the dowel a little, depending on the exact dowel diameter.
1
100..
Cut the short piece of 1⁄4-in.-dia. dowel for
the stack.
1
111..
Sand one end and bevel the corners slightly.1
122..
Glue the stack into the hole. Have the dowel protrude out the other side slightly.1
133..
Sand the dowel flush on the other side, once the glue is hard.1
144..
Assemble the sides, frame, and roof. When the setup works for you, apply glue and clamps.Cupola
On old trains, some cabooses had the cupola in the center, some at the end. Kids tell me the end loca- tion looks better, so I put it there.
1
1..
Cut a block of wood 11⁄2in. wide by 4 in. long
by 3⁄
4in. thick. It will eventually be cut to 21⁄4in.
long, but it is easier to clamp for drilling if it is left longer for now.
2
2..
Lay out for the large (11⁄8-in.-dia.) holes. The
exact size of the cutout doesn’t matter but should match the roof.
P u z z l e T r a i n 125
8
3
3..
Drill the 11⁄8-in.-dia. holes just as you did for
the roof.
4
4..
Cut the cupola to length (21⁄ 4in.).5
5..
File and/or sand the ends square.6
6..
Lay out for the six 1⁄2-in.-dia. side holes (see
the photo top right) and end holes (see the photo bottom right).
7
7..
Clamp the cupola in a vise or with parallel clamps, and drill the side holes (see photo top right) and end holes (see the photo bottom right).8
8..
File or sand the sharp edges around the holes. A countersink bit could be used on the outside surfaces.9
9..
Sand all surfaces of the cupola.M a k i n g Toys T h a t Te a ch 126 7 7aa 7 7bb 3 3
1
100..
Glue the cupola assembly to the caboose roof, lining up the cutouts as closely as possible. If the roof is flat and there are no gaps, clamping is optional.1
111..
Glue the cupola roof (cut out earlier with the caboose roof) to the cupola. Position it so that the overhang is even all around.1
122..
Attach the wheels, as you did with the loco- motive (see p. 101).Finishing
For this project, I used two coats of Robson’s Tried & True™ varnish oil on all the cars in this train, but a spray varathane or other plastic finish would work as well. See the introduction for addi- tional finishing options (p. 13).
P u z z l e T r a i n 127
1 100
1 111
M a k i n g Toys T h a t Te a ch
128
cubes as well. You can also have children fill the ten- der using a certain number of blocks (3–12 are all options). Explain that two half cubes equal one whole cube. You could talk about numerators and denomina- tors and how to write these fractions. A few short les- sons tend to be better than one long one.
It is also beneficial to set the blocks aside, and see what type of load children can come up with. Have them describe their load, and tell why they chose those items.
Learning through Play
TH E PU Z Z L E TR A I N encourages creativity through open- ended play, as well as introducing math-based concepts. As a whole, it sharpens fine-motor skills and eye-hand coordination, while individual cars provide specific educational benefits.
The Coal Tender
is a puzzle with many possiblesolutions that encourages problem solving, geometric relations, math skills, and imagination. It will hold sev- eral blocks of varying shapes from the Ultimate Building Block Set (described in the previous chapter), as well as any number of other objects.
When used in conjunction with the Ultimate Building Block Set, you can begin with young children by load- ing the coal tender with three cubes, then substituting one cube with two half cubes. Eventually use quarter
P u z z l e T r a i n 129
The Pattern Car
makes it easy to create andrecognize simple patterns, providing a good foundation for later mathematics. It holds eight slabs of wood that are differentiated by color and/or shape (shape can be introduced by rounding the corners of some slabs), allowing a variety of stacked patterns to be made. You can make them simpler or more complex by choosing two, three, or four different colors of wood.
Children, especially young ones, simply enjoy open- ended play with this car, but it can also be used in a more purposeful manner. Stack the slabs and ask the child to find and describe the pattern. Then have the child create a pattern for you to find.
The Fraction Stacker Car
offers the fun ofstacking things up to haul them, but it also provides a clear illustration of the concept of fractions. Children can easily compare halves, thirds, quarters, and whole units, getting a clear picture of their relative size. They may be mixed and matched as well, allowing for the comparison of two quarter blocks to one half block, for example.
No matter how a child stacks the fraction blocks there will be opportunity to talk about the equivalent stacks. Show how four quarters (or fourths) make a pile as tall as one whole. Eventually ask questions such as: “Is two-thirds more or less than one-half?” To start, you may need to show how to stack the blocks to compare, but soon the basic concepts will become clear.
The Geometry Puzzle Car
teaches shaperecognition and comparison using three simple geo- metric shapes. Young children can simply place the blocks in the correct socket, while you explain the dif- ferent shapes (a triangle has three sides, a square has four sides). This can eventually include descriptions of three-dimensional shapes with the cylinder and cube. As the child becomes more adept, the half cylinders in the Ultimate Building Block Set can be used in place of the circle block to introduce more complex geometric- shape relationships.
The Log Car and the Boxcar
allow childrento engage in open-ended play, as they load up pencils, toy animals, or blocks, fitting them all in as they use their creativity and imagination. Children can learn to describe their loads to you, and determine how well they work in this car. Talk to them about what types of limitations there are based on the car’s composition (the size of the opening in the boxcar, for example). What kinds of things don’t work well in the log car? (Marbles or sand.) What kinds of things are great? (Long straight things.) Whether or not the load falls off, learning takes place. Have fun with it.
The Caboose and the Locomotive
are thetraditional toy parts of the train. They make the various cars into a train, ensuring that the learning is fun.