Free printable train tracks (6 PDFs)

Printable train tracks

These free printable train tracks make for a fantastic kids’ craft activity. After printing the PDF pages learners can create pretty much any sort of railway system they want to.

Much like Lego it is an easy matter of joining pieces together to make something they imagine. The railway pieces here include long and short straight lengths, small and large turns, wavy tracks, a tunnel length, and a crossover. There are even some printable railroad cars and carriages you can use on the tracks.

With these printables, you can create any size railway imaginable, from a small area on a table to an entire backyard! All you need to do is print the tracks, cut them out, and get creating. If you need some ideas on best how to use these printables, read below for some great ideas.

Ideas for using the free printable railroad

These printables can be used in a ton of different ways that educate children as well as letting them get creative. Here are a few simple ideas that you might want to try –

Create a landscape. This can be quite simple or a bold time-consuming project. You have the railway, but what about the rest of your train world? You can add trees, hills, signs, forest animals, pretty much anything!

Turn your rail line 3 dimensional by adding a tube tunnel, raising sections over hills made with boxes, and adding other vehicles and pedestrians. One great addition is using the free printable roads alongside it.

Number trains. Use the train tracks to teach numbers by adding them along its length. As your learners train passes each numeral they can say them aloud for both memory and pronunciation practice. You can print and cut out the squares on one of the number charts to help with this.

Alphabet stations. Just like the idea above with numbers, you can place the letters of the alphabet along the train lines you make. Add some stations where several letters are to be recalled or even place some flashcards there that learners will benefit from recalling.

Railroad posters. Children can glue the train tracks to a large sheet of paper or card stock to make posters that can be hung on walls. Once the tracks are in place they can draw in things like houses, rivers, and trees as an art exercise.

The posters can also be writing activities where learners can add information about a chosen topic. This could be anything slightly related such as railroad history, facts about a city, or even a Wild West story.

Printable railway engines and cars

If your children or students don’t have any toy trains to use on the railroads that you have printed, don’t worry, here is a simple solution.

The train cars and engines below can be printed out and used with the tracks you assemble. There is the option of printing a colored set out or you can print the outline if you want to add your own colors.

Once printed and cut out, simply attach the pictures to things like juice boxes, toilet rolls, or anything you have on hand. After that, they can roll along the railway to wherever it leads!

Another option is to create frames with cardboard or thick paper that you can stick them to. This is also a nice fun side project for learners.