Train Fingerplays

Engine On The Track

Here is the engine on the track (hold up thumb)
Here is the coal car, just in back (pointer)
Here is the box car to carry freight (middle)
Here is the mail car. Don’t be late. (ring)
Way back here at the end of the train. (little)
Rides the caboose through the sun and rain.

Choo Choo Train

This is a choo-choo train,
Bend arms at elbows.
Puffing down the track.
  Rotate forearms in rhythm.
Now it’s going forward,
  Push arms forward; continue rotating motion.
Now it’s going back.
      Pull arms back; continue rotating motion.
Now the bell is ringing,
Pull bell cord with closed fist.
Now the whistle blows.
  Hold fist near mouth and blow.
What a lot of noise it makes,
       Cover ears with hand.
Everywhere it goes.

Train Songs

Down by the Station

Down by the station
Early in the morning
See the little puffer bellies, All in a row
See the station master
Turn the little handle
Puff, puff, toot, toot, off we go

Little Red Caboose

Little red caboose, chug chug chug
Little red caboose, chug chug chug
Little red caboose, behind the train, train, train
Smokestack on the, back, back, back
Running down the, track, track, track
Little red caboose, behind the train

Choo, Choo Peanut Butter

A peanut sat on a railroad track
His heart was all a flutter.
Around the bend came number ten
Choo, choo, peanut butter.

The Driver Song

The engineer has a train: chug, chug, chug, chug, chug.
And on that train he has a smokestack: chug, chug, chug, chug, chug.
With a chug, chug here and a chug, chug there, here a chug everywhere a chug, chug

I’ve Been Working On The Railroad

A good version is on Raffi’s “More Singable Songs” album.

I’ve been working on the railroad,
All the live-long day.
I’ve been working on the railroad,
Just to pass the time away.
Can’t you hear the whistle blowing,
Rise up so early in the morn,
Can’t you hear the captain shouting,
“Dinah, blow your horn.”

Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow, your horn?
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow, your horn.

Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah,
Someone’s in the kitchen, I know,
Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah,
Strummin; on the old banjo.

Singing
Fee-fi-fiddle-ee-i-o,
Fee-fi-fiddle-ee-i-o-o-o-o
Fee-fi-fiddle-ee-i-o,
Strummin’ on the old banjo.

Engine Engine Number 9

There are many versions of this song. On YouTube most of them seem to be in English but riding on lines in India – Bombay, Delhi, etc. This one is Vancouver (maybe Washington!).

Vancouver Line

Engine, engine, Number 9,
Coming down the Vancouver line.
If the train goes off the track,
Do you want your money back.
Yes, no, maybe so.

Bombay Line

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQxtMgvOmNE

Engine, engine, Number 9
When it’s ready it will shine
Engine, engine, Number 9
Then we’ll ride on the Bombay Line

Another one I saw referenced but do not have:

Engine Engine Number 9 on “Songs and Games for Toddlers” album by Bob McGrath and Katherine Smithrim.

I’m a Little Red Train

By Jean Warren
Sung to “I’m a Little White Duck”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y57RWhz76y8

I’m a little red train
Chugging down the track,
A little red train
Going up and back.
I travel all day
Going round and round,
Taking goods from town to town.
I’m a little red train
Going down the track
Chug — Chug  — Chug.

Chug, Chug, Chug

By Elizabeth Scofield
Tune:  “Jingle Bells”

Chug, chug, chug; chug, chug, chug,
Chugging down the track.
See our little choo-choo train
Chugging down and back.
We are cars – all lined up,
Chugging just like so.
Hear our whistle toot-toot-toot
As down and back we go.

Little Black Train

By Jean Warren

Little black train chugging down the track.
First you chug down, then you chug back.
Then you blow your whistle and come to a stop
And all the happy passengers jump right off!

 

Trains Week: 9/4/12

Tuesday September 4th we will start (well, continue) talking about trains. The kids are always interested in this topic, and we are always signing train songs, reading train books and pretending to be trains. This week we’ll focus on learning something new about trains and just plain have more fun with trains!

I’ll post links to some of the activities, songs, books, etc., so you can carry this curriculum home with you.

Train facts that surprised me when my husband told me. I also looked them up, of course.

1. Cabooses are rarely used nowadays. Cabooses were traditionally crew quarters. Switches are now activated automatically and don’t need a person to get off the train to move them, so the engineer in the front of the train is sufficient.
2. Locomotives at the back of the train help propel the train forward by pushing or to enable easy redirection.
3. Locomotives at the back of the train help with the air brakes.
4. The wedge front of a steam locomotive is sometimes called a “cowcatcher” because it was used to push objects – including cattle – off the tracks.

Here’s one super informative website with cool diagrams and everything:

“How Trains Work”
http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/train.htm

Links to more info on…

1. “Why Don’t Freight Trains Have Cabooses Anymore?”
   http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/772/why-dont-freight-trains-have-cabooses-anymore
2. “Push-Pull Train”
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push%E2%80%93pull_train).
3. “Flashing Rear-End Device”
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashing_rear-end_device
4. “Pilot (locomotive)” aka “cowcatcher”
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_%28locomotive%29