The Train, also known as the Playtime Express,[1] is a vehicle created in the Playtime Co. factory, debuting in Chapter 2: "Fly in a Web". It was a locomotive found in the Game Station, which was previously used for the orphans to travel around the factory.
During Chapter 3: "Deep Sleep", the Playtime Express was reintroduced as a burning wreckage near its Train Station. Ollie, communicating with The Player via telephone, surmises that’s where CatNap found them once it crashed.
In Project: Playtime, it makes its appearance in the Pre-Game Lobby upon booting up the game, and can be used by the Specialists to escape the facility.
Appearance[]
Current/New[]
In general, the Playtime Express resembles a large multi-colored tender locomotive, with the locomotive being painted blue, with 18 black wheels, cylinders and bogie wheels, two curves, two yellow domes on top, as well as a large red funnel with yellow trims. On the front, it has a metal headlight with a yellow circle attached to it, and underneath is a number plate in gold trims; "9512", which also has a gold bell with Huggy Wuggy above it.
The locomotive’s front has a red platform, with a yellow snowplough on the front, a green running board around the sides, as well as two eyes sticking out of either side of the front of the cab which are held up by curly metal coils and fitted into metal eye sockets, and the cab has yellow outlined windows on each side, with a yellow sign in red below the windows: PLAYTIME EXPRESS.
The locomotive’s tender is the same color as the front, displaying the Playtime Co. logo on its sides, with the same numbers (9612) underneath the light. Similar to the train's original design, the inside of the train has the same controls to make it accessible to travel in.
Outdated/Old[]
The Train's old appearance is much different. During Chapter 2, it resembled a tank engine with 8 rows of 32 round gold-colored wheels, which support the engine and its 3 passenger cars. Its funnel is thinner and taller, and it has a single square window on the front of the cab. Its metal eyes are also slightly slanted sideways. The Train doors are unlocked by using the Green GrabPack Hand.
History[]
The Hour Of Joy[]
During the relocation tape, the Playtime Express was re-introduced while Playtime Co. employees were slowly loading Kissy Missy onto the train to transport her to Playcare. However, after a short period of time, the train suddenly started to speed up. After the train had stopped, blood stains can be briefly seen on Kissy Missy, as well as several dead employees beside her, which was followed by The Hour of Joy.
Chapter 2: "Fly in a Web"[]
After The Player encounters Mommy Long Legs, the Playtime Express was first introduced in Playtime Co’s Game Station. The Player's main escape route from the abandoned factory, but in order to start the train, they need all 3 pieces of the Train Code, which are found and obtained throughout the natural course of the game. After Mommy Long Legs is killed, The Player is led back to the Game Station, navigating Bay 09 which leads them to find a trapped Poppy. After they free her, Poppy boards the Train while The Player inputs the Train Code correctly, and the Train begins to move.
Poppy then states she had 'much time to think and reflect', and that together, she and The Player can 'set things right'. At the last moment, she changes the direction of the Train, leading it somewhere else. Before she can finish, the sound of a digital alarm clock cuts her off, leaving her with only enough time to exclaim 'what is-?' before the audio is cut off. The Train begins to accelerate uncontrollably at an alarming pace. The Player attempts to use the emergency stop, but the Train derails and crashes, knocking them unconsciousness, but not before they see a sign for Playcare. The chapter then ends.
Project: Playtime[]
The Specialists arrive at their chosen locations on this Train in the Passenger Cars. After depositing all toy parts, the Specialists will be able to escape through the Train.
Chapter 3: "Deep Sleep"[]
The burning train seen in the Train Station.
After the Train crash, The Player (still unconscious) is thrown down a chute by CatNap into a Trash Compactor. After escaping, The Player makes their way through a series of maintenance tunnels, hearing a phone ringing in the distance in the process of escaping. Finding and answering the phone, The Player finds themselves communicating with an unknown character, who states his name to be Ollie. Venturing further into Playtime Co., they encounter the burning train where CatNap found them.
Abilities and Anatomy[]
Being a locomotive, it primarily runs on steam, although the absence of a firebox in its Chapter 2 appearance may indicate that the water is heated electronically like an electric kettle.[2]
Chapter 2[]
The Train locomotive is a small 6-2-0 tank engine that has inside cylinders, inferred by the lack of exposed valve gear, to drive the driving-axle. The side rods do not connect to the driving wheel and are attached only to the wheels on the pilot bogie. On closer inspection, its wheels appear to have rubber around them, likely to reduce the risk of wheel slip significantly. Its funnel is very thin, heightening the risk of precipitation inside it, and is situated in the middle of the boiler, not above its smoke box. It has two lights where its buffers would be expected to be, and lacks a bell. It also lacks a steam pressure safety valve, making the engine liable to explode[3], and is missing a sand dome on its boiler. This has yet to be changed to the Chapter 3 locomotive in the future.
Chapter 3[]
The Train has had a significant overhaul in its design. Now a full-fledged locomotive with a Lionel or Santa Fe style tender, it sports a 4-6-0 wheel configuration in a similar manner to the GWR 4 cylinder 4-6-0s like the Star, Castle or King Class locomotives.[4] It has a central light on the front of its smokebox with the funnel, now much larger, being correctly on top of it, and now includes a bell. Its wheelbase is far more realistic, and the side rods are properly connected to the driving wheels. Featuring Timken roller bearings, the train now employs the Walschaerts valve gear, one on each side of the locomotive, although it lacks radius rods, combination levers, or union links, making it impossible for the train to go in reverse. The boiler sits higher up the cab than Chapter 2's version, inferring that this version may have used coal as fuel. Its funnel shape, commonly called a balloon stack, suggests it may have burned wood instead, and on top of the boiler is a proper steam pressure safety valve covered by a dome[5] and a sand dome further in front of it.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the Poppy Playtime Chapter 2 Official Trailer, the Train had no green hand door, and there was no platform to get up to the train. This is probably due to most of the trailer being filmed in a beta version.
- The chugging sound made by the Train is reused from the 2004 Christmas movie The Polar Express.
- When the Train starts speeding, it itself is not moving, but the entire tunnel is constantly generating more parts to accommodate the speed.
- This causes a large model to move around through the map, invading on space and may cause lags and crashes.
- It is presumed to have crashed at or near Playcare.
- The scene where the train crashes is possibly inspired on the Malbone Street Wreck.
- In the Project Playtime Official Cinematic Trailer, one of the train cars has the words "PTCRR MAINTENANCE VEHICLE" written on it. This implies that only employees can use this train.
- PTCRR stands for Playtime Company Railroad, a reference to the fanmade Playtime Company Railway.
- In the Project: Playtime Cinematic Trailer, before the surviving Specialist was eaten by Boxy Boo, the new model of the Train is showcased with coaches attached to it. However, this was removed from the game since it was merely a beta version.