Freight Train coloring pages are a lot more interesting when the wagons aren't all the same, and this collection gives kids containers, tankers, coal cars, grain hoppers, and long cargo lines to color. Our 53 freight train illustrations are set up as a free printable PDF collection, so it's easy to pick a favorite train, print it, and start right away. The simpler pages are especially handy when you need a calm activity that doesn't take much effort to get started.
These pages work well for parents looking for quiet-time printables, teachers putting together transportation lessons, and toddlers practicing pencil grip with bigger shapes like the round tanker cars and blocky container wagons. There are also enough mixed freight scenes here for older kids who enjoy coloring long trains, different cargo types, and more detailed rail yards.
🖍 Coloring Tip:Use bright red, navy blue, and forest green on the shipping containers so each freight car looks different and the long train line feels more interesting.
🖍 Coloring Tip:Coal cars look great with black, dark gray, and rusty brown, while grain hopper trains can use golden yellow near the silo and pale blue skies.
5 easy activities using freight train coloring pages
If you've enjoyed coloring these freight trains, then you may be interested in some other things that you can do with your print outs now that you've colored them in.
Here are a few simple, realistic, and affordable, ideas suitable for at home or in the classroom.
Freight Train Coloring Pages Activities
Make a cargo sorting yard board
This works especially well with the page showing the flatbed wagons carrying big shipping containers, the tanker train with two round cars, and the grain hopper train with the silo in the background. Kids can color each page, cut out the wagons, and sort them by what each train carries.
You'll need:
Two or three freight train coloring pages
Scissors
Glue stick
Poster board or cardstock
Markers or crayons
How to do it:
Color the freight wagons, then cut out the container cars, tanker cars, and hopper cars.
Glue them into groups on a poster and label the sections with simple words like containers, fuel, or grain.
It's a nice mix of coloring and early sorting practice.
Turn the container train page into a stacking poster
The freight train carrying large containers is perfect for this because the wagon loads are already big block shapes. Kids can color the containers in different shades, cut them out, and stack extra paper containers above the wagons to make a busy loading-yard poster.
Freight Train Container Fun
You'll need:
The container freight train page
Colored paper or scrap paper
Scissors
Glue stick
Markers or crayons
How to do it:
Color the printed train first, keeping each container a different color.
Cut extra paper rectangles and glue them above or beside the train to look like stacked cargo waiting to be loaded.
It makes the page feel like a real freight terminal.
Build a tunnel freight scene
Use the freight train entering the big hill tunnel page for a simple layered craft. The tunnel shape makes it easy to create depth, and kids usually like hiding part of the train so it looks like it's rolling right into the hill.
You'll need:
The tunnel freight train page
Scissors
Glue
A second sheet of paper or cardstock
How to do it:
Color the train, tunnel, clouds, and trees, then carefully cut around the tunnel opening or cut out the train separately.
Glue the train behind the tunnel area on a second sheet so the front of the cargo line looks like it is disappearing inside.
This one looks great with very little extra work.
Create a tanker and boxcar matching game
The tanker train with the big round cars and the simple boxcar freight train are easy for younger kids to tell apart. Turn them into a quick matching activity by cutting out repeated wagon shapes and gluing them onto small cards.
You'll need:
The tanker train page and boxcar train page
Scissors
Cardstock or cereal box card
Glue stick
How to do it:
Color the pages and cut out small wagon sections or draw matching wagon shapes based on the original pages.
Glue the matching pieces onto card squares and play a simple memory game face down.
It's quick to set up and easy to play again later.
Make a longest freight train wall border
The long freight train with mixed wagons is perfect for a room or classroom border because it already includes a container car, a boxcar, and a tanker wagon. Kids can extend the train by drawing extra wagons on strips of paper and taping them together into one extra-long display.
You'll need:
The long freight train page with mixed wagons
Long strips of paper
Tape or glue
Markers or crayons
Scissors
How to do it:
Color the original page, then cut it out or trim around the train carefully.
Add more hand-drawn wagons on paper strips and join them together to make one very long freight train border.
It looks especially good across a wall, shelf, or bulletin board.
The longest freight train ever recorded was an Australian ore train that stretched 7.353 kilometers, or about 4.57 miles, and used 682 ore cars with 8 locomotives. That's much longer than most kids imagine when they think of a train.
For more rail-themed printables, head back to our full Trains
coloring pages collection. You can find plenty more engines, cars, and train scenes there for the next coloring session.
Coloring Pages FAQ
Why is my coloring page printing too big or too small?
Check your scale setting (Fit vs 100%) and confirm the paper size is set to US Letter or A4.
Do I need a profile to use Crafty Josh coloring pages?
No - you can use them without creating a profile.
Are these coloring pages OK to use for classroom activities or homeschool?
Yes - they can be printed for non-commercial educational use by teachers, parents, and group leaders.
Can I use these pages for my business or customers?
No - business use isn’t allowed; they’re intended for personal and educational use.
Do you add new coloring pages often?
Yes - we’re always adding new coloring pages and categories.
