Welcome to the Transum tram shunting yard where there is a proper place for each and every tram.
Welcome to the Transum tram shunting yard where there is a proper place for each and every tram.
These puzzles are Transum's versions of the shunting or switching puzzles made popular by train enthusiasts and puzzle solvers.
The objective is to move every tram onto the parking bay of the same colour, marked with a dashed outline. Each tram has its own set of controls below the yard, and every set of points has a numbered button.
Points only steer a tram that is approaching them from the facing direction. A tram running into the points the other way is always taken onto the straight track, just as on a real railway.
There is a certain amount of tolerance at the parking bays so a tram does not have to stop exactly over the bay, but it does have to overlap most of it. When a tram is correctly parked its bay changes to a solid outline with a tick.
Trams can pass over parking bays during the course of the action but you should be careful that two trams do not crash into each other. A crash means starting the level again.
The clock starts the moment you press your first button and stops when the last tram is parked. When all of the trams are in the right places you will have the option of claiming a Transum virtual trophy recording your time. You can try as often as you wish and look for time saving strategies so that you can improve on your personal best for each level.
If identifying the colours of the trams is difficult you can add colour names.
You might also like to look at our collection of Classic Shunting Puzzles.
There is are example solutions to these puzzles but they are only available to those who have a Transum Subscription.
Imagine you are on a desert island with nothing but a pack of playing cards. Do you have to stop learning mathematics? Of course not! Here are some great ideas for teachers, parents and tutors.
Match the pairs of lines that are either parallel or perpendicular to each other. So far this activity has been accessed 213 times and 20 Transum Trophies have been awarded for completing it.
As the objective is to complete the puzzle in the shortest amount of time you might be interested to know what the current fastest times are. Those people who have claimed a Transum Trophy for completing a puzzle have their times entered into our database. You can see the current leaders on our Best Shunting Times page.
Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for those learning Mathematics anywhere in the world. Click here to enter your comments.
Work out where the railway line runs. The numbers count the squares of track in each row and column.
The short web address is:
Transum.org/go/?Num=1194
Create towers of heights determined by the numbers at the edges telling you how many towers you would see from that point.
The short web address is:
Transum.org/go/?Num=122
Can you get your car out of the very crowded car park by moving other cars forwards or backwards?
The short web address is:
Transum.org/go/?Num=510
An online version of the Logo programming language with 30 mathematical challenges.
The short web address is:
Transum.org/go/?Num=231
Arrange the digits one to nine to make the four calculations correct.
The short web address is:
Transum.org/go/?Num=737
A game involving chance and choice requiring an ability to calculate the remainder when a two digit number is divided by a single digit number.
The short web address is:
Transum.org/go/?Num=750
A simplified, mathematical version of the challenge seen in the British TV programme Only Connect. Find the connections between the terms.
The short web address is:
Transum.org/go/?Num=899
Arrange a rota for the Scouts to travel in boats so that they are with different people each day.
The short web address is:
Transum.org/go/?Num=807
Transum,
Friday, July 18, 2014
"Though this activity is not explicitly mathematical it does require abstract thought, logical deduction and the generation of a strategy. The real skill is to have more than one tram moving at the same time to minimise the time taken to complete the task. Currently the record for level 1 is 27 seconds! Can you beat that?"
Rob, Hull, England
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
"Could you put letters or numbers in the circles, being colour blind makes what could be an entertaining puzzle a nigh on impossible task beyond the simple solutions.
[Transum: Thanks for the prompt Rob. There is now the option to add colour names to the trams, destination circles and buttons. You will find the link just above these comments at the bottom of the left column of text.]"
John Pork, Scotland
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
"Hello! I was able to complete this marvellous game's hardest difficulty in under 67 seconds. Make harder ones, I beg of you."