Toy train track

Abstract

A section of a toy train track includes a wooden board having grooves that represent rails of the toy train track and are for guiding wheels of a toy vehicle. Burned portions of the wooden board represent crossties.

That which is claimed:  
     
         1 . A section of a toy train track that is for guiding wheels of a toy vehicle, the section comprising: 
 a wooden board including grooves that represent rails of the toy train track and are for guiding the wheels of the toy vehicle, wherein burned portions of the wooden board, which are formed by the application of heated stamps, represent crossties of the toy train track.    
     
     
         2 . A section according to  claim 1 , wherein the board has opposite ends and includes a tapered tenon at one of the ends and a tapered mortise at the other of the ends, and wherein the tenon and the mortise are for connecting the section to other sections of the toy train track.  
     
     
         3 . A section of a toy train track that is for guiding wheels of a toy vehicle, the section comprising: 
 a wooden board having grooves that represent rails of the toy train track and are for guiding the wheels of the toy vehicle, wherein the grooves are elongate and extend in a longitudinal direction, burned portions of the wooden board represent crossties of the toy train track, the burned portions are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction and arranged in a longitudinally extending series, and each of the burned portions extends transverse to the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         4 . A section according to  claim 3 , wherein the board has opposite ends and includes a tapered tenon at one of the ends and a tapered mortise at the other of the ends, and wherein the tenon and the mortise are for connecting the section to other sections of the toy train track.  
     
     
         5 . A method of forming a section of a toy train track that is for guiding wheels of a toy vehicle, the method comprising: 
 forming grooves in a wooden board so that the grooves represent rails of the toy train track and are for guiding the wheels of the toy vehicle; and    burning portions of the wooden board to form optical markings that represent crossties of the toy train track.    
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein burning portions of the wooden board comprises applying heated stamps to the wooden board.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , further comprising mounting the heated stamps to a holder to provide predetermined spacing between the burned portions and predetermined orientation of the burned portions.