Infinity Train (vehicle)

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Overview

Gallery

Infinity Train
Information
Type	Train
Location	The Wasteland
Appearances
First Appearance	Pilot "The Grid Car" (series)
Latest Appearance	"The Train to Nowhere"

The Infinity Train is the main setting of the eponymous series.

Description

In Wastelands

While it appears as a regular train on the outside, it is actually of seemingly infinite length. Inside of its many boxcars, practically anything conceivable can be found, whether it be puzzles, creatures, or even entire worlds. According to Owen Dennis, it is around 5 stories tall. Passengers picked up by the train are processed through the Tape Car, where their memories are recorded on a video tape. They are then given a number engraved onto their right palm to track their progress through the train before being sent in a special pod to one of the cars. They are unable to leave the train until their number reaches zero, upon which a door leading them home will open.

According to Owen Dennis, time on the train runs parallel to the real world, with passengers picked up from the train disappearing in the real world for the amount of time they remain on the train. In-show, this is confirmed by Nate frantically reuniting with Jesse, and alluding to the latter's disappearance.

For presumably maintenance purposes, cars are able to climb on top of and travel very quickly over the train. "Shifters", as named by Grace, move in the following order:

1. The bridges that span across cars retract (presumably while the car decouples from its neighbors)
   • The railings fold into the bridge's floor
   • The floor splits at the middle of two cars
   • The segmented floor folds onto itself (the outer segment folds down and onto the inner segment and disappears)
   • The last floor segment gets pulled into a slot below the car door is
2. The front and back wheels pivot so that the gears adjacent to each train wheel extend forward and engage with the teeth running down the front and back of its neighboring cars which help by closing in and pushing against the shifter
3. The car climbs on top of one of its former neighbors
4. The two neighboring cars close the gap and presumably couple to each other
5. The shifter stops so that the front and back wheels (which were spinning in opposite directions to climb up) can choose the same direction to roll in

For one reason or another, the coupling and decoupling mechanisms are never shown in action. Shifters seem to move incredibly quickly.

On Earth

The Train itself can change its appearance when offering a new passenger to board, seemingly adapting to the personality, desires, and situation of the potential passenger in an attempt to lure them on. Only four designs have been seen in the show. Three of those designs appeared in memory tapes.

• In Tulip's case, the Train manifested itself as a fairly normal train, luring Tulip onboard by suggesting that the Train was traveling to Oshkosh. The design suits Tulip's logical mindset.
• In Amelia's case, the Train manifested itself as a sleek, shorter futuristic car, appealing to her passion for engineering and technology. It is also an armored train, offering her protection in the aftermath of Alrick's death.
• For Grace, the train manifested itself as a white/gold, lavish train with a long red carpet that led Grace inside. The design fits Grace's home life and dancing background while also appealing her desire to be acknowledged by others.
• For Ryan and Min-Gi, the train appears orange and polished, the door has a blue and yellow zaggy pattern. Fit for their longing to become rockstars. Only the side of the train can be seen since it's only visible through the doors of the Amtrak Horizon railcar the boys get onto.

History

Very little information is provided on the train's origin and history, although a stray comment by The Cat in "Le Chat Chalet Car" suggests it is at least centuries old, possibly existing prior to when railway locomotives were invented. According to series creator Owen Dennis and supervising director Madeline Queripel, the train appears to passengers when they are at a crossroads in their life, where they could go down one path or another.

Tulip first encountered the train after she ran away from home to try to get to the game design camp in Oshkosh on her own. Upon trying to board, the train sucked her into the Snow Car.

Design

The Wheels are the sets of 10 separate wheels beneath every train car. They guide the Infinity Train along the tracks, as well as shift individual train cars forward and backwards along the train. The wheels have also been used as "weapons", and a disposal system, primarily by The Apex.

There are two separate types of wheels. "Outer Wheels" are smoother, rounder, and thinner than inner wheels, and guide the train along the tracks. "Inner Wheels" are wider and more "gear"-shaped, They help propel the train forward. The outer wheels can be pivoted to run up the sides of train cars, and run on top of the train cars during "Shifting".

Besides transportation, the primary function of the wheels throughout the series is to be a method of disposing unwanted objects. "Wheeling", a term coined by the The Apex, is the act of kicking or throwing an object, denizen, or passenger to the wheels as a means of getting rid of them. "Wheeling" has only been done a few times throughout the show.

Engine

Main article: Engine

Train Cars

These are the cars that are attached to the train and have been shown/mentioned in the show.

It's worth noting that no car has an official name, all cars are colloquial. Therefore all the names used below are either borrowed from episode titles or were named by the characters in the narrative.

Pilot Cars

Episode	Name	Picture	Status	Note
Pilot	Five Unknown Cars		Mostly Unseen	After exiting the Puzzle Car, One-One speculated that the previous eight cars were fart cars. Three of those mentioned cars are known (The Bubble Car, the Chess Car, and the Puzzle Car).
	Bubble Car		Briefly Seen
	Chess Car		Briefly Seen
	Puzzle Car		Story Setting
	Fart Car		Gag
	Corginia		Story Setting

Book One Cars

Episode	Name	Picture	Status	Note
"The Grid Car"	Snow Car		Story setting	The car where Tulip Olsen first wakes up and meets One-One
	Grid Car		Story Setting
	Social Media Video Car		Gag
"The Beach Car"	Crossword Car		Story setting
	Tiny Wizards Car		Story Setting
	Pinball Car		Story Setting
	Beach Car		Story Setting	The Car where Tulip first meets the Cat
"The Corgi Car"	Keyboard Car		Briefly Seen
	Cross-Eyed Ducks Car		Briefly Seen
	Monster Dance Car		Briefly Seen
	Ancient Temple Car		Briefly Seen
	Corginia		Story Setting	The Car where Tulip first meets Atticus
"The Crystal Car"	Straight-Up Italy Car		Story Setting
	Monkey Bars Car		Unseen	Mentioned in Notebook
	Friendly-Eyeballs Car		Unseen	Mentioned in Notebook
	Mannequin Car		Unseen	Mentioned in Notebook
	Water Car		Unseen	Mentioned in Notebook. Possibly referring to the Beach Car
	Hold Music Car		Unseen	Mentioned in Notebook. Possibly referring to the Keyboard Car
	Kombucha Car		Unseen	Mentioned in Notebook
	Bats instead of Bees Car		Unseen	Mentioned in Notebook
	Crystal Car		Story Setting
"The Cat's Car"	Dinosaur Baseball Car		Gag
	Cat's Car		Story Setting
"The Unfinished Car"	Spa Car		Briefly Seen
	Unfinished Car		Story Setting
	French Toast and Maple Syrup River Car		Unseen	Mentioned by Tulip in passing
"The Chrome Car"	Jelly Bean Car		Briefly Seen
	Chrome Car		Story Setting
	Pencil Bank Car		Story Setting
"The Ball Pit Car"	Graph Car		Story Setting
	Luau Car		Unseen	Mentioned by Atticus, who described it as being humid
	Ball Pit Car		Story Setting	The car where Tulip and Atticus first meet the "Conductor"
"The Past Car"	Ball Pit Car		Story Setting
"The Engine"	Ball Pit Car		Story Setting
	Engine		Story Setting
	New Car		Story Setting
	Unfinished Car		Unseen	Mentioned by Tulip in Passing

Train Documentaries Cars

Episode	Name	Picture	Status	Note
"The Green Car"	Green Car		Story Setting
"The Tiny Wizard Car"	Tiny Wizards Car		Story Setting
"The Kaiju Car"	Kaiju Car		Story Setting
	Never-Ending Waterslide Car		Mentioned
"The Tech Support Car"	Beach Car		Story Setting
"The Snow Car"	Snow Car		Story Setting	One-One calls it the "Beachside Car"
"The Hill Car"	Hill Car		Story Setting
"The Movie Theater Car"	Movie Theater Car		Story Setting
"The Cross-Eyed Ducks Car"	Cross-Eyed Ducks Car		Story Setting
"The Minecart Car"	Minecart Car		Story Setting
"The Wedding Cake Car"	Wedding Cake Car		Story Setting
	Knitting Otters Car		Unseen

Book Two Cars

Episode	Name	Picture	Status	Note
"The Black Market Car"	Metal Workshop Car		Story Setting
	Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car		Briefly Seen
	Kaiju Car		Briefly Seen
	Jellyfish Car		Briefly Seen
	Carrot Car		Briefly Seen
	Doily Car		Story Setting
	Black Market Car		Story Setting
	Family Tree Car		Story Setting	The car where M.T., Jesse Cosay, and Alan Dracula first meet
"The Family Tree Car"	Family Tree Car		Story Setting
"The Map Car"	Green Car		Briefly Seen
	Map Car		Story Setting
"The Toad Car"	Map Car		Story Setting
	Toad Car		Story Setting
	Cross-Eyed Ducks Car		Pictured	Photograph on Jesse's phone
	Green Car		Pictured	Photograph on Jesse's phone
	Beach Car		Pictured	Photograph on Jesse's phone
"The Parasite Car"	Parasite Car		Story Setting
	Drag Car		Story Setting
	Food Pyramid Car		Story Setting
"The Lucky Cat Car"	Lucky Cat Car		Story Setting
"The Mall Car"	Mall Car		Story Setting	Home base of the Apex
	Cube Car		Story Setting
"The Wasteland"	Mall Car		Story Setting
"The Tape Car"	Passenger Preparation Car		Story Setting
"The Number Car"

Book Three Cars

Episode	Name	Picture	Status	Note
"The Musical Car"	Mall Car		Story Setting
	Musical Car		Story Setting
	Unfinished Car		Story Setting
	Jungle Car		Briefly Seen
"The Jungle Car"	Jungle Car		Story Setting	The car where Grace Monroe and Simon Laurent first meet Hazel and Tuba
"The Debutante Ball Car"	Ocean Car		Story Setting
	Debutante Ball Car		Story Setting
"Le Chat Chalet Car"	Cabin Car		Story Setting
"The Color Clock Car"	Color Clock Car		Story Setting
	Campfire Car		Story Setting
"The Campfire Car"	Campfire Car		Story Setting
	Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car		Story Setting	The car where Grace, Simon, and Hazel first meet Amelia Hughes
"The Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car"	Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car		Story Setting
	Le Chat Chalet Car		Story Setting
	Unfinished Car		Unseen	Mentioned by Simon in Passing
"The Hey Ho Whoa Car"	Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car		Story Setting
	Hey Ho Whoa Car		Story Setting
	Pumpkin Car		Unseen	Mentioned by Grace
"The Origami Car"	Hey Ho Whoa Car		Story Setting
	Origami Car		Story Setting
	Pumpkin Car		Memory
	Box Car		Memory
	Pufferfish Balloons Car		Briefly Seen, Memory
	Mall Car		Memory
"The New Apex"	Origami Car		Story Setting
	Mall Car		Story Setting

Book Four Cars

Episode	Name	Picture	Status	Note
"The Twin Tapes"	Passenger Preparation Car		Story Setting
"The Iceberg Car"	Iceberg Car		Story Setting	The car where Min-Gi Park and Ryan Akagi first wake up and meet Kez
	"Warm Iceberg" Car		Unseen	Mentioned by Kez
	Old West Car		Story Setting
"The Old West Car"	Old West Car		Story Setting
	Mega Maze Car		Pictured
"The Pig Baby Car"	Pig Baby Car		Story Setting
"The Astro Queue Car"	Baby Puzzle Car		Story Setting
	Astro Queue Car		Story Setting
"The Party Car"	Astro Queue Car		Story Setting
"The Art Gallery Car"	Art Gallery Car		Story Setting
	Big Roller Skates Car		Unseen	Mentioned by Min in Passing
"The Mega Maze Car"	Mega Maze Car		Story Setting
"The Castle Car"
"The Train to Nowhere"	Mega Maze Car		Story Setting
	Art Gallery Car		Unseen	Mentioned in Passing

Possible/Unknown Cars

These are the cars that were not shown to be real, but instead were suggested in the show. Should the Infinity Train be truly infinite, the existence of these cars is guaranteed:

Episode	Name	Status	Note
Pilot	Burp Car	Unseen	Made up by One-One
	Pizzeria Car	Unseen	Made up by Tulip
"The Green Car"	Fun Car full of talking Hats	Unseen	Made up by One-One
	Horribly Dangerous Car full of Acid Slime	Unseen	Made up by One-One

Trivia

The proposed ouroboros-infinity insignia of the train

• The Infinity Train is neither infinitely long nor has infinite universes. Alex Horab, a staff writer for the show and a professed math nerd, states that an object reaching infinity is impossible because infinity is a concept and not quantifiable. Instead the Infinity Train gets its name because of its goal to trend towards infinity: constantly making more train cars with wacky pocket universes in an attempt to maximize the chances of solving people's problems. Horab expressed a desire to explain this concept further in the cancelled movie.
• During development on the pilot, background designer Clarke Snyder drew a potential logo for the train, with the idea that it would be stamped on every car. The symbol was an Ouroboros fashioned into the infinity symbol with a waning gibbous moon above it (the moon is red and the shadow on it is black; inversely, it could also be a waxing crescent). Although Owen Dennis liked the idea, he felt it did not fit in canon as no one in the show ever refers to the train as the "Infinity Train".
  • The infinity symbol is a mathematical symbol used to show the concept of infinity. The Ouroboros (a snake/serpent eating its own tail; usually drawn as a circle) is an ancient symbol used to depict continuity, cycles, and infinity.
• According to Amelia, the train cars reset after a while, never rendering the puzzles in cars obsolete. This is seen with "The Hey Ho Whoa Car", when the rock-denizens in said car vanish and begin to refill after Amelia first passed through the car.
• In the pilot design of the train, the engine appears to have a valve gear, a typical gear that a steam locomotive has. But the train doesn't have a piston, so it is unknown if the train is designed after a Steam or a Diesel locomotive.
• According to Owen Dennis, the train is considered an internet myth in the outside world, though former passengers have been able to get in touch to talk about their experiences.

Gallery

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References

v • e Locations Main Locations Wasteland Infinity Train Earth United States (North Branch, Minnesota (Megan's Residence • North Middle Branch Area Middle School) • Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Oshkosh Game Design Camp) • Arizona (Jesse's Residence) • Utica, New York (Special Night Open Mic Club)) • United Kingdom • Unknown Location (DolphWorld • Grace's Residence) • Powell Lake, British Columbia, Canada (Dumpty's Diner • Horace's Residence • Mill Station • Min-Gi's Residence • Powell Lake Secondary School • Ryan's Residence) Train Cars Pilot Bubble Car • Chess Car • Puzzle Car • Fart Car • Corginia Book One Snow Car • Grid Car • Crossword Car • Tiny Wizards Car • Pinball Car • Beach Car • Keyboard Car • Cross-Eyed Ducks Car • Monster Dance Car • Ancient Temple Car • Corginia • Straight-Up Italy Car • Crystal Car • Dinosaur Baseball Car • Cat's Car • Spa Car • Unfinished Car • Jelly Bean Car • Chrome Car • Pencil Bank Car • Luau Car • Graph Car • Ball Pit Car • New Car • Engine Minisodes Green Car • Tiny Wizards Car • Kaiju Car • Beach Car • Snow Car • Hill Car • Movie Theater Car • Cross-Eyed Ducks Car • Minecart Car • Wedding Cake Car Book Two Metal Workshop Car • Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car • Kaiju Car • Jellyfish Car • Carrot Car • Doily Car • Black Market Car • Family Tree Car • Green Car • Map Car • Toad Car • Cross-Eyed Ducks Car • Beach Car • Parasite Car • Drag Car • Food Pyramid Car • Lucky Cat Car • Mall Car • Cube Car • Passenger Preparation Car • Hill Car Book Three Mall Car • Musical Car • Unfinished Car • Jungle Car • Ocean Car • Debutante Ball Car • Le Chat Chalet Car • Color Clock Car • Campfire Car • Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car • Hey Ho Whoa Car • Origami Car • Pumpkin Car • Box Car • Pufferfish Balloons Car Book Four Passenger Preparation Car • Iceberg Car • Old West Car • Pig Baby Car • Baby Puzzle Car • Astro Queue Car • Art Gallery Car • Mega Maze Car