A simple experiment can be performed to characterize the relationship between applied voltage and velocity (steady state and transient) for an electric toy train. The results can be used by teams of students to solve a series of challenges in which they attempt to predict the performance of a particular train. Some sample challenges might include having groups predict the position of the train at a certain instant in time, predict the time the train will reach a given location, and select the applied voltage that will ensure the train will reach a certain point at a given instant. This activity is centered on a team-oriented modeling-based project conducted at Clarkson University, which was published in the "American Journal of Physics".