Indoor G due to physical disablities

[chemung]

Are there any fourm members,who because of disablities,can not operate outside.I have compensated by indoor table top,small but fun and better than not enjoying trains that you can see and handle.

Dave W.
Omaha,Nebr.

[Anonymous]

Hey Dave,
Im not disabled, but im glad you have at least a small layout.I do have a small layout outside, and enjoy that also. Keep the trains a rollin and have fun, thats what its alll about

Jeff

[vsmith]

Dave

Welcome to the forum, another Indoor modeler!!!!
What kind of disability put you indoors if you dont mind me asking?

I'm indoors also, in the garage, but my disablitiy is simply too small a yard and a firebrand misses who wont let me tear up what little yard there is... You can see some plans and photos and the whole sad story of how I ended up in their under "The Saga Of My Ever Shrinking Railroad" thread on this forum,

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16963

I've gone from a 15' x 30' planned outdoor layout to a 8' x 20 indoor now down to a 8' x 10' layout. Sheesh, any smaller and I'll send some photos to Carl Arednt's Micro-layout website!

Anyway, How big is your table layout, is it traditional benchtop type or did you use a real table. Scenery? structures? any pic's? I have managed to plan quite a bit into my tiny layout. The original 5'x6' benchtop was originally supposed to be a test track for the outdoor layout, but now its the core of my indoor layout. I have been concentrating on building structures lately and will be placing some completed ones onto the layout soon. I have to paint a backdrop first though.

I'm always keen to talk with others who are Innie's like me, get to talk about a different perspective of the hobby. All my trains are small two axle cars and engines with a few very short 4 axle cars.

Later Vic

[bman36]

Hi Dave,
Welcome to the forum! Good for you for not letting a disabilty get in the way of having fun with trains. Like Vic I too have an indoor line. Still in the construction process though. Where did you end up setting up? Do you have a room to model in? Large Scale indoors is still very feasible. It sure took some thought as to how I wanted it to look versus my available space. Mine is wall mounted and runs the perimeter of my basement. The theme is logging with a small town in the bathroom. Yep, the bathroom. Gives a person something to look at during those "Nature Calls". Thought of naming the town "Pottyville" or something along those lines. Of course it will have a plumbing store called "The King's Throne". Would love to hear more about what you have endeavored to do at your end. Enjoy the forum! Later eh...Brian.

[chemung]

vsmith,I don't mind talking about my health.Spine damage due to broken bones and disc's.Hip joints are rotting away from lack of blood supply,so bone on bone contact.I can sit or stand but bending over or getting down on the ground or floor is very difficult.I walk a little but scotter or wheelchair for any extended movement.My favorite gag line is "I don't get in the prone position because someone will throw a sheet over me"

Table is 5x8 oval with 4'curves and 36" strights.I have a PRR LGB passenger set.I just enjoy watching her chug around.Cheaper than doctors or drugs for therapy.

Had O scale,but I can see the G much better.

Dave W.
Omaha,Nebr.

[Anonymous]

Dave, I have a garden railway but when the weather is bad I resort to my shelf railway which is only about ten feet long and eight inches wide located below a window sill. I use an LGB automatic reversing system to control it. Please take note that wallpaper border forms the backdrop.

Here you see my Lehmann Porter on it, but I also like to operate my other small locomotives such as the Hartland Mack with a couple of LGB field railway cars.

I like to kickback in my recliner, put the internet radio station www.ratpacklive.com on the computer, and watch my Porter or whatever shuttle back and forth on the shelf railway.

Ahhhhh, I feel a nap coming on...

Regards,
Bill C.
South Jersey

[jmozz]

Dave hi i'm john i have been disabled since 1991 i have degenerated disc and advananced artritis in my knee and hips last june i had a morphine pump inplanted in me to control the pain. if i go with an outside rr i will need lots of help so i mite just do what you did if i didn't have trains i go nuts hang in there jmozz

[Anonymous]

I can say for sure my nerves are shot. Which makes my hands shake when I try, and I still try, to weather my cars I have.
Since 1997 wanted to dive into G scale but hands kept me out and now that Dr.s think they have a handle on it, which they still don't, I am going ahead.
"Bipolar" they call it. Me I call it Hell.

[Kiwi Down Under]

Chsetnut226, Bill C, South Jersey - It must be hell, the stress of seeing your trains against the wallpaper.
Its tough, but someone has to do it - go on take your nap, as long as your snoring does not drown out the train, or is it both sounds the same
Tony

[Anonymous]

[#welcome] Dave , I can see you got Vic very excited, with you being a indoor modeler with a small layout.

Welcome great bunch of knowageable people here, except for me who can't spell.

[toenailridgesl]

W Bro Dave,
fraternal greetings & welcome to the forum.
There are a number of folks with physical restrictions who enjoy LargeScale trains, including a couple who are frequent posters on the http://www.mylargescale.com forums
Hope you get your indoor layout up & running.
Another son of the widow,
W Bro Phil PM (363 IC)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by toenailridgesl

W Bro Dave,
fraternal greetings & welcome to the forum.
There are a number of folks with physical restrictions who enjoy LargeScale trains, including a couple who are frequent posters on the http://www.mylargescale.com forums
Hope you get your indoor layout up & running.
Another son of the widow,
W Bro Phil PM (363 IC)

I had no idea you was a PM, Bro Phil...

[toenailridgesl]

Maybe we need to start a sub-forum, Garden Railroads on the Square...
WM 1983-84

[jmozz]

Vic with my disability i thick i am going to be an innie to jmozz

[Anonymous]

Hi all
and[#welcome] chemung
I am not disabled in the sense that it is meant in this topic.
But on another list I am on there are the odd one or two that are and they still enjoy garden railways granted the engineering work to build it suitable for thier needs was more than for an able bodied person but as a result of this contact on another list
I Believe it is posable for a wheel chair bound individual to enjoy pottering around the garden and play trains medical condition allowing of course.
Has any one seriously looked at this particular problem from the design perspective
I feel every one who wants to should be able to endulge in model or toy trains if that is thier wi***o do so. indoors or out
regards John

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,
I thought my knackered knees where a problem, now I realise I still have knees that kind of work, just something to put up with. I take my hat off to you guys that get on with our hobby without moaning and it is an honour to be associated with you.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[bman36]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kimbrit

Hi guys,
I thought my knackered knees where a problem, now I realise I still have knees that kind of work, just something to put up with. I take my hat off to you guys that get on with our hobby without moaning and it is an honour to be associated with you.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

It's comments like this on threads like this that make our forum what it is. Great. Period. I thank God for a healthy body as my work is rather physical. Being able to build my own Garden RR and maintain it is an absolute bonus. [tup] Keep it up guys...my hat is off to you all! Later eh...Brian. [8D]

[Anonymous]

Hi chemung:

It sounds like I have close to what you do, and jmozz. However, I can't stand or sit for more than a few minutes. Mine started as a fall at work, and went down hill from there. Being a Deputy Sheriff, there is no way of ever going back to work. I have (had) built an indoor layout in my attached finished garage where I spend a lot of time. I have my desk, work area and computer in there also. I have a bogbone horseshoe layout on custom benchwork about 42" high, so I don't have to bend. Except for the 2 dogbones, I keep the reach down to 2 foot. I used all LGB track, switches, controls and locos, because of there 2 foot policy. I too, was into O scale at first, but I too find it much easier to handle, work on and enjoy the G scale. The layout and the G scale forums are my life now, without them I would surely go nuts, hehe, as I am no couch potatoe, and having the health problems, sure limits ones choice of activities. Good luck to you, and feel free to e-mail me direct at any time.

[8D]

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by John Busby



I Believe it is posable for a wheel chair bound individual to enjoy pottering around the garden and play trains medical condition allowing of course.
Has any one seriously looked at this particular problem from the design perspective...

regards John

John

I have to deal with this on a daily basis, as an architect I have to deal with ADA requirements on almost every project I work on. I deal with Commercial design today but have done some residential in the past. Residential ADA access requirements in rental or condominium units is required, every so-many units on the ground level have to ADA compliant even if they are rented or sold to non-handicapped people, but in single family dwellings its still a case by case thing. Most homes have to be remodeled to accomodate a wheelchair.

The Good news is that there is now a great deal of products and services geared towards Accessible buildings. 15 years ago it was still very restricted. But now small closet size elevators and stair lifts allow floor to floor movement, ramps and low thresholds are now commonplace, and most new McMansion homes and their "palace" size bathrooms are easily large enough for a wheelchair. Older homes are still a challenge though.

There is no real reason that a wheelchair accessable garden layout couldnt be created. It would simply need an accessable pathway around it and be high enough for easy reach, like an raised Island planter with an access pathway encircling it. I would desighn it so that no part of the RR was more than an armreach away. This would have to be integrated as part of the garden hardscape design and the additional costs to do so reviewed.

I was originally planning a raised dogbone type layout in my backyard that had a small walkway completely around, not for access reasons but to keep the dang dog out of the railroad. Something like this would be do-able and wheelchair freindly. It would have to accomodated as part of the layout construction. As long as the walkways were kept level or at ADA recommendations for sloped walkways I see no reason why a HC accessable layout couldnt be built outdoors.

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jmozz

Vic with my disability i thick i am going to be an innie to jmozz

I'll be glad to give any advise I can if you decide to go indoors.

[Anonymous]

yes I am handicapped and disabled I had a stroke in may 1999 put me out of commission for outdoor RR. [sigh]
but thank God I have been a LS indoor RR since 1986 and I had rebuilt my RR in 1995. [yeah] I live in Florida and we don’t get much snow every 10 yrs or so. but the summers will kill you its so hot and humid .
I don’t know how I made it through my school years no air conditioning . yes I do I remember being wet in school dripping on my papers.
well I have enjoyed my indoor RR a lot know that I am in a power chair or in my hospital bed. I am able to get to my train room and run my trains I am able to use one hand and I have to always think 2 steps ahead . and have trains that are manageable with the 1 hand no real big stuff .
but I am lucky no blessed to have a wife that likes trains to ... but it is so relaxing to go run trains when your having a bad day.
I wont go there but yes if I had to run out doors I would be in big trouble the cost of another ramp to get in my back yard trying to get the trains out to the RR. and yes building a accessible RR after the fact!!

[Anonymous]

It would appear there are more people involved in this than I would have thought.[;)]

Maybe this would be a good topic for GR to do a spread on how people with problems are able to have indoor and outdoor railroads, and maybe help to inspire others to get into G scale. Instead of showing the same railroads over and over again, [B)]
how about the regular old readers layouts with special needs and what they did to overcome that need, such as a ramp, etc.

[8D]

[Anonymous]

ooops
i forgot to add i watch a lot of train dvd's too to shorten the day . learn to live life the best you can!

quote]Originally posted by train-me

yes I am handicapped and disabled I had a stroke in may 1999 put me out of commission for outdoor RR. [sigh]
but thank God I have been a LS indoor RR since 1986 and I had rebuilt my RR in 1995. [yeah] I live in Florida and we don’t get much snow every 10 yrs or so. but the summers will kill you its so hot and humid .
I don’t know how I made it through my school years no air conditioning . yes I do I remember being wet in school dripping on my papers.
well I have enjoyed my indoor RR a lot know that I am in a power chair or in my hospital bed. I am able to get to my train room and run my trains I am able to use one hand and I have to always think 2 steps ahead . and have trains that are manageable with the 1 hand no real big stuff .
but I am lucky no blessed to have a wife that likes trains to ... but it is so relaxing to go run trains when your having a bad day.
I wont go there but yes if I had to run out doors I would be in big trouble the cost of another ramp to get in my back yard trying to get the trains out to the RR. and yes building a accessible RR after the fact!!

[chemung]

Since I started this thread,I have discovered Hartland interurbans,know I have only a single unit to handle.Makes it a little better than handling a steam engine,tender,and 2 cars.I did not mention that my hands do not work any better than my legs.Just enjoy watching them go round and round.I think it is cheaper than doctors or drugs.Everyone have a nice and safe weekend.

Dave W.
Omaha,Nebr.

[Anonymous]

Hi chemung
Now there is an interesting possabilaty that you don't see often an interurban line
I see Hartland make a variety of cars and even a locomotive have fun
and please do let us know how it all progresses
I dont have any health problems yet and I some times think that should have been the choice I made the plastic is not that heaklthy at the moment[:D]
regards John

[Marty Cozad]

Dave W For a minute I thought you were Dave Wood from Omaha NE. he is starting his outdoor rr. Matter-of-fact he is coming down today to rip some lumber on my table saw.
Maybe you two can get together.

[Anonymous]

best therapy in the world watching trains go round and round. is for sure cheaper than doctors or drugs. i can agree on that take care! Happy RR

QUOTE: Originally posted by chemung

Since I started this thread,I have discovered Hartland interurbans,know I have only a single unit to handle.Makes it a little better than handling a steam engine,tender,and 2 cars.I did not mention that my hands do not work any better than my legs.Just enjoy watching them go round and round.I think it is cheaper than doctors or drugs.Everyone have a nice and safe weekend.

Dave W.
Omaha,Nebr.