Great Train Layouts in Children's Hospitals

[simon1966]

I sell medical systems for a living and have recently found myself visiting Children's Hospitals. Children's in St. Louis has a simple G scale double track loop running around the ceiling in the entrance bridge from the arage, but the best so far is Dallas Children's. They have a multi level G scale layout filling the entire lobby with moutains tressle bridges and tunnels. It must be 15' tall in places with lots of scenery and things to look at. You can go up some stairs and look down on it from above. It is a really magical and impressive exhibit for the kids.

Anyone know other good hospital layouts?

[Big_Boy_4005]

Dallas is the one that I'm familiar with. That layout was done by Malcolm Furlow, if I remember correctly, and was featured in one of the train magazines many years ago.

That was MR Feb 1992.

[MAbruce]

I know our Ntrak club sets up a layout at Children's Hospital in Boston each year. In fact, there are a certain amount of modules that have special leg settings to enable the layout to be set up lower so those in wheel chairs can see better.

I have not personally helped with this show, but I hear it's very well received, and am glad it’s done for such a worthwhile cause. I’d participate in a heartbeat, but it’s difficult for me to go back into that hospital – just too many sad memories for me.

It would be nice to see a permanent layout set up there.

[Anonymous]

Good Morning All:

In Houston at the childrens hospital their is a layout that was paid for by one of the Doctors and built and maintianed by the Lone Star Regon of the NMRA. It has a circus in it and all kinds of buttons for the kids to punch and make things work.

Some times the Doctors write a persciption for the children to spend so long down at the "train".

Ya'll have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY
Bob

[Anonymous]

While I haven't seen it myself, there is a multi-scale layout in the IWK Childrens Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They even have a club just for the layout, and some members are there every weekday mornings to run and work on the layout. From what I understand, they have Z, N, HO and G scale trains in the layout.

I was corresponding with one of the club members just last week, as our local club is thinking of doing a much simpler poratble one for our local hospital's childrens ward.

Bob Boudreau

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern

While I haven't seen it myself, there is a multi-scale layout in the IWK Childrens Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They even have a club just for the layout, and some members are there every weekday mornings to run and work on the layout. From what I understand, they have Z, N, HO and G scale trains in the layout.

I was corresponding with one of the club members just last week, as our local club is thinking of doing a much simpler poratble one for our local hospital's childrens ward.

Bob Boudreau

Bob

It would be well worth your time for you and your buddies to set a MR at the local kids hospital. I've seen the layout at the IWK in Halifax, it's not a Huge layout by any standard (16 x 16 walkabout) but it is very well rec'd and brings alot of joy to the kids who really need it. The guys who built it and run it have done an excellent job.

Fergie

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TEFFY

Good Morning All:

In Houston at the childrens hospital their is a layout that was paid for by one of the Doctors and built and maintianed by the Lone Star Regon of the NMRA. It has a circus in it and all kinds of buttons for the kids to punch and make things work.

Some times the Doctors write a persciption for the children to spend so long down at the "train".

Ya'll have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY
Bob

It also has closed CCTV system so the kids who are too sick to go to the layout can watch the trains from there beds.

[easyaces]

I know of two very nice G Scale layouts here in Indianapolis, one being in Riley Childrens Hosp 3rd Floor and the other at Methodist Hosp, on the 1st floor in the childrens wing both maintained by a local club.

[simon1966]

I wonder how many sick kids go on to become model RR's as a result of some of these layouts? I would think it would be a good way to plant the seeds!