Can anyone help me with regarding building a small layout (HO) that has been sucessful for someone in a power wheelchair?
Thanks![:)]
I can’t say I have but I do know that most commercial buildings with handicap
bathrooms have a sink height(clearance from floor to botton of sink or
countertop) of 27" to 29" I would however check wheel chair arm to floor
height on persons chair this layout would be being built for. Also I wouldn’t
go any deeper then 24 inches. Hope this helps.
If you are looking to have access from both sides I would suggest modular or deck construction with the legs set in a bit. You didn’t say where you are located but if near any metropolitan area get in touch with model railroad clubs in the area, I’ll bet they would be glad to help with building, wiring etc. Good Luck, John Colley Port Townsend, WA a 24/7 caregiver.
Iain Rice, in his book “Small, Smart & Practical Track Plans” (from Kalmbach) decribes a ‘cockpit-style’ layout he named the Hollow Run RR. He indicates that it is well-suited for wheelchair access, so you might want to check it out.
It’s a 4X8 (in HO) only with a chunk taken out of one of the long sides large enough to drive a wheelchainr into, leaving a sort of U shaped layout.
I believe Kalmbach actually has a few books detailing how to build a layout for the physically challenged. Please follow thier links above and review the books.
Jay
Anything I say will be an opinion since I am not handicapped but it seems to me if the layout was hinged to the support system on one side it could be flipped up to allow access to wiring underneath. Other than that it would need to be lower than usual to allow viewing. There have been some excllently detailed railroads on MR over the years that were made by a variety of handicapped people. One was by a guy with one arm who was doing detials I could never do.
I have a layout plan of four tables that I intend to begin building shortly that has a table height of 36" above the floor. All of tables are 24" wide. One table that is 8ft long fits between (2) 10ft long tables in a “U” shape and at the end of one of the 10ft tables is another table that is a combination of (2) 4ft long tables with a table at a 45 degree angle between these two. Although these tables were designed to be connected and operated together, each of the four tables can be operated by itself . The 36" table height was chosen for viewing by people in wheelchairs and children. The track plan is of a terminal railroad which has a lot of switching, but I have included a continuous run for demonstration purposes.
I would like to post a scanned picture of this plan for your consideration , but I have no idea of how to do this on this forum. Jerry K
Jerry,
It took me four months to figure this out:
Take the scan of your image and post it on another website, one that is easy to post on, like www.railfan.net
Your image now has an address, it will be dispalyed on your address bar when you are viewing it.
Once that is done, reply to this thread. In your reply type the web address of your image and enlose it with [ img ] [ /img ]
NOTE - No space between the brackets and the img. I did this just to show them without adding an image.
Clear as mud?
I am disabled and get around, most of the time, with a quad-cane. I use a chair when we go out as I am unable to keep up with others.
I have a few questions:
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Will the person you are speaking of have a “helper” person with them or be “lone-wolf”?
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Does he/she have upper body strength?
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How far out can he/she reach?
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When you say “small layout”, what size room and/or space is available, or what size layout did you have in mind?
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Will the layout be an around the wall layout or free standing?
And to throw one more question in: How good is the function of their hands and fingers?
Singer and song writer Neil Young would have all the answers. I don’t know if anyones ever seen his home layout with special controls for autisticand handicap children(spelling) children on an Lionel typeO layout. It’s pretty cool
I, myself , am “confined” to a wheelchair (T-6 spinal cord). I don’t know your whole situation. I’ll watch for answers to questions already asked. The one thing I did that helps is DCC. Radio controls mean super mobility for a layout of any size. I have a 10’X20’ trainroomand am branching out to modules in a bedroom. I’ve been in the hobby for roughly 35 yrs. and in the chair 7. If you would like to contact its tweet469@netzero.net.
I am not handicapped but my HO layout is a modified “E” shape with the long (back) part of the E wall-mounted. It is fairly easy to access the layout from between the legs of the E shape. Hope this is of some help. Good luck!
Dkubinski,
Think you have gotten a lot of useful responses so far, but please let me add my three bits. One, if you plan on a U or W shaped layout, determine what the turning radius is for the powered wheelchair. Two, if you live near a university large enough to have a psychology or design department that teaches courses in ergonomics/human factors, ask if you may borrow some of the ergonomic design handbooks used. Many of them provide lots of dimensional data related to wheelchairs and counter heights, seated reach distances, aisle width, etc. Three, at your local public library ask the person who does Inter Library Loans to do a search to determine if there are books available that have “Design for the Handicapped” in the title. ( I know of at least two, but think they are Out of Print.) If they are available, submit a request - a small fee may be required.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543
P.S. The mounting height of electrical convenience outlets and room lighting switches may have to be changed for wheelchair use.