ENABLING MODELLING – AGAINST THE ODDS
My father recently suffered a stroke and has been struggling to continue working on his model railway. Is there any help available for those with impaired physical movement?
Colette Smith, Liverpool.
Mark Davidson says: Many people with disabilities or illnesses assume that they may no longer be able to enjoy building models. However, thanks to various charities, more people can continue to enjoy relaxing hobbies. REMAP is one such charity – it provides bespoke products for those requiring additional help.
A REMAP spokesperson said: “We are a national charity that helps disabled people of all ages to live more independent lives by designing and making customised equipment. We provide solutions to everyday problems when there is nothing commercially available.
“We design and custom-make equipment for individuals because everyone’s needs are different.
Our network of skilled volunteers responds to thousands of requests for our help every year and we provide our service free of charge.
“If a disabled person wants a gadget to help them overcome an impairment that stops them from modelling, we can arrange for one of our volunteers to visit and hand-make a piece of equipment, personally for them. This ensures it entirely meets their needs and it’s all done for free”.
SERIOUS ILLNESS
Rod Fitzpatrick, who has Necrotising Autoimmune Myopathy, says: “I was completely bed-bound but, five
months ago, a new experimental treatment worked wonders and now I’m able to look after myself and walk slowly. I’ve only been to one exhibition – at Peterborough Arena – and didn’t find any access problems as it was level and flat. I imagine smaller local venues might be awkward, but many adverts give indications of what visitors can expect. Steps are a problem and there is a difference between wheelchairaccessible and wheelchair-friendly, which many able-bodied people don’t appreciate. Although I will never recover fully, I’m getting stronger and better. With more mobility and the help of friends I have been able to start a new ‘O’ gauge layout”.
SIGHT PROBLEMS
Barry Poll, of Glenrothes, has always enjoyed trains and model railways and has been working on his own layout since 2010. “I was diagnosed with macular degeneration in 2009”, he said. ‘I also have glaucoma. My sight has deteriorated since then and
I would now describe my level of sight as a complete blur, although I can see images and colours.”
Because of his military background, Barry became eligible for support from the charity Scottish War Blinded. “I’ve always liked to do locomotive repairs but, with all the little screws, my sight was making this difficult. It also made reading instructions tricky. The charity gave me a CCTV reader – a specialist magnifier that enlarges anything onto a larger screen.
“As I’ve adapted to using it, I’m able to work with my hands and look at the screen instead of what I’m working on. I also have a Synapptic frame which is a portable stand that I can put my tablet into and then use it as a magnifier. It means I can take it out into the garage with me to work on my model railway.”
LACK OF MOBILITY
Colin West suffered a stroke in his 50s and now, 20 years later, says: “Although I was left-handed, I had to use my right hand instead and my eyesight was also affected. I really needed a hobby and I was lucky that my wife, son and friend helped me with my model railway, along with support from the staff at nearby Peco.
“I’m more interested in building scenery because I do not understand
the electrical side of things, so my layout is fairly straightforward. However, as I do have limited vision, I use ‘N’ gauge to get a perspective of distance and like to make the scenery as realistic as possible.
“I am presently working on a layout loosely based on the Isle of Wight heritage railway. I often visit shows in Exeter and Taunton and find the demonstrators very helpful. When building various models I use standard tweezers, cutters, a magnifying glass with a light and a raised plinth, so everything is at eye level”.
Colin Heath first showed symptoms of essential tremor when he was ten years old. I was a keen modeller in my youth and I had some challenges in painting and soldering. Since then, I have coped with my issues and have built a large number of ‘N’ gauge wagon kits, along with some coaches.
“I have also managed to build a lot of whitemetal locomotive kits, fitting them to Farish chassis. I built up a reputation in the South West Herts Model Railway Society as being able to adapt other locomotives to produce something unavailable at the time. Producing an EX-GWR ‘55XX’ tank by shortening a Farish ‘61XX’ body and marrying it to a Minitrix Ivatt 2-6-2T chassis, for example.
“My tremor has got progressively worse in the last few years and I have struggled with some of the more intricate tasks, such as wiring.
I recently dismantled a layout of Portpatrick Town after it had been on the exhibition circuit for 12 years, and I’m working on plans for another steam/diesel-era Scottish layout. However, I don’t intend to finalise the plans or start building anything until I have had neurosurgery, which should correct – or at least considerably improve – my right hand”.
Listening to these stories, it seems that ‘where there is a will, there is a way’, meaning that more of us can enjoy this wonderful hobby.