Saving the train layout at Childrens Hospital in Dallas, TX (SUCCESS)

Signed the petition.  Hospital administrators are charged with seeing to the bottom line. Sometimes they put that before good patient care, unfortunately, even when they are former health professionals.  Thus putting in a revenue producing Starbucks and Panera to replace the layout is a no brainer for them. 

Cannot totally fault them, except perhaps that (1) health administration positions have increased about 10-20 fold faster than staffing nurses, physicians and technical professionals over the last 10-20 years. Hard to see how this adds value to our health care system, whose administrative costs dwarf those of England, Canada, Denmark, France, etc. And administrators are wildly overpaid compared with the professionals like nurses and laboratory technologists performing the grueling boots on the ground patient care each day.

End of sermon. Keep the layout and cut some administrative positions or their salaries would be my solution if I were the CEO. Seriously.

I saw this story on a couple local news channels in the last few days. Kind of a shock for a lot of folks, apparently. That layout has been a fixture at the hospital for decades. I signed the petition as well. Glad to see the outpouring of support.

I signed it earlier today after seeing this.  Also not sure if it does much good.  If the $$ end up ruling, it seems unlikely.

They passed the 25K shortly after I signed, now up to over 38K (new goal says 50K, and I'm sure there will be a new goal if that is reached).  Update from the petition starter this evening says it was on the local news there tonight, but her discussion regarding the story sounds like it's still not good.

-Dave

Hospitals just  can't get enough.  I signed it.

Out here there is a small 3 rail. In a children's hospital. The staff and kids like it.

NOTICE: be aware that when you sign this that your email goes to change@e.change.org and automatically signs you up for all "change" accounts.

I was trying to be nice and signed this petition, and now have had to set up a filter to delete all the spam from this group.

ThomasT

fwiw: I unsubscribed from change.org about a year ago simply by clicking unsubscribe...was receiving way too many petitions, of which the vast majority seemed like good causes but I simply didn't have the time to read through them everyday. After I signed this petition I haven't received any subsequent requests.

Also, thanks everyone who signed. This all came about because my friend knows a nurse who works at the children's hospital, and this nurse along with some other staff are passionate about keeping the train layout, which she said brings smiles to patients and their families.

ThomasT posted:

NOTICE: be aware that when you sign this that your email goes to change@e.change.org and automatically signs you up for all "change" accounts.

I was trying to be nice and signed this petition, and now have had to set up a filter to delete all the spam from this group.

ThomasT

I used an email account I had created specifically for stuff like this where I don't care to ever receive emails from them in the future, or I may be worried about them selling it to spammers, etc.

No new spam in that account yet, but if it happens, I won't worry about it, or just delete the account.

Hopefully the trains there survive in some fashion, even if relocated and/or being down-sized a bit from what they have now.

-Dave

A petition signed by local people has a greater impact on a hospital’s decision than a broad-based petition signed by hobbyists.

Hopefully, this petition will reflect that local concern.

Even then, I have to agree that the administration these days probably cares about the revenue more than maintaining a fun atmosphere for its troubled young patients. In the end, they may argue that the retail establishments serve a better purpose to the families of patients.

But it is truly a wonderful layout. I hope it survives.

Questions that need to be asked:

1.  Was the layout donated?  Is/are there trust(s) connected to it? Any other legal stuff?

2.  Who is paying for the operation and upkeep of the layout?  If hospital, maybe some local clubs or charities might take it up?  

3.  How many children patients actually visit the layout during their stay?  And if they do, does it help their outcomes?

4.  Is the area of the hospital the layout is in needing an overhaul due to age?

5.  Have TV and media in the loop?

Good questions, and I don't know most of the answers. I do know that the local media have highlighted the layout and its plight. You will find more information on Facebook, which I am not promoting the use of...in fact I rarely do Facebook anymore. I shared this news on this forum as a favor to my friend and because this forum is the number one toy train community, that I know of anyway. Ultimately, this may come down to dollars and cents, usually does I suppose, and it will likely take local folks in the Dallas area to make the final stand.

One of my retirement goals is to build some sort of public layout, notably one for sick and disabled children (of all ages); it may never happen given my never-ending work and the cost involved, however. Nevertheless, I'd like to see more such happy and fantasy exhibits setup for everyone to enjoy, and hopefully the train layout at Children's Health Hospital will prevail.

You did your good deed trying to help it here, Paul!

They met the 50,000 and are now shooting for 75K (but who can say if any number makes a specific bit of impact or not? - certainly a guess).  

I suspect Jim R is on the right track suggesting that local support means at least a little more than broad internet support for something like this (and perhaps physical - how old fashioned! - but an actual signature proves a person is actually near there, rather than a bunch of unknown internet "signatures"). 

Hopefully it helps at least a little to offset the simple raw math of collecting rent from Starbucks and Panera vs. keeping it as it is right now.

-Dave

Paul Kallus posted:

Good questions, and I don't know most of the answers. I do know that the local media have highlighted the layout and its plight. You will find more information on Facebook, which I am not promoting the use of...in fact I rarely do Facebook anymore. I shared this news on this forum as a favor to my friend and because this forum is the number one toy train community, that I know of anyway. Ultimately, this may come down to dollars and cents, usually does I suppose, and it will likely take local folks in the Dallas area to make the final stand.

One of my retirement goals is to build some sort of public layout, notably one for sick and disabled children (of all ages); it may never happen given my never-ending work and the cost involved, however. Nevertheless, I'd like to see more such happy and fantasy exhibits setup for everyone to enjoy, and hopefully the train layout at Children's Health Hospital will prevail.

 

Paul,

Had contacted a few hospitals about model trains, some had space issues, some were terrified it was electric, and the others just wanted to sell the equipment for money rather than have a layout. Did get the OK from one, then sadly there was some squabbling among local folks as to who would get the credit. Fortunately another group stepped in and built a layout. My guess this will come down to if there is enough bad press to thwart another coffee shop or not. Thanks for informing us of it.

A ga-zillion petition signatures in favor of a train layout in the lobby of a hospital for children probably won't persuade administrators (who are always focused in the bottom line) to become "rescuers" of a valued-space-taking train layout. Instead of a petition signature, let would-be signers send a dollar (or more) to a non-profit fund to be used to remove and relocate the layout to some other public space: a museum, a library, a pavilion in a park, a vacant space in a shopping mall, a former RR depot, etc.

Mike Mottler       LCCA 12394

So....what the heck are you suppose to look at while you're sipping your Carmel Macchiato! A blank wall, and a few kids with tears in there eyes as they walk by.  What a bummer!

You'd think someone with some sense would figure out a way to work this out!

Like maybe...give the coffee contract to a company who would "donate" 10 cents per cup to maintain the layout, add a few benches, and build a historical information booth to explain to the children how this country was built by the railroads!

Thats my suggestion!

OOooo...That felt good!    OK, I'm done now.

Lion L

They call star bucks healthy?.  The bottom line of a hospital is health. not. Money.

Administrators. With their 250k plus bonus.  Doctors are the ones who should be voicing out . then.again  Are their hands out?.

I never met a child that didn't love trains. FWIW, I signed the petition. This is after all a Children's Hospital. If there is a fundraiser to relocate the layout, I believe you would see overwhelming support from this forum.

Mike H Mottler posted:

A ga-zillion petition signatures in favor of a train layout in the lobby of a hospital for children probably won't persuade administrators (who are always focused in the bottom line) to become "rescuers" of a valued-space-taking train layout. Instead of a petition signature, let would-be signers send a dollar (or more) to a non-profit fund to be used to remove and relocate the layout to some other public space: a museum, a library, a pavilion in a park, a vacant space in a shopping mall, a former RR depot, etc.

Mike Mottler       LCCA 12394

I believe the whole point is it's for the kids who are sick in the hospital.  Relocating it away from the hospital would defeat the purpose!

While many of us might consider it a nice layout in general, the point here is not just "save the layout", it's "save the layout that very sick kids can enjoy while hospitalized".

Edit: It seems there has been a victory and the trains in some form will remain as part of the lobby renovations.

-Dave

Paul Kallus,

Once the train layout is placed into the lobby, could you please update us on what it finally ended up looking like?

I'd like to know how much of the old layout was actually saved (if at all).

Thanks!

Many hospitials and nursing homes have days with dogs and othet pets..

Maybe it might be better to have a traveling small portable one.  And the advantage with that is that one can reach children.  Wounded Warriors both Military and First Responders.  Oldet people in medical facilities.  Special need facilities.

Is thete a Ronald McDonald House?  They might take all or part of it.

Mike H Mottler posted:

A ga-zillion petition signatures in favor of a train layout in the lobby of a hospital for children probably won't persuade administrators (who are always focused in the bottom line) to become "rescuers" of a valued-space-taking train layout. 

Well, actually it did. 

This from Channel 5 in Dallas this evening:

"Children's Medical Center in Dallas announced Friday that the hospital's iconic trainscape will in fact stay and will be incorporated into the hospital's lobby.

The hospital recently announced that the trainscape would be removed to make way for what they call a "family-centric" support space.

When 8-years-old Janelle Tole heard about the plans, she launched a change.org petition to keep the trains, that has since gathered more than 52,000 signatures.

Tole battled Leukemia at Children's and won. She said it was the train display that motivated her through years of painful procedures.

"Being able to see them and see them go through the different tunnels and come out in different places, it's like these trains are going somewhere, I can go somewhere, too, said Tole.

On Friday, the hospital released a statement about the trains saying, "We are humbled by the heartfelt response we’ve received about our beloved Trainscape. We have decided to incorporate the trains within the lobby of Children’s Medical Center Dallas. We have been contemplating updating our lobby, and this offers an opportunity to include the trains within this space. We look forward to sharing details in the future once they are defined. We are fortunate to play an integral role in the North Texas community and beyond, and are grateful for the thoughts and memories shared with us this week.” – Keri Kaiser, Senior VP of Marketing & Communications, Children’s Health"

Incorporating. Means.  A 4 foot circle.

One comment I would make about electric trains in hospitals, is that hospitals have quite strict regimes governing electrical equipment, for very good reasons. They use large quantities of alcohol and other flammable solvents, and some anaesthetic gases are flammable or explosive. There are well documented cases of fires and explosions in hospitals, from these causes. 

Rockershovel posted:

One comment I would make about electric trains in hospitals, is that hospitals have quite strict regimes governing electrical equipment, for very good reasons. They use large quantities of alcohol and other flammable solvents, and some anaesthetic gases are flammable or explosive. There are well documented cases of fires and explosions in hospitals, from these causes. 

And oxygen.  Not exactly the place to have an Apollo 1 type incident.....

As posted by others, the powers that be at the hospital were apparently humbled by the heartfelt replies to their beloved Trainscape, and will incorporate some part of it in the lobby. This appears a compromise, but a success nonetheless.

Kazar: you can see the layout as it exists now in the link I provided above. I live in PA and perhaps others who live in TX can post what it will look like after "incorporation" into lobby.

Thanks all.

That there's any consideration whatsoever is a "win", even if it is only a 4x8 when all said and done.

As we all too well know, big bucks win-out almost every time. NO way on God's green earth was the facility going to turn down the revenue source of having a Starbucks in-house compared to the liability of a model train layout that produces no revenue.

To do otherwise would have demonstrated poor fiscal managerial skills on behalf of the Administrator. Sentiment doesn't pay the bills.

Not what us train lovers want to hear, but I feel that's a more objective look at the situation.

Andre