Lions club-linked sisters Emily and Lily Einkamerer, at left, listen to Paul Murphy (green t-shirt) talking about the Thomas the Tank layout.
What could be a world-first research project using model trains to help autistic children is primed for launch here thanks to the efforts of Cambridge miniature train enthusiasts.
The purpose-built folding Thomas the Tank Engine miniature railway layout was made by Waipā enthusiasts and unveiled in Cambridge.
The gathering at the Leamington Domain home of the Greater Waikato Railway Modellers (GWRM) marked the completion of the Thomas project and publicly thanked those who helped fund it, primarily the Cambridge Lions Club. The new ‘Thomas’ layout is portable, can be stretched across a hospital bed, and is accessible to youngsters in wheelchairs.
The concept of linking miniature trains and autism first took shape in GWRM president Paul Murphy’s mind a few years ago. He is known for his miniature railway, the Cambridge Brass Band and RSA connections. Less known is that he became one of New Zealand’s youngest naval commanders at 20, or, wearing his doctor of philosophy hat, the work he did in the field of sociology that has shaped government policy, both here and abroad.
Paul was also involved in a Western Australian family court programme on how to better manage cases involving family violence and child abuse and worked for years as a facilitator in post-separation parenting and stepfamily education programmes.
It was through that lens, and years spent bringing miniature trains to the public, that the kernel of an idea started to take shape.
He explained: “We noticed a while ago that there were some children coming along who were probably on the autism spectrum and found that when they engage with the trains, they’re doing things they aren’t doing at home or school. They’re concentrating for long periods of time, they’re often chatting more easily. Parents started noticing and commented on it.”
Paul took his thoughts, along with a small-scale railway layout, to Hamilton’s Patricia Avenue School where the feedback supported his findings.
“They wrote a report saying it was one of the most brilliant sessions they had had, and suggested we look at getting a research project done around it.”
Next, a supportive Otago University academic and friend patched Paul through to a Perth-based professor involved in children’s health research, then to a Wellington academic and finally, to Waikato University’s Associate Professor Angelika Anderson, a global expert on the topic from the university’s School of Psychology. All thought it warranted a deeper look.
Angelika was present at the Thomas the Tank layout unveiling. She later said the research project was one she hoped to work on in the coming year with several of her master’s students.
“A lot of children with autism are really attracted to things like trains … I’d like to look at it in terms of perceived benefits to children and their families. This is a good project for the students, and it could create a creative hub for the community.”
Central to getting the project underway has been funding it. Paul said the first $20,000 is already in hand.
“We have had wonderful community support. Cambridge Lions gave us $1800, the Christmas Festival gave us $1000, and Jumble Around gave us $1400 over two consecutive years. There has also been a lot of ‘in kind’ help given.”
Lions Club president David Espin said the club was particularly happy to support the project for the community.
