FORT MYERS, FL (September 22, 2009) – The Gulf Coast Model Railroad at Shell Point Retirement Community will re-open on Friday October 2, after their summer hiatus was held to complete maintenance and upgrades to the display. Visitors from all over the Southwest Florida area are welcome to stop by and see the many new features that have been added to the display over the summer. This display is located on the Island at Shell Point; the “Train Room” as it is called by the Shell Point residents, offers a very unique look at the state of Florida. Among the new features on the display, is a new trolley line exhibit running with its own overhead wire.
The 40’ X 40’ model train display is in the shape of the state of Florida, and features hundreds of recognizable geographic landmarks such as Tallahassee’s old Capitol Building, Pensacola freight yards, the Gator Bowl in Gainesville, Epcot and Disney World, Kennedy Space Center with an orbiting Space Shuttle, Miami’s famous beaches, the Everglades and even Shell Point Retirement Community. The display also features several hundred buildings, automobiles, trucks, tractors, and even people. Originally built in 1971, by a group of residents who enjoyed model railroads as a hobby, the Gulf Coast Model Railroad is operated and maintained by Shell Point resident volunteers. Six to eight trains run around the nearly 1000 feet of track, and on about 100 turnouts, or switches. The switches and trains are motivated electronically from four console panels.
Visitors can stop by to see the Gulf Coast Model Railroad for free on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Special group tours can be scheduled for those who are not able to visit during the normal operating hours. Please call (239) 454-2152 to make arrangements. The Train Room is located on the Island at Shell Point, underneath the Resident Activity Room in the Tunnel.
Shell Point Retirement Community is a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community located in Fort Myers just off Summerlin Road, two miles before the Sanibel causeway. Shell Point has received national accreditation from CARF-CCAC, and is a nationally recognized leader in the retirement industry. The community offers retirement living in a resort-style environment with an 18-hole championship golf course, deep water boating access, and recreational and fitness facilities. To learn more about Shell Point, visit us at www.shellpoint.org or call 1-800-780-1131.
