Hootin' Andy's Safety Train Brain Station Opens at CMOM

A new interactive railroad safety exhibit featuring the voice of American folk singer Arlo Guthrie has opened at The Children's Museum of Memphis. Made possible by a generous gift from CN, one of the largest railroads in North America, and developed in partnership with Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, the Safety Train Brain Station features a talking owl named Hootin' Andy, plus a recreated railroad crossing with gates, lights and a drop-down screen to teach children the importance of train safety. Arlo Guthrie provides the voice of Hootin' Andy, the wise owl that teaches children the rules of railroad safety.

Hootin' Andy, a very wise owl, warns kids that a train is approaching. He begins with an original train safety song. At the end of the song, children hear a loud train whistle. The two railroad crossing gates begin to flash their lights and ring their bells. The arms lower along with a large projection screen, blocking visitors from crossing the railroad tracks on the floor. The sound of the train and the whistles build. Suddenly, the train appears, zooming through the crossing, carrying its long payload. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the train is gone. Andy then leads visitors in a sing-a-long. Children may then take the train safety quiz to see how much they learned.

The exhibit, which opened at the end of August, was made possible through a $1 million gift from CN to Le Bonheur. A portion of the gift was used to create the Safety Train Brain Station exhibit while the balance went toward the campaign to build the new Le Bonheur scheduled to open in 2010. CN and Le Bonheur partnered with The Children's Museum of Memphis to reach the museum's far-reaching audience. The Children's Museum has welcomed more than 2.7 million visitors from Memphis and across the country.

Jim Vena, CN's senior vice president, southern region said, "As a leading North American freight transportation company, CN is committed to helping build stronger communities to provide a healthier and safer environment for our youth. Our goal is to help save lives and prevent injuries at railroad crossings and on or near our rail lines. We are very pleased that this exhibit will help children learn life-saving lessons and reinforce rules that must never be forgotten or ignored."

A key element of the Safety Train Brain Station is the question and answer game that takes children through railroad safety rules. Hootin' Andy asks children questions to help them think about train safety.

For example, Hootin' Andy asks, "How far back should you stay from a passing train?" Three options appear on the screen:
A. Far enough that you can't hear it choo-choo its gum
B. 1 Baby Step
C. 10 Giant Steps

Each child will push a button to record his or her answer before Andy replies, "You should stand at least 10 giant steps back from a crossing train. That's 15 feet."

According to Safe Kids USA, there were 744 fatalities and 1,372 injuries in railroad crossing and trespassing incidents across the United States in 2008. Almost 150 of these incidents involved children under the age of 14. Susan Helms, director of injury prevention and Safe Kids Mid-South at Le Bonheur, said, "Children don't realize that trains can't stop as quickly as cars can. It can take more than a mile - or 20 football fields - for a train to stop. That's why it's so important to teach children in a fun environment how dangerous trains can be if you don't follow certain rules."

Posted: September 8, 2009 For more information please contact: Marketing and Communications , 901.287.6030