April 2011 issue: Daniel D. Von Hoff, MD, FACP, discusses with ASCO Connection how his love for railroads and railroad model building began as a childhood pastime, developed into a real-life summer job, and ultimately blossomed into a lifelong passion.

AC: What sparked your interest in railroads?

Dr. Von Hoff: It’s in the genes. Both my grandfathers worked on railroads. In terms of model railroading, an uncle of mine spent a lot of his time building models. He sent me my first Lionel train car when I was about eight years old. Then, to help get myself through college, I went to work on the railroads as a gandy dancer.

Gandy dancers are the guys who put in the track. In order to do this, you’ve got to spike the rail onto the ties. And because you have to be very accurate in spiking, gandy dancers used to have all these chants to help them out. If there were three people putting in a spike, they’d go around and each one would give a hit with a rhythm [as they chanted]. The Great Escape So I went in as a gandy dancer, putting ballast stone between the ties for the Green Bay and Western Railroad. The railroad went from Lake Michigan in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, all the way across the state to Winona, Minnesota. Green Bay and Western is out of business now, but I worked on it for about four summers. It helped put me through college and got me something to eat while in medical school. As I got into my fellowship in medical oncology, I always kept an interest in model railroading.

AC: Tell us about your membership in the National Model Railroaders Association (NMRA).

Dr. Von Hoff: The NMRA has various ranks. If you’re really good, you become a Master Model Railroader, which is very difficult to get. Almost as difficult as passing the oncology boards. I’m not very talented with my fingers. That’s why I wasn’t a surgeon. But that’s one aspiration I have—to get good enough to qualify as a Master Model Railroader.

So what I model now is the Green Bay and Western Railroad. In our house, I have two rooms devoted to just model railroads. One is a Lionel (which is a big one)—and that’s an O-gauge train. Then I have another room devoted to HO—“half O” trains. My dream is to build an entire replica of the Green Bay and Western Railroad.

I’ll collect anything that has to do with the Green Bay and Western. In a spare moment, I may go to eBay to see if anybody’s got something like a car, a track plan, or an old schedule. I discovered that’s what I want to do in my old age. The NMRA holds a national meeting every year, which thousands of people attend. I’ve never been able to get away and do that, though it’s one of those things I dream of doing eventually.

AC: Is there a certain model you built that you’re most proud of?

Dr. Von Hoff: I’ve been able to build a model railroad for my grandchildren. I have a layout that is on the indestructible side. I’ve got four grandchildren— two boys and two girls. They’ll sit there with railroad caps on—just like I used to—and be mesmerized by the trains. It’s really something to see. It’s great that I can pass on that love of railroads to the next generation.

AC: What other hobbies, people, or experiences help you strike a good work/life balance?

Dr. Von Hoff: Most of my friends would actually say, “Dan Von Hoff has the worst possible work/life balance of anybody in the free universe!” I’ve been blessed with good health and do spend most of life working. I feel though that if I need a quick mental escape, thinking about “how I’m gonna build that railroad” is the way to go.

I’m building the railroad in my head because anybody interacting with patients knows that you do need to have some [mental] relief from a situation. I’m very pleased to spend most of my time taking care of people and trying to do better for them. But model railroading has been a good hobby because I don’t need to have my hands on them all the time. I could just think about them and re-create the entire Green Bay and Western Railroad in my head.

What’s interesting is there are many other oncologists who do model railroading. You’d be surprised. Also, many of my patients have a hobby of model railroading.

I am so proud to be a part of oncology. It’s a real privilege to work with people who are really trying to help others. My escapism is being able to interact with people I work with every day who have performed such acts of kindness. 

Dr. Von Hoff is Physician-in-Chief and Distinguished Professor at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen); Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic; Chief Scientific Officer at Scottsdale Healthcare and U.S. Oncology Research; and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona. He was the recipient of the 2010 David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award and a 2007 ASCO Statesman Award, and has served on the ASCO Board of Directors, the Special Awards Selection Committee, the Cancer Education Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology Editorial Board.