The First Layout

There was still plenty of work once we got the tables completed, but Dave and I decided we would make our first official layout. It doesn't look like much, but at the time, it was really special. For the first time in over 20 years, cars and buildings that my grandfather used were in action again. We only had the layout up for a day or two as we had more to complete, but I was sure to take plenty of photos to remember the time.

The photos serve as a reminder of where we started and where we are now. Right now, we're going through a similar change as we are making a massive renovation. I'll have plenty of photos to go along with the future posts. As I write this, I am expecting a shipment of wood later today. We have hopes of having the new project completed within the next two weeks.

Until then, here are some photos from the first layout.

Photo descriptions:

59 - The Union Pacific set was our first locomotive and still our best.

131 - A shot from trackside of our first layout.

136 - Going under a tower that is currently in storage.

106 - The turn in this photo is very similar to the one in use today.

147 - A barn and farm animals that will one day be used for an Old West themed layout we have played. The tower from 136 will also be used for this. In later posts, I'll have some photos of the Old West town we call Tuco that we had up for a little while.

Holiday Update

As I learn how to navigate this site better each day, I discover more new features. To your right are a couple of permanent photos that will be displayed. The photo descriptions pretty much say it all. I want to add that they serve as reminder of the history behind what we are doing.

Also, I have a nice photo to go along with the site header. The photos will change from time to time, but this is the most recent one of the freight yard, industrial area and a portion of Souva City.

Later this week, I will continue with humble beginnings of the D&P Railroad. Until then, I have the most recent photos taken as of Saturday.

Photo descriptions, just run your mouse of a photo and you will see the coinciding number at the bottom of your screen. I tried to do these from the top to bottom of the screen.

799 – A view of Souva City.
880 – A view of Adamsville behind the operation platform.
869 – Union Station on the outskirts of Souva City.
842 – The Eagles Club and Adamsville Fire Dept. in downtown Adamsville.
847 – A full view of the James W. Adams Memorial Field.
889 – Pat’s Place and the Adamsville City Limits sign.
814 – The redesigned industrial area.
832 – A trackside look at Adamsville and James W. Adams Memorial Field.
841 – Yes, we have a KFC, to go along with a 7-11 and a Baskin Robbins in Adamsville.
802 – The bridge we salvaged and refurbished.

Starting from scratch

I always knew the spare room in my basement had potential. It was just a matter having the right project to work on to bring it to life. What was once a cluttered room with four years of junk crammed in it was transformed into the proper place to display our model railroad.

Basically, we gutted the room and even removed the workbench, which was where most of the junk was located.

This was the time where Steve and his dad Bob were most helpful. Dave and I don't have what you would call good skills when it comes to build wooden tables for trains. However, Steve and Bob do and they were happy to help out. It took two or three days for the project to be completed.

Dave knew what he wanted, which was very helpful for Steve and Bob. Me, I stayed out of the way and did what I could (I am not a very handy person). When the project was done, Dave and I were both very pleased.

Pictured above are some before and after photos from both sides of the room.

Coming up in the next few weeks, you'll see the complete transformation of the room, including paneling, wall paper and the other finishing touches. Also, I found a classic photo of our first train, along with our very first layout. Also, I may have an update on a new project Dave, Steve and I are working on. It's going to be a drastic change.

Again, special thanks to Steve and Bob, without their help, we wouldn't have been able to get this project off the ground.

In the beginning...

Shortly after Christmas last year, Dave, along with my mom and dad started the process of cleaning out my grandmother's house. Part of that process was salvaging what we could from the model railroad.

It was anything, but easy as we weren't exactly what or how much we would find. What began in early afternoon took us late into the evening before we were finished. Since my grandfather didn't have time to store everything properly due to his illness, buildings, scenery, train cars and locomotives were scattered throughout the basement.

When it was over, the back of my parents' truck was full of boxes, along with the trunks of both mine and Dave's cars. As it would turnout, this would be the easy part as cleaning up and sorting through everything took literally weeks. We used what seemed like endless amounts of cotton balls, Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. Keep in mind, we were cleaning things that hadn't been touched or used for over 20 years. I can remember spending an hour or more on one piece to get it clean. It wasn't fun, but it was rewarding to be restoring something my grandfather put so much time into.

The photos to go along with this post show how much we were able to save. Out of everything we brought back, I would say about 90% of it is in use in our current layout. What's not in use is nicely stored for future use. Also, you can see some of what the train room in my basement looked like before its renovation.

One item that has special meaning to us is the container with the cars in it. When we found it, it had a number of locomotives with my grandfather's familiar orange and green paint scheme. Today, it's used to store all of our track.

What we learned early is in model railroading, is everything has a use no matter what shape it's in. Dave and I have an understanding. We do not under any circumstances throw anything away from that belonged to my grandfather.

The next couple of posts will detail the transformation of my basement into the train room.

Welcome to the D&P Railroad

A little history about this model railroad.

When my brother Dave and I were kids, my grandfather spent just about every waking moment on his model railroad. For us, getting a chance to see it was always a treat - and one day, we dreamed of having a chance to run it, or even build one of our own.


Unfortunately, my grandfather fell ill with Huntington’s disease, which attacks the nervous system. That came in the early 1980s, when Dave and I were still too young to learn about model railroading from my grand father. He passed away in 1996, but the railroad still sat in Bay City at my grandmother's house. She passed away just a little over a year ago and while cleaning out the house, Dave and I decided we would salvage what we could in order to preserve the memory of my grand parents.



Just after Christmas last year, we started the process of collecting every last piece of what my grandfather had, restoring it and displaying it in a special room in my basement. It's been a long process and I can't believe it's already been a year, but we have a pretty good setup for the D&P Railroad.Keep in mind, Dave and I knew nothing about model railroading when we started and still have much to learn, but we're pretty proud of what we've accomplished so far.



I wanted to start a blog on this for a while, so I figured the one year anniversary would be as good as time as ever. I have a ton of photos to share starting from the beginning until now. This blog is intended to be enjoyed by those who have a love for model railroading. Model railroading is how I get away from the sports world.



With that said, this is not a sports blog.I do have a couple of people that I would like to thank for making the D&P Railroad come to life. I want to thank my best friend Steve Souva and his dad Bob Souva. They helped transform the spare room in my basement into our train room. Without their skills, this would have never happened.


I have a few recent photos displayed; please click on them for a larger more detailed look. The ball park is without a doubt the coolest feature of the D&P Railroad. Steve and Dave made it and it's named after my grandfather Jim Adams. The design of our railroad will change through the years, but it will always start with the field. Naming buildings after people was something my grandfather started and it's a tradition Dave and I have carried on.

Some of the others include: Adamsville, Souva City, Sof's Saloon, Dave's Diner, Ruth Adams Memorial Air Port and Pat's Place.