Web Master:  Darren E. Hadley (DEH)

    As with many young children a Train Set (O-Gauge) came into my life at an early age.  As a teen I attempt to start my first real layout (HO-Gauge) which was never operational.  My parents encouraged the hobby of model railroading, they found a roadname D&H that matched my initials DEH and purchased a few cars.  When I left for college, my model trains started to collect dust, later were boxed up and the partial layout dismantled.  As an adult, I started to expand my D&H model collection in G, O, HO, N, and Z Gauges for some future layout ideas that still have not happened.  While building this model collection, I decided to learn a little about the D&H which is when I discovered it was "America's oldest continually operated transportation company" and the D&H was responsible for the "First Operation of a Locomotive in America"; the Stourbridge Lion.  This new found knowledge caused me to dig deeper into the History and I started to collect D&H memorabilia over the internet.  During the summer of the 175th anniversary of the D&H I took a trip to New York & Pennsylvania in which I attempt to located and photograph as many remaining D&H Stations and anything of the D&H Canal that one can see if a few days.  I also joined the "Bridge Line Historical Society" and the "Delaware and Hudson Cancel Historical Society" which I remain an active member of both.  I later discovered a Yahoo! Group "dandh" which many D&H railfans worldwide share information, history, and photographs related to The D&H which I joined and remain an active member of.

    After finding that my photograph collection of D&H Stations and Canal structures could not be added to the  Historical Society websites, I decided to build my own site to share my photographs over the internet.  In January 2000, the DHVM began its early stages as a Yahoo!/Geocities site but to many limitations were found to have anything special.  I discovered TrainWeb and they offer to host the website without many of the limitations I faced earlier.  The second version of DHVM website design was simple, basically a Photo Album until I purchased Microsoft FrontPage 2000 which made building a complex website simple.  The third iteration of the DHVM was to make a Museum like feel where visitors could either enter a "Gallery" to view all the photographs jumbled together as well as have the separated into categories like a card file at a library.

    With the expanded DHVM built, I wondered how many D&H Collectors and Photographers might find the DHVM an excellent forum to share there collections too.  With my contacts I had built through the  Historical Societies and Yahoo! Groups I made an offer to host as much D&H related material within the DHVM that others would be willing to share.  The response was incredible and images from others came poring in where I now have access to thousands of images and once again needed to rebuild the DHVM format to what it is today.  As time permits and with TrainWeb's support for greater expansion, I hope to add all these images into the DHVM.

    In exploring and learning about website development and promotion, I discovered Bravenet as a excellent source of website tools.  One of which was a "SiteRing" where D&H related sites could be linked into a "Ring" rather than having to maintain a Links Page that all Web Masters would have to maintain separately as changes are made.  Now with "The Delaware and Hudson SiteRing" many D&H sites are linked together.  TrainWeb also has a WebRing which all the TrainWeb sites such as the DHVM are linked together.  Today, a keyword search of DHVM in search engines such as Google find this site as well as many of the pages contained within.  The DHVM is also listed as reference material on sites through the internet expanding more interest into the Delaware and Hudson history.

    I hope you enjoy this website and if you also have material that you would like to share please consider the DHVM.  Stop by often as more and more images will be added and website improvements made for easier access.