D’Olympio’s version of “Mantown” is different.

In the place of the stereotypical over-stuffed recliners, mini-fridge and shrine devoted to “Larry Legend,” stands a 12-by-20-foot model train. Four feet off the ground and large enough for five or six trains to run simultaneously, the layout takes up nearly the entire basement and “leaves a little room for luxuries like a furnace and oil tank,” said D’Olympio. “I’d love to get rid of those, but haven’t figured out how to do that yet.”

Apparently, the decidedly different décor of the domain does not diminish the basement’s appeal among his friends.

 “You need a certain amount of pieces when you get started. After that, you’re only limited by time space and money,” he said. “From there, it just depends on what you want to get into.”

There are no limitations, said D’Olympio. “It can be as simple or as complicated as you want.” He considers his own “in the middle.” For the record, his set consists of a couple dozen locomotives, 70-odd freight cars, a handful of passenger cars and at least 200 people scattered throughout. A divider down the U-shaped track’s center separates the set’s distinctly different halves: One side holds freight trains 20-30 cars long, while the other boasts buildings, cities and a waterfront. With this setup, explained the proud owner, trains can pick up and drop off cars at yards and buildings.

According to D’Olympio, getting started with model trains, like most hobbies, does not cost much, but can be “as expensive as you want it to be.” And D’Olympio did just that when a hobby store specializing on model trains called Shepaug Railroad Company opened up in Leominster.

He said hobby stores are expensive, but frequenting reputable stores benefits the builder, because advice offered by employees leads to money saved in the end. Furthermore, he encourages anyone interested in the hobby to attend train shows and contact clubs.

At Shepaug, D’Olympio built “friendships and camaraderie” that remain strong to this day. He said, “If you were to walk in there on any given Saturday afternoon, you’d see guys hanging out drinking coffee, talking about the latest things that come out and problem solving. The best thing is friendships you make between the hobby store and clubs. I can’t stress that enough,” he said. “You reach a point where you do what you know, but in order to grow in any hobby you need to be exposed and taught new things.”

D’Olympio is also a member of the Nashua Valley Railroad Association, which originated in a Clinton hobby store basement 57 years ago, and is Massachusetts’ oldest model railroad club. They’ve been working the same set (26-by-66 feet and growing) since 1972, when they moved to their current location in Bolton. The club holds an open house event annually.

Other train shows are held throughout Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire each year, as well. For D’Olympio, who attends five or six a year, the shows provide a change to hang out with his friends and shop around bargain shop for his own layout.