The intermodal yard at Cincinnati on Ted Waller?s Cincinnati & Southern Railway Company

Complete the scene?

Imagine your model railroad on the cover of one of today's railroad magazines

When your friends come to visit, bask in their comments of how your railroad appears to go on forever?

Hear people comment on how they can recognize the scene you are depicting by the details in the backdrop?

You can expect all this and more with backdrops created by Colin Gifford and the RailDreams Team!

Working in cooperation with Richard E. Taylor, NMRA Master Model Railroader, Colin can create the exact background mural that will bring your model railroad to life. Why spend many thousands of dollars on detailed brass locomotives, DCC, sound systems, detailed scenery and everything else; and then back up the layout with blue painted (or worse) unadorned walls of your basement or spare room?! It is like trying to do a painting without paint!

About the Artist?.

Colin Gifford, Artist-in-Residence at RailDreams, Inc. has had 20 years of experience in realistic painting, with wildlife, landscape, and railroad themes being his greatest interests. Colin has formal fine arts training from Jackson Community College and has published his works in a number venues. We met Colin when RailDreams moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan just over 8 years ago. Since then we have many satisfied customers who love their backdrops.

Creating Your Own Special Backdrop?

Ted Waller?s Cincinnati & Southern -USS Ironton Works

Backdrops are usually painted on double-tempered Masonite and Sintra panels which are 8, 10, or 12 feet long, and can be up to 40" high. Pricing for your project is determined on the basis of the detail level required and the overall length of mural required. No two backdrops are alike and all work is custom fine art. Therefore, prices range from $90.00 per foot and up. Some pricing examples:

8 Ft. w/Detailed Foreground $1,500.00

8 Ft. w/Distant Hills & Trees $ 1200.00

8 Ft. w/Sky & Clouds Only $ 950.00

The United Verde & Pacific near Jerome, AZ Phil Piet's layout

The product you will receive is delivered to fit your space and theme requirements exactly. We will need advance information on the exact location of foreground structures, hills, trees, etc. in order to align the backdrop and its perspective correctly. Please return the attached questionnaire so that we can get an accurate idea of the space and other details.

Left : The Commodore Vanderbuilt pulls an NYC express out of the "Big Apple" on Chris Shier?s H-Rail O layout,,,,

Once we have received your material we will discuss the information and come back to you with a firm price for completion of the project. In most cases, the projects come in at the base price per foot mentioned above, but if we need to take exception, we will let you know as part of the formal project quotation.