H2O Railroad Set With Rand Fredricksen
Rand Fredricksen wanted to create background scenery for his slot car track. His project grew from a few paper buildings to what is now an extremely large and detailed railroad layout complete with 175 linear feet of track, Grand Canyon like scenery, a bridge, and a tunnel. “Every railroad needs a tunnel and a bridge,” says Rand.
Rand confesses, “I had every intention of completing the scenery for the slot car track when I decided a train around the perimeter would be a nice touch…that was in 2004. Since then the train and scenery have taken over my free time in the winter. I add something new every year.”
Why did you choose to use the H2O Latex paint? What do you like most about it?
Latex. My basement is fairly confined so fumes can become an issue. Latex paint does not attack the extruded polystyrene I used to build the layout. H2O overspray is cleaned up quickly with soap and water. The paint dries quickly and is not as shiny as other spray paints. I could have never achieved the results I did without spray.
How long did it take to complete the entire train project?
This part took me about five weeks to build. Of course there is no end to improvements but that completed the basics. The entire layout is still under construction.
Any specific interest in trains and railroads?
Railroads span the centuries of history. Railroad tracks are spaced the same as wagon wheels were at least as long ago as the Roman Empire.
Where did the inspiration come from to do this elaborate project?
Wile E. Coyote! I looked at a lot of great pictures of canyons and caves and caverns. I thought of ways to create rock formations and the strange and wonderful sights seen in places like Mammoth Cave. I still hope to create something realistic. With the time and material constraints I had I decided to create something a bit less real.
How big is the entire project?
The R&B Railroad runs along the walls of my basement. All of that is more traditional with a small town, a park, and a small railyard. There is a run up the hills, through a tunnel, and around a mountain. Altogether I have about 175 linear feet of track. It is on about 130 square feet of shelving and tables. There is one section that is 4 X 11 feet. It is two intertwined figure eights. The plan is two separate loops. The fun is to run two trains and be sure they don’t collide on one of the crossovers.
What are some of the other ways that you have been able to use Krylon products or what other Krylon products do you use?
I use the Matte Finish to cover some models. It can seal details in place with a non-reflective coating. I have used Fusion to paint plastic shelves.
What is your favorite Krylon color?
I used more Yellow Sea than any other color. I also used a lot of Red Sea and Bay of Bengal Orange. You will also see Caribbean Blue and Pacific Purple.
Are you currently working on any other projects or have future plans for another project using Krylon?
Next winter I hope to add scenery to the main level above this loop. I am planning sand and cacti and sagebrush, but we’ll see!
Tips for anyone interested in creating a large railroad project?
Start small. I am building my empire one small piece at a time.
Have no fear!
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