Trains.com

Roads

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  • Member since
    May 2006
  • 9 posts
Roads
Posted by rclick9 on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 7:28 PM
I nead a road for my garden railway. Have any ideas? Thanks!Big Smile [:D]
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: North, San Diego Co., CA
  • 3,092 posts
Posted by ttrigg on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 2:15 AM
 rclick9 wrote:
I nead a road for my garden railway. Have any ideas? Thanks!Big Smile [:D]


Here is one way.  Mix up a batch of brick mortar with black colorant, pour it into a trench about 2 inches deep, with some hardware cloth (heavy wire mesh).  If you want an old asphalt road look, add in some peat moss for texture.  If you want it to look like a dirt (or "unimproved") road  use a brown color, and a whole bunch of the peat moss, take some wheels from an old toy car and make a few ruts.  When adding the color, if you don't completely mix it in you can get some variation in the color of the road (a desired effect.)

Tom Trigg

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • 6,434 posts
Posted by FJ and G on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 8:18 PM
 rclick9 wrote:
I nead a road for my garden railway. Have any ideas? Thanks!Big Smile [:D]


an easy way to build a road is to simply walk in a certain pathway so that your path becomes a dirt cowtrail. To speed it up, add roundup and preen.

I've built a concrete road using quickrete and while still wet added patching plaster for the top layer to hide the aggregates and to better seal out the gypsun.

GRR mag has run articles on dirt roads by mixing sand, Portland cement, and sifted (fine) Peat moss. GRR didn't get the idea, however. It has been advocated by gardeners for building custom rock structures such as planting pots or rock facia over tubs.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • From: Burke, Virginia
  • 185 posts
Posted by TheJoat on Thursday, July 20, 2006 9:13 AM

I've been pretty happy using the rolled shingle material.  It comes in sheets about 4 feet wide and 25 feet long.   Strong enough to walk on; I'd just make sure it's smooth underneath.

Bruce
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Takasaki, Gunma, JAPAN
  • 79 posts
Posted by Takasaki Matt on Thursday, July 20, 2006 6:27 PM

Are 'roads' those new-fangled flat tracks?  We don't get them out here so we rely on the railway and the old muddy tracks.

Bow [bow]

 

Matthew Foster Takasaki Light Railway http://www.freewebs.com/mjhfoster/

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