streets and roads in HO

[Anonymous]

Who has a nifty idea for modeling blacktop roads in HO? How wide in inches should the typical two lane road be? How about streets in a village or small city? Best materials? Easy techniques?

[Anonymous]

Here's where i learned how to make my roads. It might take some practice to make it look nice so start on a extra 2x4 or other scrap wood.http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/000/617iqpqx.asp
it was the tip of the week around christmas time. Have you signed up for the model railroad E-mail? It's a great way to learn new techniques I owuld highly recomend it.
The link should work but if it doesn't just leave a message here and I'll check back
Andy

[Anonymous]

You can try AMI's Instant roadbed, comes in both black and gray versons. the gray's good for sidewalks, the black for roads. they even state

"makes it easy to model very realistic asphalt, concrete, bricks and other material for sidewalks, cobblestone streets, highways and more. "

As well as useable for your track roadbed. so why not buy alot and use it for both and cut the cost down on everything. since it's made from a rubbery material, you can model realistic potholes, groves and other road wear easily. at 2" wide that's more than one hightway lane (12') wide (1.6") or 1 older road (8') at (1.1" wide). so if you went at 1" a laneyou'd be fine.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/128-45 (black)
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/128-130 (gray)

Jay

[Anonymous]

I've never tried it, but woodland scenics has it's own road system, you could even purchase the road learning kit first to try it out and see if it's right for you. Just check Woodland scenics' site [:)]

[DSchmitt]

A "standard" rural road would have two 12' lanes and two 8' paved shoulders, but most probably the majority of road are not standard. Most have narrower shoulders a many have narrower lanes. Outside the pavement wouls be 1'-4' or even more unpaved shoulder. On new or well maintained roads thi would be clean gravel. On poorly maintained roads it might not be visible in the weeds.

Two 9' lanes is by "standard" the narrowest that would have a centerline stripe. The paved shoulder in this case would only be a couple inches wide., since the road would be striped to maximize lane width. Before the 1965 or 66 there were no white edge lines in the area of California where I lived. Their introduction may been eariler or latter in other places. Also at this time the centerline was changed from white broken line to yellow. (Solid 'barrier" no passing lines were already yellow. Standards varied from State to State. There is less variaiation today because of the enforcement of Federal standards.

In HO scale 12' is 1.65 inches . I suggest compressing the roads a little. Using 1/8" = 1' instead of 3.5mm =1' would make a 12' lane 1.5" wide.

In town a narrow minor (usually residential) street would have two 12' lanes and two 8' parking lanes total 40' ) between the curbs.(although there are places where the streets are even narrower) (Minor streets will usually not have center line stripes Commercial s and main would generally be wider. Main streets would often have 4 lanes, sometimes at the expense of parking on one or both sides. Where there are curbs, edge stripes are usually not used except in more modern times to delineate bike lanes where they exist. Another modern inovation is the two-way turn lane in the middle of the street.

Towns in the flat lands (even very old ones) will gusually have wider streets than towns in mountanious areas.

Best to look at the real world and replicate it.

[Anonymous]

PTM:

Depends on the era and area of the US you are modeling. There has been considerable discussion of the topic in the forum. The topic index should lead you to answers for your questions.

Randy

[Jetrock]

One interesting material I saw used for asphalt streets at a model railroad show: fake leather. They just cut it into strips street-wide (about 4-5") and glued it to the foam, then painted it a grimy black and applied a center stripe. The edges looked like plaster and paint with a little ground foam to simulate roadside weeds. One advantage is that the material would of course flex and stretch to go up hillsides, etcetera--seams would be a problem for very long roads, but some plaster and paint to represent a repaved area would fix that...

[dknelson]

Three Brothers Mfg (they make double deck passenger car kits in HO) has a product which is sort of a thick mat, rough textured. It could be roofing it could be asphalt roads it could be a lot of stuff. I bought a package and am going to give it a try.

I have seem AMI roadbed used for roads and I think it gouges too easily to be believable. The Three Brothers stuff is tougher.
But to each his own.
Dave Nelson

[jrbarney]

It's a bit off-topic, but Three Brothers Manufacturing:
http://www.threebrothersmfg.com/
also makes a craftsman level truss bridge kit using components from Micro Engineering and Central Valley.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

Busch Gmbh & Co Kg also makes a decent pre-fabbed roadway items:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-9710
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-9711
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-7082

and many other items, Faller Gmbh also makes some as well:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/272-646
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/272-650

Mini Highways is another choice:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/406-201
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/406-203
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/406-205

Noch Gmbh & Co also has a road system:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/528-60410

Plastruct Inc supplies some basic items for use as raodbed as well:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/570-94532
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/570-94535
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/570-94536

as you can see, all these links come from Walther's online catalog, and there are more there: Vollmer Gmbh, and Woodland Scenics Co both offer pre-fabbed road systems, kato offeres some as well, in N scale. So you have many fine choices, it's just a matter of what you really want.

Jay

[Anonymous]

I use very fine grain black sandpaper for making asphalt roadways and parking lots. To make fire lanes and marking use a colored penciland or template.

RMax

[Anonymous]

My goodness moldelers must have a lot of diposable cash! Buy roads?! Single ply card board, card stock, etc. can be cut to any cofiguration, even along and inside tracks, glued to any surface with virtually any type of glue, painted with any type of paint (I prefer latex) and marked with pencil crayons, giving a very subtle weathered look. Of course you can go with bold colours for a new look. Paint it concete or asphalt. Have fun with the diffent variations. Make sure to include details such as oil streaks down the centres of both lanes, adding more near stop signs or where traffic congests. As far as measurements, a lot of the guy's gave some good info. But go a bit smaller, the effect will be more pleasing. The best resource is to look at some colour pictures taken from the air, it's amazing what you miss on the ground. And one last thing, as far as the cardboard, the price is right, it's usually free!

[jfugate]

I like styrene. Here's a how-to example from my Siskiyou Line web site.

http://siskiyou.railfan.net/model_rod.html

[johncolley]

Sorry I don't have a way to post pictures, but I just use drywall mud. A 5 gal. bucket of it goes a long way in road and scenery building. For hills etc. I use a 1 -1 1/2" corrugated strip matrix hot glued then cover with industrial strength paper towels. 2 or 3 coats with diluted drywall mud adding rocks and dirt to the top layer while wet. Acrylic paints after it has cured a couple of days. Roads I use 4-5" strips of corrugated cut from large boxes for fewer seams. After the mud dries you can sand a bit of crown in the road before painting. John

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jfugate

I like styrene. Here's a how-to example from my Siskiyou Line web site.

http://siskiyou.railfan.net/model_rod.html

[:D] very nice Highway


However, a criticism of your pavement markings

The centerline stripe is very well done, the best broken yellow I've seen on a model railroad, but in addition to it, the approach to the track should have a "barrier" solid yellow stripe. At a RR xing, it is not legal to enter the oposing lane to pass a slower moving vehicle.

On the prototype the barrier stripe would extend at least 200' from the white " bar " at the crossing sign to the location of the round rellow RXR sign

Standard grade xing markings from a Caltrans Traffic Manual page dated 11-1991

Two 1' wide white bars across lane (1' apart) at the Railroad Crossbuck

Variable distance (50' min) depending on Highway speed to two 2' white bars, 50' apart across lane with RXR pavement marking between them then

Approximately 100' to circular yellow RXR sign... The yellow barrier line would extend at least this distance

Crossbucks are furnshed and maintained by the railroad. The circular yellow signs are Highway signs.

Crossing gates are RR owned and maintained, but there may be a cost sharing agreement with the Highway Dept.

[EMDSD40]

I have had good luck with asphalt roofing shingles. Cut to any size, can be painted, has a pliable consistency that curves right up to grade crossing. It can be painted, glued ,nailed. Iuse it for both HO and O gauge layouts. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Last square I bought cost less than $10 and goes along way and can even be re-used. Good Luck!!

[dano99a]

QUOTE: Originally posted by beckstev

My goodness moldelers must have a lot of diposable cash! Buy roads?! Single ply card board, card stock, etc. can be cut to any cofiguration, even along and inside tracks, glued to any surface with virtually any type of glue, painted with any type of paint (I prefer latex) and marked with pencil crayons, giving a very subtle weathered look....

Agreed...

I use black mount board (black poster board or Illustration board). It's pretty cheap in single sheets 20"x30" ,it's flexible yet very sturdy, easy to weather, takes most paints really well and can be used for more than just roads. If you feel like spending money you can buy a box of it.

I use it all the time because I have a bunch of it layng around not being used unlike cash. [:)]

[Anonymous]

Hi
I use road in a can chalk board paint its black flat and cheap.
once it has dried I put in lines as I see nesassary for pavement thick card painted a concrete colour
then a load of black lines forming scale 18' squares and kerbing stones then fences and garden walls are glued to the base board and flock ect used to fill any gaps between fence and paving.
once you have your roads and paving in. with this method its cheep and nasty sounding and does need all the front gardens done the US or Royal as apropriate mail boxes fire hydrents and regulation dog ect to draw the eye away from the road but it does work.
regards John

[AntonioFP45]

Super good thread, guys.

I'll probably wind up trying more than one method for making streets on my upcoming layout. Thanks for your great info!

God Bless!

[CBQ_Guy]

This is a bit differen't I haven't seen anywhere. I did it on the old layout for a parking lot but should work for roads, too.

I had some cinder ballast but it was too large. I also had a bag of gray, Z-scale ballast. I don't know where the heck it came from, but I had it.

Anyway, I mixed the ballast in an old bowl with white glue (ala Elmers) to a good consistency, and then applied it to the area with a wide putty knife, being careful to apply it as flat and evenly as possible. I sanded down any slight high points or ridges. Then I sprayed it black with a can of 99 cent spray paint. The fine ballast gave it a bit of realistic texture without being overly done, and any slight imperfection or cracks just added to the realism, IMO. I add some black permanent marker "cracks" here and there, drilled a shallow hove to insert a metal sewer cover casting detail, and weathered the whole thing with a very diluted earth color wash and some chalk...not too perfect or even, though.

[Anonymous]

Our club (http://www.csme.cc) uses plaster. you apply it with a paint brush making sure it's nice and thick. then once the plaster is totally dry, you take a similar sized bru***o paint your road. Once that is dry, you can chose a much smaller bru***o paint your lines. It may take a little longer but will save you money. hope this helps.