Building roads

[Anonymous]

On my last layout I used two methods of building roads. One was to laydown thin pieces of bass wood and then use spackling compound to add shoulders.I would then paint them.However I could not get the exact look I was looking for and the color never really looked all that good. In other areas I would just spread out a thin layer of compound for parking lots and access roads. Again the same result. Not all that happy.
I have seen the ready made roads that Walthers sells but they look like that they will be too wide for my next layout which will be a small switching layout as before probably around 2'x6'.
Any ideas on how I can build roads and get the look that I am after? Any ideas and suggestion would be appreciated. I learned a lot from this forum and from building my last layout and would really like to avoid repeating some of the same mistakes.
Thanks again-Bob

[ELMooreFan]

Before I begin, check out my pictures in RMC Sept. 97, "Scenery Before Benchwork" article. So much for anonimity...

I've seen some awful roads... sandpaper is too textured and has too many seams... plastic/styrene is a waste and not worth the trouble... plaster is too much work and may throw crossings out of gauge...

And ramp-like crossings? Ugggghhhh!!
Oh, and curled-up road-line stickers? Yech!

You're gonna think I'm too backward, but I love a combination of cardboard and poster board! It looks great and it's CHEAP!
1. Build up some thickness for the roads with corrugated cardboard. Two or 3 layers will get you up to track level (and you'll be glad you did. No more 6% grades for the autos!) You can be sloppy and fast here. Small brads and/or glue will do.
2. Make patterns of your roads out of typing paper taped together. Draw it accurate with lanes of 12 scale feet width. Add 2' extra on the edges, before the shoulders (don't worry about shoulders yet). You'll get accurate crossings by doing a pencil rubbing over the tracks.
3. Lay out your accurate paper templates on white poster board. The pieces will be smaller than you think, because of all the crossings. Lay them out in cookie-cutter fashion.
4. Glue these onto your corrugated cardboard with white or carpenters glue. I use boxes of magazines to keep them flat while they dry.
5. I use several layers of artist's illustration board to make my middle track-crossing piece. Leave ample flange space. Then after its glue is dry (Elmer's over plastic ties!) carve with a sharp X-Acto blade tapered train entrances, like a rerailer section. It'll keep things from derailing.
6. Now paint the roads a light gray, craft or acrylic paint. Sometimes I'll get scared it's gonna wrinkle up, but yet it flattens when it's dry.
7. Use a dark grey colored pencil and draw in squiggle crack marks and some minor patches. Don't use graphite pencil- it'll shine.
8. Now use yellow and white colored pencils (PrismaColor from craft/artist stores) to draw in road lines. Use a ruler on straight sections, hand-draw curves (it's easier than you think... build up sketchy lines into nice solid firm ones). And don't be afraid to hand-draw (neatly) RR Crossing markings. Oh, use a ruler on the "X", but seriously, neatly put in the RR by hand. Just go over them to make sure they're the same size.
9. Now the finishing touch: Grind some black pastel chalk against sandpaper and sprinkle it all up and down your roads (center of each lane, not too picky). LIGHTLY, pass over these with a SLIGHTLY damp paper towel in semi-swirly patterns.
10. Now use some plaster to add banked shoulders. I use regular light grey ballast to cover the road shoulders.
NOW WASN'T THAT EASY? AND CHEAP? AND IT STILL LOOKS STATE-OF-THE-ART! YOUR FRIENDS WILL THINK THE ROADS ARE MUCH MORE ELABORATE THAN THEY ARE!

[JeremyB]

Hi there Bob

One method that I have used on my layout(for back roads anyway)Is to spray some wet-water where you want the road to be than take some fine sand and a shaker (I use a old baby food jar with a few nail holes in it)and let the sand fall on the ground it should level out naturally as long as you keep the jar moving then I take some glue and water and a few drops of detergent and spray it like crazy until the sand looks white with glue.After a few days of drying it should be quite solid and you can add vegetation and grasses to the side of the road to blend it with the scenery and a few groups of weeds makes it look quite believable.One word of caution:Keep the sand away from the track and track points.I hope that helps.

Jeremy

[clinchfieldfan]

On my O gauge layout I have used black housing shingles. Use the "underside" where the granules are finer. You have to use a heavy utility knife to cut them and they make a mess when you cut them but they look great. I lay the "road" with Liquid Nails, use the liquid nails to fill the seams. After it cures paint the road flat black or gray and use automotive pinstriping for the road markings. Works for me!

[Anonymous]

I use black scenic sand used for sand in bottle paintings. It's a little off color but looks fine after it's glued down like ballast and airbushed with gray and or brown paints. I have also used gray spray primer instead of an airbush. I then use fine gray ballast for sides. Easy crossings are made with rerailers that are weathered. I also us strip wood to hand build crossings. They look great but require lots of time.

[BNSFNUT]

I use sheet plastic for most of my roads. In the city area I used plastic for street,curb and sidewalk. For shoulders in the more rural areas I just use Woodland's ground cover. Getting the color of the pavement can be a problem. I used an air brush and Polly S paint. I had one area I repainted twice before I got what I wanted. To cover the joints I used a plastic filler.

[Anonymous]

I like plaster myself. I think your problem was using spakle.

[steamage]

I use dental plaster and sand it smooth, add a little more plaster to fill any leftover holes. Finish sanding with finer sand paper. For the color I use the True Value Hardware Latex paint color mix called Steelwool, just paint it on the plaster road surface and its done. This also works well for station platforms. [:D]

[Anonymous]

I used a cheap easy fix for my roads available at any Wal-mart in 8.5 x 11 sheets. It is foam sheets with an adhesive back in black, whch can be found in the hobby/art section at Wal-mart for $.25 a piece! Cut into the shape/size you want, peel and stick! So easy and very nice looking.

Goods:
Cheap!!!!! Easy to find!!!!!
Quick
REALISTIC looking a it has the right profile for a road, especially when you bring the scenery up to and near it.
Looks like fresh blacktop
Can be painted and scribed to make concrete roads
Can be used to make crossings, ramps, and lots (did all of them) Make those curved rail crossings with ease!

Bads:
Every once and a while can peel up in a place or two -- hit it with some liquid nail and it is fixed.
Don't stretch the pieces -- make accurate cuts. Stretching it works temporarily, but it will shrink back to its original size after a while leaving unsightly gaps.

Try this..... I think you will like it and your budget will to!

[Anonymous]

I use black poster board, ,dull side up. cut it out to the desired width, paint lines on it with white paint using a template to keep it centered ( I model the early 50s, ,lines were white) I weather it. and add shoulders of dirt or gravel. A few pot holes here and there, and my motoring public is ready to go