HO scale roads

[NILE]

I am starting to civil engineer where/how my roads are going to go for the layout.  What can be used underneath a road to raise it up to track level for a grade crossing?  Can I use styrafome?  The tracks on my layout are all flat with cork or woodland scenics roadbed, so it is just a matter of getting the road up to rail top.  What types of material is recommended for "paving roads"?  I would like to to some free molding roads.  

Thanks for all the help...

[Motley]

You could use the foam artists board you can get at Michael's. It has the foam layer sandwiched in between two thin boards.

But I don't think it looks good for roads. I used the Woodland Scenics smooth-it road kit. It comes with a thick tape. You put both edges down with the tape. Then mix the plaster like product, and pour it in the area, and smooth it out with a stick, along the tops of the thick tape.

When it starts to thicken, you can build it up around the rails to height of the track.

Then you can paint and weather it after it dries. I used automotive pin striping for the center lines.

[BroadwayLion]

LION has used: wood, asphalt*,  dirt, brick dust, plaster, plastic, metal, cardboard, and bookbinder's paper.

*Asphalt is made out of Elmer's Glue thickened with N scale ballast until it is the consistency  of, well, asphalt..

ROAR

PS: LION has also used asphalt roofing shingles.

[dknelson]

Most of my roads use the Walthers street kits - a center section that creates the raised crown and then separate sheets of formed plastic for the lanes themselves.  Properly painted and weathered I think the concrete road looks realistic.  For raising to the level of a crossing, I use the wood shims you find at the hardware store, generally cut to fit.  There are actual standards in many cases for the elevation of a road to a crossing but I just tried to make mine look plausible.

Dave Nelson

[Train Modeler]

I use plaster mostly, but have also used styrene,etc.   I have built up using foam, cardboard, cardstock, wood shims--whatever fits best and is handy--plaster over these.      I like to run the plaster or styrene right up against the railhead unless I am using a crossing kit from some place like BLMA.   Between the rails, I normally use something out of a BLMA or other type kit, unless I use built up cardstock for curved rail.

Richard

[MisterBeasley]

I mostly use a hardware store product called Durham's Water Putty.

Mix it up, pour it on, smooth it out, let it set and paint it.  You can mix it kind of thin and pour it into a molded surface, or a bit thicker and it will hold a crown.  I smooth it using a foam brush, keeping the brush clean and wet with a cup of water.  Its natural color is a light tan, but it takes an acryilc craft paint wash very well.  I used a white marker pen for the lines.

To raise it up to track level, I made a ramp with 1/4 inch white foamboard from a craft shop.  Here, I used Blair Line crossings.

[hornblower]

I use .040" styrene sheet as my road base and cover it with a layer of Creatology Fun Foam sheet available from Michael's.  I find that overlapping the railroad track roadbed material with the sheet styrene up to the ends of the track ties plus the layer of Fun Foam atop the sheet styrene gives me a road height about .010" below the top of my HO Code 83 rails.  I use Latex caulking and styrene shims underneath the sheet styrene to give the roadway a center crown and to support the sheet styrene road base where it slopes up to the track height.  This technique produces smooth grade transitions without the all too common ski jump over the tracks scenarios we see on many layouts.  I finish off these crossings using strip styrene to create wood plank inserts between rails as well as between the edge of the "asphalt" and the rails.

[LIRRs]

Hi Michael,

I like the striping.  What product did you use (width and color) since I am at this phase on certain sections of my railroad.  Thanks in advance.

All the best.

Reinhard

 

 

[Motley]

Chessie reinhard

Hi Michael,

I like the striping.  What product did you use (width and color) since I am at this phase on certain sections of my railroad.  Thanks in advance.

All the best.

Reinhard

 

I got the 3/16" double pinstripe Canery Yellow, for the center lines.

And the single 3/16" pinstripe white for the outside edges.

I ordered from this place here.

http://www.stripeman.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Graphics&Product_Code=00035-Pin-Stripe-pinstripe-Tape-Vinyl&Category_Code=Pin-Stripe+Rolls[

[LIRRs]

Thanks Michael.

Will give it a shot.

All the best.

Reinhard

[tomkat-13]

"You could use the foam artists board you can get at Michael's. It has the foam layer sandwiched in between two thin boards."

This is what I used for some of my roads.