Hi, i am at the stage where Scenery id becoming inportant, and, need to lay some roads Can anyone please sugguest a method i can use to make nice looking roads thanks Alexander
Hi Alexander, There are lots of ways to make roads, highways, parking lots. For paved (blacktop - asphalt) roads, I use black posterboard, painted and dullcoated. I make a pattern out of paper, and when happy with the fit on the layout, I cut out the final board. Glued in place with scenic glue, and when dry I freehand the white and yellow painted lines using a gel pen from an art store. A little dirt added to the shoulders to cover up the edges finishes it off. There are other ways, you can use drywall compound or plaster, using a putty knife to form. I think these look the most real, and I'm thinking of it for my next pike. Obviously painted afterwards. You can cut styrene in place of poster board, as I outlined above. I've made dirt roads out of nothing more than glue and dirt. I bet if you try the Search Function I'm pretty sure a bunch of topics and photos will come up about this very subject. You can even buy pre-made streets but they look pre-made. Adding signs and automobiles later really makes a scene start to pop! Good luck, let us know how it comes out.
ok, i'll have an experiment, see what comes up, and what i like best tried search, didnt work real well. most forums dont do it well i'm leaning towards the Plaster. it sems eaisest. thanks for the help Campp
Alexander, Try this link: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/crowley/ashphalt_roads.htm I think his techniques are the most realistic I have seen. it seems like a fairly cheap method as well. Eric
Since I'm modeling New England right now, I use .040 styrene cut 2" wide for my N scale concrete roads. Score expansion joints every 1.5" if memory serves right. I paint the roads a mixture of Aged Concrete, then a mix of Oily Black, Grimey Black and Rust to give the road a well traveled look. This is easily done with an airbrush. For lines, I use a Sharpie pen and a french curve for curves and a standard ruler for straits. When the roads are glued down, you can add plaster to the sides to build a shoulder. MR had a great article on this last summer, I used it for my wifes' T-Trak modules and had great success.
yeah, it is a good link, i've used stuff off that site before bit reluctant to go into Styrene now.it seems expensive headed into town today, i'll have a look at what they have
Well since the B&M I model is set in 1977-78, the center lines are yellow, but of coarse the sides are white. Don't worry, the light opacity gives a look of wear, and is MUCH easier than when I airbrushed the lines!
Eric: Thanks for the link to Dan Crowley's site...he has some great ideas! Jim: I've only been able to find black Sharpies. Do they really come in other flavors, or were you using "Sharpies" as a generic term, like Kleenex? The white and yellow felt tip paint pens I've used, were made by Testor's, and I found a yellow "Painty" paint pen by Zig at a hobby/craft store. I had to whittle down the tips to get a small enough/fine enough tip to do road stripes in N-Scale. I'm not happy with my technique, yet...I can't seem to keep my lines as crisp/clear as I'd like, but my attempts are improving and, you're right, the opacity makes for very believable "wear".
I second Colorado50s post and link to Mr. D. Crowleys website. I've admired his technique from another forum and have decided to use his method for my new layout. I like the way my roads came out on my old layout using poster board and ink pens but Crowleys look is really, well "real looking". That is after all what we're trying to achieve isn't it? Brian
Alexander, Here is what i used for roads and it is cheap and effective. Cut up cardboard box and shape it similar to a road (curve the cardboard and thin down the edges. Glue the cardboard roads in place buy sone fine wet and dry and glue it to the cardboard. When complete use some chalk dust and rub it into the wet and dry to give different shades to the road. Here are a couple of pics from my layout.
Guys, here is a recent example to my concrete roads like we see out here in the midwest.. This is .040 styrene cut at 1.375" (24 scale N feet) as noted from a DOT site, and scribed expansion joints every 12.5 n scale feet. I airbrushed the road with Aged Concrete and spayed on a mixture of Grimey Black, Oily Black and Engine Black for weathering. This was the road that I airbrushed the center line with Rail Box Yellow, but the Sharpie is easier.
