Streets for automobiles

A

aartwmich

Member
Nov 30, 2002
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SW Michigan
www.angelfire.com
Hi Folks..I'm new to this forum and have recently rekindled my love for trains and modeling. This looks like a great forum and this category in particular has inspired me greatly.

I started looking at modeling streets for automobiles because a freind just got an O set that sits on the carpet (temp for xmas ..so far) and wanted a street crossing the track. I've done some searches but it hard to narrow down 'road' or 'street' so I thought I'd start a new thread hoping you all woud share what you've done for auto roads and streets.

Here's a pic of an idea I had using scale ballast mixed with Elmers glue spread over a mockup of track and bed covered with plastic wrap. The street for the temp O gauge setup will be removable. I think the ballast is too coarse and I will next try a finer grain or do a 'topcoat' with fine on top of this one. Of course the O gauge track is larger than the HO I used for the mockup. The glue worked pretty good, it didn't sag too much and once it had 'skinned' over I was able to manipulate the shape some more. After about 12 hours it was hard enough to remove from the mockup, the bottom was still wet so I turned it over to let it dry which may be why it did shrink a bit at the edges which probably won't matter but I would like to avoid it. I also don't like the shine from the Elmers, may have to paint it

Sorry for the lengthy post. I would appreciate any other ideas you sage modelers have out there. Thanks. :)

street+side+view.jpg


street+top+view.jpg


Why didn't my photos show?:( Well at least the links work :p
 
welcome aboard, I'm also pretty new here and to model railroading so I'll defer this to those who have greater knowledge. I'm also curious about others' methods of making pavement. In magazines I've seen fine sandpaper used, spackle over foamcore and a few others.
 
I use styrene for city streets and spackle with a crown formed by dragging a shaved piece of styrene down its length for country roads. But these are for permanent layouts. For temporary xmas type layouts, perhaps simple shirt cardboard painted grey would suffice. Here's a photo of a styrene street.

Gary
 

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Thanks. Yes, it's HO. The sidewalk is .080 thick styrene, with expansion joints scribed in with the backside of an exacto blade. The curb is .040 x .080 styrene strip. The street is .020 styrene sheet. I place a .060 x .060 strip beneath the center of the road to create a crown. I get my styrene at my local hobby store. If you don't have a local shop which sells it, I'm sure you can get it online but others will have to advise you here, I think I'm the only one on the planet who doesn't buy online. Have fun!

Gary
 
Hi:
This is an old trick/method which i use. Just use some 15# roofing felt for your roads. It's cheap and a roll will last you a life time. Better yet, stop by a contruction site and get some scraps from a home builder. Will post a pic or two as soon as i can get one of these durn photo programs to work!


#$*!(#_%)%*$)(*$)(%*_%!%* computers!

Regards,
Ted
 
Hey Gary, Modeling the crown in the street is something rarely seen and WOW!!! does it make a difference. That is excellent.!!

Although I don't have any paved streets here in 1933:eek: I'm sure many of us would like to know your coloring techniques for the streets too.

Great Job!!!:)
 
Hi aartwmich, and welcome to the gauge, I doubt that Yahoo will allow you to post photo's here, but you can always use the browser here to upload from your hard-drive - Gary and others will help your needs for roads, as Garys Photo shows just what can be done.

Shamus
wink.gif


 
Thanks Shamus.....

hhhmmm I've always used Yahoo to post photos in forums before, but I guess this one is different. I see now where to attach the photo to the post, I'll try that :D can only attach one pic per post huh?..forgive me..for I am learning...lol
 

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Thanks Cid and Vic. I struggled a bit to get a color I was happy with and still don't really like the weathering on the street in the photo. I primed it first with Floquil primer from a spray can, then painted it a dark grey. I weathered it with a set of chalks I have which give me 12 shades betweeen white and black. A little more work should give me the tire and oil streaks I was striving for. I thought it would be a good idea to post a picture of the end of a section of road I have done which will be finished later. I had to do this section as it would be out of easy reach after track was installed. This is painted as concrete. I scribed the expansion joint as mentioned above. I painted a section with Polly concrete, wiped it off when partially dry, did the same with aged concrete, then dry brushed the oil streaks and some white to lighten things up. I hope I can match it when I start the extension!
 

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I forgot to mention the reason for the above photo was to show the strip used for the crown. The smaller strips to each side are there only at the end to aid in preventing a gap when I go to install the next section. Also, Blake Tatar taught me a neat way to get the color in the expansion joint: I added several drops of dish detergent to thinned dark grey (not black!) paint, and brushed it liberally over the joint lines. Shortly after drying, I wiped across the joint lines with a damp cloth diagonally, like you do when removing excess grount from a tile job. The color came off the road surface and stayed in the expansion joint. Here is the other end of the section of road I had to install prior to tracl laying.
 

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Thanks Val. Personally, I'd rather see some more of your shots. But yes, I had two more somewhat decent shots of this unfinished area which I took during that little session.
 

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Gary - the shot of the retaining wall has really caught my eye - it's great! I'm working on an underpass right now too. What material did you use to construct it? I've used foamcore and heavy cardstock, but something's wrong. I tried to get away with just eyeballing sizes but I think maybe I should get some proper measurements and start over. Any suggestions?

cheers
:D Val
 

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Hi Val, That's just the way they are built on the prototype. They sorta "eyeball" them in to a certain degree. Dimensions don't work out exact in road construction. Looks good to me and once its painted and weathered I think you will like it too:)
 
Gotta agree with Vic, your scene looks good as is. I wouldn't change it. i like the slope on the sidewalk and the ivy on the building. What did you use for the vines? My retaining wall is styrene by the way.

Gary
 
I think I'm the only one on the planet who doesn't buy online. Have fun!
Click to expand...

No, Gary, you're not the only one. I believe in supporting my local hobby shop, and online buying would be unfair competition for the shop. I will only buy those things that a hobby shop can NOT get for me, online, or at a "basement" dealer.
I have used sheet balsa for concrete roadways, but since, have reconsidered, and will use styrene in the future. I still have a jar full of what was an underlayment for floor tile. When I tore up the tile this stuff was easily broken up. I use it for blacktop roads.
Pete
 
Gary, for the ivy, I used dark green ground foam. I've seen models using lighter ground foam, but my observations of ivy are that it is a very dark (and shiny) green.

I used CA glue to attach it. I cut a very thin opening and "drew" the tendrils on the wall, following any corners upwards and drawing out lateral tendrils, then sprinkled on the foam.

I've just been trying to find a picture showing how ivy spreads laterally as well as vertically, but I can't find a good one just now. I could go on at great length about the ways ivy follows inside corners, etc, etc. but I don't want to totally bore everyone!!

I agree that the retaining wall looks okay in the picture - but I think that's because the picture is deceiving. In true life it looks out of scale, and I'm pretty sure the underpass is too deep. I made the middle support from a girder kit, and didn't measure it at all. It should be 14 scale feet but it's more like 20! It was really hard to make though and I'm not into trying it again! This is the bridge I'm (loosely) copying:
 
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