Road Surfaces

[AJC]

Hi,
For some time I've been wondering what the best road surface for my layout would be. It's a modern layout, and I am unsure whether to use paint, metcalfe card, or something else, Any suggestions?

thanks,
Alex

[Bufferstop]

Take a look at some real world road surfaces (or even some photos). I wanted a well worn look to match the road over a bridge. I ended up using a part worn finishing sheet from my orbital sander. Colour was a good match, and it had the right degree of randomness.

[kiwitram]

What about Wet & Dry paper; it has a rough texture, is grey, durable and to make it look weathered all you have to do is het a sharpie and draw random lines on it.

[AJC]

Thanks very much, but does anyone know how the javis tarmac roll looks like - is it realistic, or just a rough job?

thanks,
Alex

[SouthernBoy]

What about Wet & Dry paper; it has a rough texture, is grey, durable and to make it look weathered all you have to do is het a sharpie and draw random lines on it.

I've been looking at road surfaces a lot recently - and the majority of them aren't actually 'textured' (I mean roads with tarmac, not country lanes or similar).

I know where you're coming from kiwitram - because they look textured - but it's an illusion. Most roads are stones mixed into tar and then leveled (well, slightly cambered so the rain runs to the drains)... so it's that mix which gives them a textured 'look'.

And now you make me think of it I've got the perfect solution.

Take ballast, mix it with plaster (which has a proportion of back paint in it so it's mid to dark grey), make your road, then sand it back to a smooth, cambered finish. Hey-presto! perfect road surface

Damn, I wish I'd thought of this a few weeks back as I've just finished my main road and now it won't satisfy me having thought of a better way to do it! Than again, I know how to do it better next time.

Obvious other solutions are the numerous 'out-of-the-box' pre-printed road surfaces in card or foam or plastic. Or just lay any old card card and paint it grey.

[hobby boy]

what about the scalescenes roads??? that way you can have as many as you want.

Andrew

[Flakmunky]

what about the scalescenes roads??? that way you can have as many as you want.

The joints you would get puts me off SS... Unless you have any tips?!

[AJC]

what about the scalescenes roads??? that way you can have as many as you want.

,

I've already got some of them thanks, but I'm not sure whether its my laser printer, but they seem to be too shiny, and don't look very authentic, but thanks anyway

[mistered]

An australian firm makes a spreadable roadbase called Simply Roadbase.

You trowel it on with a palette knife to 1mm thick.

Dont know if its sold outside Oz, check their website http://www.simplyglues.com.au/

cheers, mistered

[Si_Donal]

I'd definately go with the fine grade wet and dry paper, painted with cheap domestic wall paint. I like a shade called moonstone. It can be weathered with pencil lead ground up and rubbed along the route of the road with a wet finger.

[Grahame]

Sandpaper, emery cloth, and wet & dry all just look like exactly what they are and are not a good representation of road surfaces. IMO you can't beat cardboard; the plain grey type with a little surface relief (and with packing underneath down the middle to form a camber) carefully painted with various acrylic greys and weathered with a 2B pencil to replicate tyre and exhaust staines.

G.

[Julia]

Sandpaper, emery cloth, and wet & dry all just look like exactly what they are and are not a good representation of road surfaces. IMO you can't beat cardboard; the plain grey type with a little surface relief (and with packing underneath down the middle to form a camber) carefully painted with various acrylic greys and weathered with a 2B pencil to replicate tyre and exhaust staines.

G.

Do you have a photo of the finished result? I am trying to work out the best way of doing a little used country lane for my layout, and the method above sounds like it might have the best simple/effective balance.

J

[Grahame]

Do you have a photo of the finished result? I am trying to work out the best way of doing a little used country lane for my layout, and the method above sounds like it might have the best simple/effective balance. J

Hmm, it's not exactly a country lane

SLD pic16 x.jpg (62.85 KiB) Viewed 4789 times

G.

[ngresley]

what about the scalescenes roads??? that way you can have as many as you want.

The joints you would get puts me off SS... Unless you have any tips?!

But surely you also have joints using sandpaper?

[Bufferstop]

But surely you also have joints using sandpaper?

Ah! but even in 00 a sheet of sandpaper will more than cover the length of a UK road, that you will find before coming to a patched pothole, a reinstatement scar, a repaired failed surface joint or a bit of official surface graffiti intended to inform the poor road user of something that is quite obvious!