Ever since I can remember, we’ve always used dirt roads on our layouts (actually, treated sawdust with shellac adhesive). We lived in a large city, so I guess an old-time rural setting was a bit of an escape for us. However, the more I look at layout photos on the forum, the stranger (and lousier) my dirt roads are starting to look. I never thought much about until recently. But I’m starting to think I’ll ‘pave’ my roads. Doesn’t anyone else use dirt roads?
I do. But I use different sorts of roof shingles for the effect.
Doug,
Roof shingles! That’s a terrific idea! Man, that opens up a lot of possibilities.
Have you ever tried them face down and for a paved road effect?
Ed
When the sunday photo fun comes out again tomorrow, look through and see if you find Dave Conolly’s pictures of his layout. He sets it back in the 1940s and has great detail. He has plenty of dirt roads. I’m sure he will let you in on his secrets of doing it.
Grayson,
Thanks for the tip. I’ll will definitely be on the lookout for it.
Some of my dirt roads are just painted, and others are more textured with scenic “dirt”.
Jim
HI GUYS
Talking about dirt roads . I have a few dirt road on my lay out . i just buy bird gravel for parakeet . i have found mixing it with white school gule or lite brown paint works for my liking.
have fun working on your lay out Model A
my house has Aspen Grey shingles, so I use them face up. looks like old bleached out blacktop like you’d see in the country.
I’ll have to try that one. Thanks, guys, for the great tips.
…and, it sounds like there’s more dirt roads out there that I figured.
Building roads and dirt lots over a long period of time I’ve probably not always done it the same way or used the same materials. One thing you want to avoid is using sand. To many shiny reflective particles. Most of mine were made using real gravel harvested at work during the hot dry summer. A few large coffe cans will give you a good supply. Another source is the dirt used at your local baseball fields. The gravel will work fine but it must be sifted. A homemade setup with a window screen will work. Sift it more than once and try to remove all the heavy stuff. What you end up using should be fine and powdery.
Figure out where you want the road to go. If you are crossing tracks make sure you get the roadway about 1/8" below the railheight.Then glue in a piece of stained stripwood to represent a plank up against the rail. You’ll use this as your guide for the height of the road. You can achieve this many ways. I believe in the grade crossing photo below I used cork ballast strips with a sheets dipped in plaster to cover it. The ballast strips provided a nice transition slope to the station parking lot. When you have that done simply mask off where the road will go. You should previously have painted the entire area an earth color. Use a cheap brush and brush on a heavy coat of straight Elmer’s white glue. Use a scenic shaker of some sort with small holes. Shake the gravel and cover the area. Wet the area with a spray mister till you see the glue rise through the gravel and then reapply more gravel. Before the glue sets remove the tape. With a soft brush slowly brush[almost like a dusting effect] the dirt road. moving around the loose stuff. If you want some ruts to make it look like a well travelled road. I never had much luck carving ruts. What did work for me was to take a scale diecast car and just push it along the road.
I’ve also used Woodland Scenics fine ballast. The brown tones work as well as some others to represent small stones. I
Dave,
Man, that is nice work.
I’ve used joint compound colored with latex paint and brushed it on to the road area. If I want ruts I talkean old car and lightly run it through after the compound has started to set. You can also dust on some silt or fine sand before it sets. After its dry you can paint, dry brush, etc. for effect then add vegitation.
I’ve mixed sand with dirt color latex paint. Add enough sand to get it thick like grits (cream-of-wheat for you northern folks). This is brushed on and is thick enough so you can take and old vehicle and make ruts in it if you like. Of course you do this before the paint dries. Now I did this on my HO and N scale layouts, but I see no reason it wouldn’t work in O scale. I like the idea of the roof shingles also. Ken
Great idea! I’m going to remember this technique.
Jim
The paved road is 1/4" black foamboard colored with white chalk and the dirt road around the garage is fine sand sprinkled on a white glue mix
Jim