I want to add some dirt roads and parking areas on my new HO layout. Right now my base is either the plywood table top or cork roadbed. What’s the best way to get gravel or dirt roads onto these serfaces? I will have a few of the road going over some railroad tracks as well. (I do have Model Railroader mags going back to 2009 if there good references there)
Thanks for any tips.
As with most things in the hobby, there is no “best” way. I mostly use fine sand, and represent tire tracks with dry-brushed acrylic paint.
Milton Farm 3 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
In most areas I use the same sand as the base for ground cover, so it’s already there atop the scenery substrate. Here’s it was glued over painted plaster, by applying a brush coat of 50:50 diluted white glue with a disposable brush.
60 Ford 2 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
In this scene it’s directly atop Homasote. Right on top of painted plywood, foam, or whatever else works too.
DSC03163 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
The road here needed some thickness for a grade crossing. Instead of brushed on glue, I built up the sand to shape, soaked it with water that had a few drops of dish soap added, then applied the glue on top of that. The culvert was installed first so the sand could be piled on top of it.
I use Arizona Rock & Mineral powers for my dirt roads.
Their ballast works good for gravel roads.
Their Asphalt Powder makes great paved roads.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Mel, what did you use between the tcurved racks for the road crossings?
Rob & Mel: That is beautiful model building. Those are all great looking dirt roads.
-Kevin
Both Luke Towan and. Marklinofsweden have made vids on making dirt roads. both yield excellent results
shane
Don’t forget that neither dirt nor gravel roads will be perfectly flat – they will rut under the weight of traffic. This might be simulated by using a foam underlay and rolling a few vehicle wheelsets over the ‘aggregate’ or powder before using the surface-tension breaker and glue securement.
Remember also that the dirt and gravel will tend to migrate downhill under gravity and water runoff, or on curves as tire pressure moves it.
One of the better places to practice resin-type water effects is in ditches, ruts, and puddles in these roads, in addition to darker ‘moist’ patches. A few reeds sticking out of water-filled ditches is a remarkably good effect.
Great looking modeling techniques Rob, Mel[Y]
The products your using certainly work well, …Nice!
Many years ago my Brother and I were using different earth tones of both sanded and unsanded tile grout that yielded some good results. There is a lot more earth toned colors available these days. We used some of the same techniques as stated here.
Great-looking layouts guys!
TF
I haven’t been able to post for some reason.
I use the same material between the rails with Styrene strips for flange spacers.
I leave the Styrene strips in until the powder is dry then remove them.
The Airozona Asphalt Power dries with about a 100 grit sandpaper finish. I sand it smooth with 80 grit using one of my rotary sanders.
Mel
I tried posting several hours earlier and kept getting an Error 403 but I’m back in business now.
I use a Hot Wheels vehicle to make ruts in my dirt roads, I wait until the mud is close to dry before I make the ruts. Don’t plan on using the rut making vehicle on your layout as the mud isn’t easily removed.
I also use the white glue 8:1 mix to seal the road when it’s finished. By making repairs to the Asphalt roads they look more realistic. After the road has fully dried and finished I use 1/16” yellow Automotive Striping tape for the center line, much easier than painting.
I just finished making a Luke Towan Static Grass Applicator and plan on sprucing up my dirt roads, haven’t tried using static grass before.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Where I have plywood as my base I was thinking of using sculptamold to built up the gravel/dirt roadbed incline to the tracks. smooth and sand it. Paint it with an earth tone color then add 30 grit sand on top of it and scenic cement it.
Where I want to add the gravel/dirt road areas in the yard, can I just paint the cork roadbed and then add the sand to that?
Hello,
Blair Line offers several radii of wood-plank crossings. Mine fit prefectly in Shinohara code 83 track:
Crossing_grade by Edmund, on Flickr
Obviously, there are five different radii here:
Crossing_grade1 by Edmund, on Flickr
The base for this dirt road was made using Durham’s Rock Putty:
I have to add weeds and grass yet, then I will sprinkle some additional, fine-sifted dirt which I made using actual soil from my property.
This dirt road is an access road along a freight yard:
It began with a base of spackling. Then painted with cheap, tan, latex paint. While the paint was still wet I sifted fine soil over it. I misted occasionally with wet water if it became too dry after adding the soil.
When perfectly dry (may take two days!) I lightly vacuum any stray soil then “plant” the static grass clumps and strips. These can be home-made, too. Commercial ones are available but can be costly.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/R2jZ5p][img]https://live.static
That sounds like fun Mel!
I’ve been watching Luke Towan tutorials for years. With those years I have used a lot of his inspiration in many of my modeling techniques.
I seen his scratch-built static grass applicator video. In fact I’d be surprised if I missed a single one of his videos over the years.
I need to recap the static grass one so I can make one of those things too, … I was always gonna!
Thanks for posting! Now I’m gonna!
TF
I don’t recall what Towan’s looks like but I made mine several years ago and I’m very pleased with it.
IMG_8051_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
Set me back about ten bucks [:-^] Including the battery!
Cheers, Ed
That’s really cool Ed.
I don’t know what you did to it to get it to work or how it works but that is cool for ten bucks, … I’m kind of talented like my brother but not the smartest person on the planet[:-^]
Sure wish I knew how to modify that thing to get it to work???
[:P]TF
I have about $20 in my Luke Towan Static Grass Applicator.
Haven’t used yet, I’m working on my photo diorama and getting close to flocking it. Maybe two weeks and I give it a shot then post the results on WPF.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
It looks really good!
I’ll gladly spend 20 Mel.
I have already re-watched the totorial and placed it on save.
Made a materials list and have some running to do before I have everything I need to build it. I’ll re-watch the tutorial at the time of construction.
TF
Yup. I do it all the time.
A friend showed me dirt roads he made by sieving claybased cat litter on his OO (British themed) which I applied to an On30 exhibition layout. They certainly looked like dirt roads here in Australia and similar to roads I remember seeing in North America.
It does save a concern of any metallic particles in sand or other materials,
Cheers from Australia
Trevor
To be able to create a visual difference between my “gravel” roads and alleys, and true “dirt” roads, for dirt roads I use finely sifted fireplace ash (free if you have a fireplace!). The sifting is a multi sifting process as each sifting stage gets rid of pieces which, while small, would still look unacceptably big if being held in, say, an HO scale figure’s hand. (that is how I select my size of ballast too - what would it look like if held in an HO scale figure’s hand?).
The fireplace ash is spread and tamped and held in place using methods familiar from ballasting track: “wet” water (with alchohol or detergent to address the surface tension of pure water, which by the way I always use distilled water for), followed by in my case Woodland Scenic’s Scenic Cement in a pipette or other applicator.
I also use finely sifted fireplace ash for cinder ballast.
Don’t overdo it with ruts and such. While photographs of dirt roads in the early days of the automobile can be hilarious with muck and deep ruts, and some roads were truly awful, there is a reason they took those photographs - it was unusual enough to take a picture of. In fact some of the worst of those deep rut photographs and the ones that tend to get reproduced were taken by the predecessor of the American Automobile Association as part of their lobbying effort for more paved roads.
Dave Nelson
