I am getting ready to install Walthers Street system, I have a large downtown area that I am using the street system on. My question is, what is the best way to attach the road to the layout. My layout is covered in 2" foamboard, I was thinking of using caulk to attach the streets just as I attached my roadbed and track to the foam board. Does anyone have any other idea of other ways to attached the street system, either by past experience or just a better idea than using caulk. Thanks for any input you can give me.
Go with the caulk. I have a lot of that stuff piled up from past plans and tested a few things. Caulk held those “centerline” sections pretty well and the caulk also cleaned off the road sections perfectly, if you ever want to pull them up (the foam, uh, is a different story).
I used Walthers Goo; over the Homasote base. It’s not like the street is going to get a lot of forces applied to it once it is in place, other that perhaps an occasional swipe by a vacuum cleaner brush or similar. I used the “brick” streets, and my advice is to move slowly, double checking each piece for proper fit. Installation took considerably longer than I imagined when I opened the box, but that might just be me. I was pleased with the appearance of the result.
Bill
I used adhesive latex caulk and don’t regret it. Because unlike track the street system is not subject to stresses, you can use relatively small amounts of caulk on a spot basis, making it far easier to take up the street material and re-use it if the need arises, or if you want to make other changes. It is fairly easy to remove the old caulk from the smooth styrene Walthers uses.
By the way I paint my street pieces before installation. The street is weathered after installation. If you use a Sharpie to make cracks that have been repaired with tar do NOT try to seal the end result with DullCote because it makes the Sharpie lines runny and messy. (On the positive side that could be a good way to model a parked car with an oil leak.)
Dave Nelson
Seems to be nice, could you share some pictures of these streets?
This page from the Walthers catalog shows a nice photo of the use of their concrete street system, which is the one I use. They also have brick streets.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3138
A photo of a small portion of my use of the Walthers street system is part of an article in this NMRA publication - scroll down to page 5
http://www.mwr-nmra.org/region/waybill/waybill20102summer.pdf
Dave Nelson
I’ve never used that product, but I’ve put down Proto 87’s cobbles, which are similar. I use Aileen’s Tacky Glue. It’s thinner than caulk, and much easier to spread evenly. As others have said, the street system does not have stress on it. Aileen’s isn’t as strong as caulk, but since the forces are minimal it doesn’t need to be. And, it’s a cheap craft-store item.