Road Surfaces?

[clarkeeboy56]

My layout is based somewhere on the East Sussex, Kent border...ca. 1950-60. I have three roads featured, one leads up from the goods yard to the bridge over the line, one is the roadway over the bridge, and the third is the access road to the Station itself. My plan is that the road over the bridge is generally modern-ish, well for the 1950's. The other two roads would be fairly "traditional".

 

So, questions....Was Tarmac generally available for roads back then? What material's would have been used for traditional rural roads? I'm assuming compacted gravel would have been fairly common - if so what's the best way of reproducing this in 1/76th? It needs to be very fine, but still look like gravel.

 

For Tarmac I can use fine wet and dry paper. It's the right colour and has a 'surface' to it, and should weather well.

 

I have tried various methods and I'm not too happy with the results do far.....

 

Any thoughts or pointers, gratefully received!

 

Thanks

 

Bill

[Kylestrome]

I think you might be surprised by how long 'Tarmacadam' roads have been around:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarmac

 

As for representing them in 4mm scale, I have never seen any convincing model tarmac roads that used any kind of sand paper. They usually look way too coarse and much too black. Roads that have been laid for quite some time are surprisingly light in colour, unless it happens to be raining. 

 

If you can get hold of it, the German firm Heki do a textured paint, Heki 6601 Strassenfarbe (Road Colour), which I have used with some success for asphalt road surfaces. The texture is very fine and it can be given a worn look by rubbing with an ink eraser or similar. I have just brushed it on but it can be also be applied with a small roller to achieve a really smooth surface.

 

HTH,

 

David

Edited November 18, 2017 by Kylestrome

[BernardTPM]

A lot of rural roads would be surfaced using pea gravel over a thin layer of tarmac so would appear a yellowy beige colour, darkened slightly for the 'tracks' of the wheels.

A very freshly made full tarmac road is quite dark, but given just a few weeks lightens considerably.

[Phil Bullock]

Only have the one road on Abbotswood...

 

Started off with the finest grit wet and dry for surface but was not happy so ripped it up and replaced it with fab foam...

 

http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/black-fab-foam-sheet-a4/565432-1000

 

See what you think...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9dIYaq2Tug&t=230s

 

1.10 in. Am sure the joint would look better if painted - has just the right amount of texture for me....

 

Cheers

 

Phil

Edited November 18, 2017 by Phil Bullock

[PhilJ W]

I used charcole grey mounting board for a road surface. As it comes it is too new and even so I weathered it using very dilute acrylics, in fact the water used for cleaning brushes. This had the effect of lifting the colour of the mounting board as well as lightening and flatting the colour. The only thing is to apply the weathering along the length of the road and not across.

[grahame]

I've never seen a convincing model road on a layout that has been made from sandpaper or wet and dry. Roads tend to be rather lighter grey in colour than most people model them. Go out and look at them, or for older ones check out old TV programs, film and books. 

 

G.

[clarkeeboy56]

Thanks for the replies. Plenty to think about.

[wamwig]

I have used a slightly textured lining paper, which being on a roll can be cut to exactly the shape required, then sprayed with Poundland grey primer, then spayed with GW Purity Seal (to dull it a little), and that seems to give a freshly surfaced road surface, as being a highway engineer for the last 40 odd years I've seen quite a few!  I'd recommend a trip round a DIY store's wall covering section as there several textured papers/vinyls there that could have uses.

[PhilJ W]

Apparently there is a textured wallpaper available that is ideal for stone setts in 00 scale.

[wamwig]

Apparently there is a textured wallpaper available that is ideal for stone setts in 00 scale.

 

That will be this one Phil.

[rynd2it]

On 18/11/2017 at 20:08, Kylestrome said:

 

 

If you can get hold of it, the German firm Heki do a textured paint, Heki 6601 Strassenfarbe (Road Colour), which I have used with some success for asphalt road surfaces.

Probably the most expensive grey undercoat I've ever bought - almost an exact match for the Dulux Weathershield I use for a baseboard base coat. Useless

 

[Kylestrome]

8 hours ago, rynd2it said:

Useless

 

Completely and utterly ...

 

[monkeysarefun]

Luke Towan is an Aussie guy on youtube, his tutorials include road finishes etc. Has over a million subscribers which is impressive for a scenic modelling channel so he must be doing something right. Worth a watch at least.

 

[rynd2it]

12 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Luke Towan is an Aussie guy on youtube, his tutorials include road finishes etc. Has over a million subscribers which is impressive for a scenic modelling channel so he must be doing something right. Worth a watch at least.

 

Thanks for that, I'll check it out

 

[rynd2it]

On 18/11/2022 at 20:03, Kylestrome said:

 

Completely and utterly ...

 

 

[PhilJ W]

I use charcoal grey mounting card weathed with the brush cleaning water (I use acrylic paints). The water 'lifts' some of the colour of the card and the acrylic soaks in. This gives a subtle variation in the shades. Any pale spots can be touched in and blended using the acrylic paint.

[fulton]

I've been pleased with Tamiya texture paint, needs thining down to avoid brush marks, the similar product from AmmoMig was too course, but was aimed at the 1/35 military market.