Hiding/improving end of a farm road.

[AndrueC]

I've got a bridge with a 'tarmac' road that ends in a field. Can anyone recommend how to improve the look (should be some mud on the road and a 'fan' of the vehicle's various paths leaving it. Or at the least how I can hide the join?

 

Edited March 12 by AndrueC

[AY Mod]

Is that some kind of death slide?

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

In my experience if it is for pastoral access, a swamp of mud in the winter at the end of the metalled surface, and dry and dusty surface in summer, with the dirt tracked in quantity onto the bridge.

[AndrueC]

22 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

Is that some kind of death slide?

😁

 

It's the unfortunate consequence of me not originally realising that I needed a bridge there. I have considered extending the ramp in a spiral to reduce the incline but that seems like a lot of engineering work just for a farmer's access.

 

 

My options seem to be:

• Have sheep and horses in the fields but no way for the farmer to get to them.
• Have at grade crossings (crazy on what are two main lines and anyway the paths down to the rails would be treachorous.
• A bridge.
• Completely redo the landscaping.

 

I find the bridge the least offensive solution and..you know..rule one 😉

[Flying Pig]

3 minutes ago, AndrueC said:

😁

 

It's the unfortunate consequence of me not originally realising that I needed a bridge there. I have considered extending the ramp in a spiral to reduce the incline but that seems like a lot of engineering work just for a farmer's access.

 

 

My options seem to be:

• Have sheep and horses in the fields but no way for the farmer to get to them.
• Have at grade crossings (crazy on what are two main lines and anyway the paths down to the rails would be treachorous.
• A bridge.
• Completely redo the landscaping.

 

I find the bridge the least offensive solution and..you know..rule one 😉

 

 

Honestly, I'd leave the bridge out as it really dominates the scene and looks excessive for access to such a small patch of land.  The near end is clearly intended to sit against and embankment and looks quite wrong in its current location.  There doesn't seem to be room between the ramp and the adjacent fence to operate a vehicle anyway.

 

If you want to leave the land around the railway as modelled, access via adjacent fields is fine - just make sure there are gates in any fence or hedge to allow it.  You could model a farm track, or if the fields are also pasture the animals could just be herded across them.   Ground around gateways would be as described by @34theletterbetweenB&D.

[AY Mod]

Put a cattle creep under the rear line - https://www.modelrailshop.co.uk/p/4233/Cattle-Creep or just do away with the livestock altogether.

[petethemole]

If the two "main lines" are the up and down lines of the same route the land between would be railway land. Lacking access, it would probably not be let for grazing and maintained like other trackside land*.  If there was a station or railway housing nearby it might be used for staff allotments, with a private foot crossing for access.

*So for a modern layout, covered with trees.

[Steven B]

I'd forget about putting animals on the land between the two tracks - as mentioned above it's likely to be railway owned (unless you're compressing distances!).

 

A cattle creep under the higher track leading to a farm/occupation crossing on the lower track would be much more in keeping than the bridge you currently have. Being a main line wouldn't stop them being used - there are still a couple of foot crossings on the ECML for example.

 

(Steve Sterland on Flickr)

 

If you want to keep the bridge then the chances are it wouldn't have a tarmac surface. Mud/rubble/hard-core/stone sets would be more in keeping with the era it was likely to have been built in. The railway wouldn't put a tarmac surface in just for a tractor and a few cows. The end of the paved surface would transition into mud at the field entrance.

 

 

Steven B

[AndrueC]

I do agree that the bridge is a bit too dominant (you should've seen the first one, lol). I think the fields look better with something other than trees and bushes on them though plus it seems like there'd be no reason for the fencing since the middle one at least is an 'island' with no other way to access it so it becomes even more boring.

 

However at the far end the rail has risen up to be on the same level by then so perhaps an at grade crossing would work. It's an excuse for a bit more detail as well with warnings, gates and telephone.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

However I do still have another bridge (one that looks a lot better) and I could do with general advice on how best to fill in a gap.

 

Edited March 12 by AndrueC

[Steven B]

Just run your scenic scatter material up onto the bridge (and probably over it). For bonus points you could tear/feather the edge of the tarmac to make the ends look broken up as the sub-base blends into the field.

 

August - Local Landscape 2021 by Peter Leigh, on Flickr

 

farm bridge by Mark Griffin, on Flickr

 

Find a rural railway line on Google Earth and follow it until you find a similar style bridge. 

 

Steven B.