# Any good ideas to simulate paved roads?



## N.S. Rob (Jan 2, 2008)

I was thinking maybe on using cold patch, driveway sealer, or stained concrete. Anyone tried anything.


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I use concrete, then you can walk on it. Made my road about 2" thick,lasted about 
ten years. It's being taken out now.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I use concrete too, but my best looking and easiest roads are simply stone-impregnated roofing paper that is sprayed semi-flat black (though I do leave the downtown area in grey). You can cut realistic curves and even use it between the rails as "drive-over" strips. When painted black, the texture is perfect for asphalt. It lasts for many, many years, and if properly supported, you can walk on it without damage.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

My road started out with concrete paving blocks, then I coated it with latex underlayment. It's a material that is used to take the uneveness out of 


floors, so that the finished flooring has a better foundation. 

Take a look at this video of the main street in town. I laid the track on the concrete pavers, then used the latex leveling mixture to taper the 

roadway from the top of the rails down towrd the sides of the street where there is a curb. The latex mixture is a two part system. The latex "milk" 

helps give the hardened road some flexibilty. Although you would not know it's flexible from touching or walking on it.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Saw some people use black shingles. I have some old ones in the barn I may dig out and give a try. Jerry


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Roofing type tar paper has very small stones and being black will represent a tarred roadway. Cement is good also for a gray roadway. 

Tar paper is great for a parking lot also, and can be cut to size.


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

Greetings, 

For the benefit of anyone in the UK wishing to pursue some of the methods described here, I would mention that the "latex under layment" that Dan mentions would be known as latex screed in the UK. 

A flooring carpet/hard floorcovering supplier is likely to sell it.


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

I use the rolled roofing. It's sturdy enough to walk on and looks like a road.


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

I used Bruce's method for my town square - 










-Brian


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## VillageRail (Apr 25, 2008)

The roofing material looks good on the ground. What kind of base are you using to tie it down? 

I'm using paver stones for the walkway/roads. I'm considering painting them with road lines. 

Paul


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By VillageRail on 06/04/2008 10:26 AM
The roofing material looks good on the ground. What kind of base are you using to tie it down? 
I'm using paver stones for the walkway/roads. I'm considering painting them with road lines. 
Paul 





No base is necessary and this can sit right on the soil. In my downtown area, I set it on paver blocks, but these are actually rotting out from under the roofing paper. 

For my gas stations, I have it sitting of ceramic tile. It can blow away in heavy winds when on the ground, but has much more tendency to blow away if it is simply sitting on pavers or tiles. You can secure it with to tiles/pavers with "goop" (crafters, plumbers, or ...)


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## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

We use the rolled roofing, black for roadways and the light grey for parking lot and ets.


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## coolhand (Jan 7, 2008)

I used 1/2" cement backer board with the textured side coated with Henry's emulsion in a R/R diorama. I have thought about doing the same 
on the wood platform that I built over the end of my patio for the village main street. There is some flex when I walk on the platform, so roll 
roofing might be the ticket. I have some left over from reroofing my patio.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Trains on 06/03/2008 5:58 PM
I use concrete, then you can walk on it. Made my road about 2" thick,lasted about 
ten years. It's being taken out now.






Did you use rebar in the concrete? 
If so what thickness? 

Thanks 


Bubba


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## ohioriverrailway (Jan 2, 2008)

I used concrete about 4" thick with standard rebar. That way I can walk on it and don't have to worry about frost heave.There's a page on the website if you're interested in details. I have also done a couple of country roads using about an inch of concrete with 1/4 inch mesh underlayment. When it was still wet I pressed in some of the dust from red dog to make it look "rustic." 

There's been a thread on the Yahoo Largescaletrolley board that deals with making brick patterns that you might want to look at as well.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Bruce Chandler on 06/04/2008 6:07 AM

I use the rolled roofing. It's sturdy enough to walk on and looks like a road. 










Not a bad idea. The surface is a little rough, but this just might solve my own problem in setting up the streets for my NX-Cicely town model.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Just when you thingk things get a little stagnet...stuff like this comes along! 

Great ideas'! 

Thanks 

Bubba


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Bubba, 

No re bar, don't you remember you walked on it at the train meeting. Are you getting old and forget full?


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## Sourdoh (Jan 6, 2008)

The rolled roofing is great. It also makes changing the position of your roads a piece of cake. Just lift them up and move them. Of course you have to use the same curves and such unless you buy a full roll, then you can throw away the old pieces and cut new ones. With rolled paper if you want to move the road, you don't have to be digging near your trackage with a pickaxe like with concrete!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

After reading this thread I went ahead and purchased a full roll of roofing for my Cicely model. Now it is just a matter of installing it.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Ya know Ron... I've noticed a distinct lack of photographic doccumentation of your Cicely project.... Get Snappin' buddy.


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## harrys_trains (Feb 15, 2008)

hmm paved roads? well first you need to get the mamod steam roller and then some very fine blacktop stuff and let the steam roller do irs thing


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dave F on 06/08/2008 9:19 PM

Ya know Ron... I've noticed a distinct lack of photographic documentation of your Cicely project.... Get Snappin' buddy.


If you are referring to the simulated paved streets, they're not in yet. The unopened roll remains just that for the time being.


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