Model Railroading > HO Layout Update Street Trackage

Haven't made much progress the last couple months but did add sidewalks and working on details in our industrial area.

Photo #1 - SP switcher makes its way down street trackage.   I added the curbs recently and now adding details and weathering.  More to do but fun to take a couple progress photos.
Photo 2 - Looking back on Los Angeles, the two track Santa Fe main line heads through the city. 
Photo 3 - Same area couple years back when we first started on the industrial scene.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/15 21:41 by CSURAM.

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Another shot from today with just some details after curbs were finished.   I'll have to take better photos next time, these were quick grab shots with the cell phone.


Link to previous posts:  http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3827831,3827831#msg-3827831



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/15 21:37 by CSURAM.

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Neat. What did you use for the streets and sidewalks? 

I used plaster of paris.   I used masonite as the forms and just took my time.  Razor blade was the best tool to shape and make the lines in the side walks.   In person it gives a more realistic look using the plaster.

The texture and the unavoidable variations in color and darkness in plaster really do an excellent job of simulating pavement.
One has to take a few minutes and really look at old paving to see how complex and variated it is.

Great point and you're right.  I did a light wash of a light grey color first to give the sidewalks a "grey" color.  After that dried, I did a wash of Woodland Scenic's Concrete color with a liberal application so the color settled in lower areas like dust and dirt would after a rain.  I'll next do some light chalk work and then another wash of a dust color.  Since street crews are always updating or making repairs, it really doesn't have to look uniform, you can add, change, make little changes to give an overall appearance.   It got easier after playing around a bit.  The big trick was to use the razor to scrap the paster around the rails and make it just low enough that you can run a bright boy over the rails without scraping away the road color and it still looking good.     Thanks again for looking.

Nicely done sidewalks and curbing....you mentioned using Masonite as part of the technique....can you elaborate a bit?

Bob

Thank you.   The 1/8" masonite is about the height of the rails, we used code 70 but the others should be close enough.   I also wanted to add some height to the buildings rather than having the tracks be higher, its subtle but seems to work.

So what I did was use strips of masonite as forms for the road.  That's my first layer.  Then I fill in the road with plaster of paris until I get it to look the way I want.  At that point the plaster is the same height as the masonite.

I did the same thing with a second layer of masonite as a base for the buildings and one side of the forms for the sidewalks.  I think you can kinda see that in the photos attached.   Then i used a 1/8" off brass rectangular strip, you could use masonite but i found the brass to work better as a temporary form for the fronts of the sidewalk.   This took some practice, but as it gets almost dry, you pull that form away and you have the sidewalk.  Then you use a razerblade to clean up, scrape away and get to what you are looking for.    Painting and weathering took some time to practice, but it was all fun.  Just take your time.

 

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