Building Roads for your model train set

Model railroader Kent McBee explains how to make authentic-looking roadways. This is a different method than what I discuss in my book "The Ultimate Guide To Model Trains". For most people though, this method may be easier.

-Albert Williamson


To read this article with pictures click here
Materials:

Two sheets of black posterboard
Six to eight scraps of cork roadbed
White glue
Pencil
Ruler with HO scale or a standard ruler
Scissors
Hobby knife
One package 1/16" yellow auto pinstriping
One package 1/16" white auto pinstriping

1. If you don't have a HO-scale ruler, a standard ruler will work. To convert a standard ruler to HO, or 1/87th, scale, remember that 1/8" on a standard ruler approximates 1' in HO scale. Cut the posterboard roadways 24' wide in HO scale (3" on a standard ruler).

2. Where the road crosses the railroad track, use leftover cork rail bed to build up the ramp of the roadway to the track (figure J). Trim the pieces to size, and secure them to the insulation board with white glue.

3. Next, prepare the roadway to fit the track. If you're placing a roadway to cross the track at a curve, you must curve the edge of the road to match the curve in the track. To do so, place the edge of the roadway over the rail of the track you're trying the match, and use your finger to score or crease the posterboard along the curve of the track (figure K). Use this guide to cut a perfectly matched curve in the road.

4. Cut the roadway to the correct length. Generously cover the insulation board and cork roadbed with white glue and press the road in place. Place something relatively heavy, such as a small book, on the road to keep it in place while the glue dries.

5. After laying roadway on both sides of the track, you need to cover the space between the rails to give the layout an authentic look. Begin with a section of posterboard road cut to the proper width, and line it up with the roads on either side of the track. Place the piece of roadway on top of the rails, and using the creasing technique described in step 3, crease the posterboard over both rails to create a roadway filler for the section of the track between the rails (figure L). Cut out the roadway to fit between the rails, making certain to cut on the inside of the creases so the roadway fits nicely but doesn't interfere with the movement of the train. Use white glue to secure the piece between the rails (figure M).

6. Lay and glue the rest of the roadway onto the insulation board, according to your drawing. When you come to a curve in the road, it's easier to use straight pieces of posterboard to simulate a curve than to cut a curve and maintain the correct road width. As the road begins to curve, place the next piece of road under the already-laid pieces. Use a pencil to mark where the roadways meet. Cut a clean edge at the marked-off section with scissors, and you'll have a perfectly matched road (figure N). Glue the sections in place with white glue.

7. Use auto pinstripes, available at auto-parts stores, to make the roads look more realistic (figure O). Using a ruler and a pencil, measure and mark the middle of the road in at least two places. Take the ruler, and draw a straight line connecting the marks. You'll put down the white pinstripe along this line (figure P). Think of the roadways you travel every day, and put in crosswalks, school zones, railroad crossings, no-passing zones and other street markings where appropriate. Authenticity is the goal.