Column - Up the Creek Roadwork

I am interested in Charlie Comstock's article "Up the Creek: Roadwork".  I had some track that needed to be embedded in paving blocks and went to look for my Polyfilla. None to be found. I did find a small container of PolyINSTAFIL. This is a LePage product.It is available in Canada at places like Home Depot so should be available in the USA. It is not  sold in Europe  as far as I can determine. Nothing ventured, nothing gained I decided to use this. Spread the already mixed stuff from the small tub and smoothed it out. Left it to dry. When dry it can be sanded. BUT it can be indented! I could push in a flangeway, for example, by pressing a screwdriver down on the inside of the rail at an angle. No fuss, no mess. Detail can be "carved" in by simply pressing down.

Loved this article. I used to

Loved this article. I used to use cardboard and cardstock to make my roads and although they looked good they of course have a tendency to buckle and warp with adding other water based scenery, requiring some more gluing down.  I have use sheets of styrene for parking lots recently with succes. This article now motivates me to go back and redo some off my road work. For the shine Charlie, a shot of dull coat should seal and dull the road. 

Steve

I did the Indian Springs City

I did the Indian Springs City on the SASME layout with a sheet of .030 styrene, spray painted flat black and then misted with two shades of gray and a remist of black.  Basically, You hold the spray can perpendicular to the styrene and catch a light mist of paint off the can.  It came out well - and it helped that the air was a little humid/cold - I can't rememebr which season I did it now! 

Shine removal

I ended up using a VERY light mist of Poly Scale SP lettering gray on the road from my dbl action air brush. The shine just about disappeared from the roads and the color shift was very slight and since the Poly Scale is just about a concrete / dust / dirt color it fit right in.

Glad the article was helpful. And don't forget, I got motivated to try the styrene from seeing what Joe did with it on his railroad. There will be more concrete (styrene) roads down in Redland when HIllmovers Construction gets that far...

Charlie

Styrene roads - look great

I have tried foamboard, cardboard, but nothing ever seemed to capture the look of a well used concrete road.  This approach looks to be just the ticket - hopefully I can get my roads to look something like this.  The pictures really helpt to show how to get to great looking the end results.  Thanks Charlie.