Peter Marriott explores kits and techniques that will help make your roads more realistic.

EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW

Most model railways feature at least one section of road, whether it be a single‐lane track or a dual carriageway. There are various methods to make road surfaces; the simplest method is to use grey acrylic paint, but on its own it does not look especially realistic.

Step outside your front door and you will see that roads are seldom flat or consistent in appearance. Even motorways are cambered and covered in a litany of repair patches while, at the other end of the spectrum, the humble country lane is anything but smooth.

As well as careful observation of prototypes, there is a wide range of products that will help you on the way…

PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER MARRIOTT

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Careful observation

The markings indicating a patched-up utilities trench on this scene were made using a soft pencil scraped through the road’s plaster base. Note that roads are not just monotone grey and the edges are rarely clean and tidy.

Curving the road to disappear behind the railway bridge makes the scene appear deeper than it is.

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Shop around

The Noch Road Construction Set contains very fine asphalt granules in an applicator, a refill pack of the asphalt granules and grey acrylic road colour. The contents of this set can create a 3 metre long, 8cm wide stretch.

Use the kit as follows: Brush PVA glue onto the road area, then use the sprinkler to spread an even layer of asphalt granules and leave to dry. Any excess granules can be brushed away and reused later and then paint the road using the grey paint, which also seals the granules.

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Photo-based textures

Scalescenes’ downloadable photo-based textures include asphalt, paving, concrete, grimy concrete, cobblestone setts, concrete paths and a car park. The printed sheets can be fixed to a flat baseboard or cardboard using PVA adhesive or a glue stick (ensure that there are no air bubbles). For pavements, the paper can be used on mounting card, which provides the necessary height proud of the road surface. Seal with matt varnish after application.

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Get it taped

Woodland Scenics’ Road Kit enables roads, pavements, kerbs, car parks and any asphalt or concrete surface to be made. The Woodland Scenics system uses Paving Tape to mark the edge of the road, Smooth-It paste to make the road surface (this has the advantage that it covers any minor blemishes in the underlying baseboard) and Asphalt or Concrete Top Coat paint to finish the road surface.