Blackwater Canyon Line - February 27, 2025, Brick Streets, Pondering an Industry Siding

Mark,

I learn something from everything you post! But I wouldn’t sweat how perfectly  the brick is. When I was a kid, my grandparents lived in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Most of the cobblestone streets had be covered with concrete which the over the years had worn away, exposing the stone streets. The passage of time and traffic had worn down the “ bricks” to the point where they were very uneven and some were so worn as to be indistinct. So I wouldn’t worry about roughness. Once they’re painted and weathered they’ll look fine.

The foam wall looks great Mark!

@ScoutingDad posted:

Bob, could you with clay, yes, would you want to, maybe not. Plaster, foam, drywall, wood, masonitw can all be used to make a portal. There are so many good portals out there, why not buy one? Save the time for the things you cannot find or are too pricy for the budget. There are all kinds of rollers out there for making just about any surface you might want out of clay. There are even foam rollers.

Jeff, Thanks; but let me give you the back story. My son is finally starting a layout. He cut a hole between two rooms to make the yards longer. He asked his adult daughter to paint a portal; she replied that he should glue rocks to the wall. He said it's probably larger than a 2 track portal.  Problem is I'll never see it first hand. It's a dangerous staircase for an able bodied person. I took enough space on Mark's thread.

That’s a good potential concept Mark. Even on the right could be made to look like cement falling away.

Thank you, Rubin, Mike, Bob, Jay!

Rubin, You are right about the way the bricks or stones are weathered/dislodged over the years.  My thoughts have been based on the 2-foot rule, where how much detail is there when looking at a model/scenery from 2 feet away, or in O scale 96 inches away.  So, what would the real brick street look like from rounding to 100 feet away?  As far as the brick street goes, it would probably be somewhere between the first try and the second try.  I did say I was going to practice painting and weathering the first try, but haven't yet.  Actually, either of them would work just fine suggesting a brick street as opposed to an asphalt one.

Mike, isn't it interesting how a comment by Bob got me thinking abut what a piece of foam would look like with the roller impression.

Bob, I am certainly not opposed to side discussions on this thread like the one you started about making portals.  It is still modeling brick or stonework.

Jay, yes I was 'impressed' too with the impression the roller left on Styrofoam.  There could certainly be a use for that technique on the layout.  Maybe other rollers with different brick or stone designs would be worth looking at.  It certainly was quicker than measuring and carving. 

Thank you everyone for taking a look-see!

Mark, i just realized this thread was yours!  Impressive going back to 2017.  I'll read over from the beginning as time allows...great progress you've made over the past few years,,,

Thank you, Paul!  I’m glad you want to read from the beginning.  Be prepared for several twists and turns as you proceed.  The initial plan looks nothing like what is there now.  😃

@Mark Boyce posted:

Thank you, Rubin, Mike, Bob, Jay!

Rubin, You are right about the way the bricks or stones are weathered/dislodged over the years.  My thoughts have been based on the 2-foot rule, where how much detail is there when looking at a model/scenery from 2 feet away, or in O scale 96 inches away.  So, what would the real brick street look like from rounding to 100 feet away?  As far as the brick street goes, it would probably be somewhere between the first try and the second try.  I did say I was going to practice painting and weathering the first try, but haven't yet.  Actually, either of them would work just fine suggesting a brick street as opposed to an asphalt one.

Mike, isn't it interesting how a comment by Bob got me thinking abut what a piece of foam would look like with the roller impression.

Bob, I am certainly not opposed to side discussions on this thread like the one you started about making portals.  It is still modeling brick or stonework.

Jay, yes I was 'impressed' too with the impression the roller left on Styrofoam.  There could certainly be a use for that technique on the layout.  Maybe other rollers with different brick or stone designs would be worth looking at.  It certainly was quicker than measuring and carving. 

Thank you everyone for taking a look-see!

Another possible experiment would be to coat the foam board with joint compound, let it set up some, and then roll the bricks.

It’s great getting all of these ideas and then seeing the experiments.

Thank you, Jay!

That's another good suggestion.  The possibilities are almost endless.

After pealing the second clay try, I saw it did this.  A crown is nice, but this is a bit much! 

Some differences from the first try.  The second was formed on the particle board instead of birch plywood.  Maybe it absorbed moisture.  I painted the particle board and the second coat is drying.  Second, I pealed it off about after the second day instead of the 4th day.  This one measured about 4 mm thick instead of about 2 1/2 mm.  I'll make the next one thinner like Jeff suggested.

I painted both strips using a mix of burnt umber and red.  Then I gave both a wash of a dark gray on the upper part of the strips in this photograph.  I think they are pretty close to the local brick streets with minimal effort so far.  A little variety in the brick color would be nice, but I don't know if I have the patience for that. 

Another variation is a dull yellow for the bricks.  Streets near where our younger daughter lives and around the courthouse have that color brick.  I haven't taken any photographs of them.

No worries about puddles forming on those streets.

Looks good Mark! Keep trying and I know you will get the outcome your looking for!

Mark, clay loses water as it dries so it will shrink. The challenge is to control the shrink. Making the clay sheet thin helps with quicker drying. Using a porous material like wood as a substrate will pull water faster from the bottom causing the cupping. I formed my sheets on a modeling mat which worked pretty well. Covering the clay with a damp towel would help slow down the uneven drying. My trolley brick was formed in place on plywood. As long as the wood is damp, the clay will stick and.not be able to cup.  You might be able to flatten your bricks by turning face down, covering with a damp towel and weighting it down for 12 to 24 hours. Not sure if the drying of this material is reversible, but worth a try.

Thank you, Steve, Mike, Jeff!

Steve,

Mike,

Jeff, I know you shared instructions and observations with me in at least a couple posts.  I thought I could find them, but didn't come up with all of them.    Thank you for posting suggestions again.  I am ready to do some more brick paving and cleared a wide spot on the layout to provide enough elbow room for the straight street perpendicular to the layout edge.  I'll follow your suggestions dampening the plywood, rolling the clay out to about 2 mm, make sure the roller stays damp, and report back in a couple days.  Thank you.