Sand paper dirt roads

I have used fine sandpaper painted flat black for asphalt roads.  Received many comments over the years about the effect it has on the layout.  

Tom,

A few years ago, I began to use real dirt for the bottom layer of ground cover on my layout. Can be purchased in different colors and textures from on line scenery suppliers. Presumably also sanitized. I haven't used it for a dirt road but it is what I would try. First apply some spackle or plaster to the surface to create some bumps, potholes and roughness. Then diluted white glue or yellow carpenter's glue with real dirt sprinkled on top. Dark brown fine ballast can also be mixed in.

MELGAR

I used sand for dirt roads.   I had some that we got for under patio pavers.   It was a nice light brown.    I sifted it with a window screen sifter to get finer stuff and used that.    I masked the sides of the road area and then spread diluted white glue (about 50-50 water.   And added a bit of wetting a solution - a few drops of detergent in a sprayer of water.     Then I sifted the sand on the area.   It was wet and gooey.    I took a model car and gently rolled it back and forth a few times to create ruts in the wet sand and then let it dry.    It dries hard and the ruts look realistic as they match the vehicles on the layout.   

I just used real dirt form the area that I model for dirt roads.  Ground up and sifted, mixed with a bit of dilute glue and poured into place, graded while wet and whatever other effects wanted added in before it dried.

Worries about "sanitization" are address through the entire thing when dried being sealed by that dilute glue - no worries.

Someone asked me to make some N gauge coal loads, and I suggested he glue some black wet or dry sand paper on a piece of cardstock cut to fit the hopper. Never thought of using it for paved or dirt roads.

I've used two principal items for roadways, both rural-type, narrow-lane "paved" roads, and dirt-type roads, as well as parking lots and rural business pull-in areas.

1. I use 3M stair-tread tape, easy to use, but unforgiving once the backing is removed and the strip of black tread material is pressed/self-glued into place.

2. I use a variety of gravels, soils, and dirt , but in "N" gauge and "HO" gauge, for my "O" gauge layouts modeling. At times, I'll combine O-gauge groundcovers with the N and HO materials. My sources are Dennis Brennen's products and Jim Elster's Scenic Express variety of products.

3. I'll combine both resources to craft the roadway itself plus the attendant shoulders alongside them.

I hope I have offered you something useful in reply to your question.

FrankM

Thanks for the tutorial Frank! Great information...

Andy