[BLACK KNIGHT]

Doing a 4x6 layout...nothing fancy. I screwed a 4x6 sheet of plywood to an old foosball table I was going to trash. I covered it in that grass mat from a LHS. So here's what I got so far:

Ignore my son's scratching of the initials into the table. I plan to replace the EZ track with regular track and buy a replacement power pack. The rest of the track is already nailed in place. I haven't permanently placed any buildings or anything else yet.

I want to make some realistic roads, I found some directions on how to make sidewalks and plan to try that. But how do I do some roads and how wide should they be to be to scale?

 

[tankist]

good start. no mountains or elevation for you?
if you could shrink you pictures if would be awesome.
as you can see they are quite big

take a look here (or any area you like really ) for road to track width relation
google sat picture of a crossing

 

[shaygetz]

My roads are slightly narrower than scale because the right width just looks too wide. I make mine 12 scale feet wide, using the backs of asphalt shingles and paint pens to mark them...

Don't let small intimidate you...I stuck 4 independent loops into 43" x 56"...

 

[tkruger]

To cut down on noise you might want to install cork road bed under the track.

 

[subwayaz]

I use 12' also and happen to have a quick scale guide that will hopefully assist in that project and others

As a guide in HO:
8' = 1 1/8
10' = 1 3/8
12' = 1 5/8
15' = 2 1/16
20' = 2 3/4
25' = 3 7/16

 

[tkruger]

For my roads I used 2 inches. I painted them on and used a two inch brush.

 

[Wyatt2104]

good start. no mountains or elevation for you?
if you could shrink you pictures if would be awesome.
as you can see they are quite big

take a look here (or any area you like really ) for road to track width relation
google sat picture of a crossing

I agree, I'm gonna need 8 more Monitors!!
and the software and wiring to boot!
Whoeeee, thats a small scroll bar!

 

[BLACK KNIGHT]

Wow, the pics didn't look so big when I opened them with Internet Explorer on my PC...that's weird...sorry about that...will downsizem next time!

Thanks for all the advice!

Tankist: I'd like to put a mountain/tunnel in the rear right corner...I just don't know how to make it yet. And maybe I'll add some elevation to the track I haven't nailed down yet.

Shaygetz: Those shingles look awesome as roads!! I love it!!! Will have to goto Home Depot...and then find some paint pens.

Subwayaz: Thanks for the conversion numbers!

Tkruger: I like the cork roadbed idea...and I like the look. But where do I get it?

 

[tkruger]

Most any LHS should carry the cork road bed. It is probably one of the must common choices for use under snap and flex track. Some places sell it in three foot strips. Others sell it in a roll. Both are the same item, just packaged differently.

 

[BLACK KNIGHT]

Cool, will check it out!

 

[Lester Perry]

All good information. I would like to add to it, slow down a little. I have a little advice for beginners I have saved because I type very slowly. Some of this will be helpful to you some won't. Keep what you like trash the rest or trash it all.

Welcome to the hobby that can be as big or small, High tech or low tech as you want it to be. I have been in this hobby for 50 years + -. But I have been a serious modeler for last 15 years, my sons grew up and left. Then they came back later. In my opinion get a 4x8 sheet of plywood first, build a small simple layout with sectional track. not too much on scenery but do some to learn from it. run it for a while. After about 6 months of running tear it apart removing everything and start over making the changes and improvements you have discovered. run it for a while, and do it again. By doing this you will learn what you like and don't like inexpensively and without wasting a lot of what no one has enough of, time. This way when you decide to build a layout you will have some experience and already made many of the mistakes beginners make knowing you are not keeping it.
back to track. I use all flextrack with a few, very few exceptions. I use code 100 but if I were starting over I would use code 83. also get Peco switches / turnouts. I am slowly replacing all of mine (Atlas) with Peco. Much better quality, little more money but well worth it.Enough for now feel free to PM me any time. Oh yeah find someone who is in the hobby and ask questions and ask for help.I think you will find that most MRRers are good guys.
Les

 

[Wyatt2104]

All good information. I would like to add to it, slow down a little. I have a little advice for beginners I have saved because I type very slowly. Some of this will be helpful to you some won't. Keep what you like trash the rest or trash it all.

Welcome to the hobby that can be as big or small, High tech or low tech as you want it to be. I have been in this hobby for 50 years + -. But I have been a serious modeler for last 15 years, my sons grew up and left. Then they came back later. In my opinion get a 4x8 sheet of plywood first, build a small simple layout with sectional track. not too much on scenery but do some to learn from it. run it for a while. After about 6 months of running tear it apart removing everything and start over making the changes and improvements you have discovered. run it for a while, and do it again. By doing this you will learn what you like and don't like inexpensively and without wasting a lot of what no one has enough of, time. This way when you decide to build a layout you will have some experience and already made many of the mistakes beginners make knowing you are not keeping it.
back to track. I use all flextrack with a few, very few exceptions. I use code 100 but if I were starting over I would use code 83. also get Peco switches / turnouts. I am slowly replacing all of mine (Atlas) with Peco. Much better quality, little more money but well worth it.Enough for now feel free to PM me any time. Oh yeah find someone who is in the hobby and ask questions and ask for help.I think you will find that most MRRers are good guys.
Les

Thank You, very good words of wisdom.
When I first started out, I had a ton of questions,
along with the undaunted prospects of How to accomplish it.
Bottom line was Build a Basic track layout,
forget about all the extras for now, they can come into play later.
Once I've learned the Basics, then move onto bigger and better.
And the MTF has been a Great resource of Information.
Thanks, Bob