Roads

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:13 pm

How do people build roads in their gardens? I have a crossing and it sort of needs roads to make it plausible, I've tried concrete but it always cracks up after a while. Is there a better way?

MDLR · Post by **MDLR** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:28 pm

If you're willing to accept slightly overscale stuff, look at http://www.richardstacey.com/welcome.html who does cobbles and paving stones, but be warned - he's expensive!

SLRmidge · Post by **SLRmidge** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 2:35 pm

I use roofing felt cut to size...

jim@NAL · Post by **jim@NAL** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 3:09 pm

I used a rowlands mix with a bit more concrete in for my car park

TommyDodd · Post by **TommyDodd** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 8:30 pm

You do have the option of bagged "cold roll" tarmac, sold for drive repairs. The aggregate component will naturally be well overscale, but texture and colour will be spot-on and fade resistant.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:02 pm

Mr. Bond of the DVLR:94776 wrote:How do people build roads in their gardens? I've tried concrete but it always cracks up after a while. Is there a better way?

I have put a roadway on my garden railway and being aware of the potential for concrete to crack in freezing weather I have tried to prevent (or delay) this by firstly mixing with a flexible additive which is also waterproof when set. I mixed in a powder which makes the concrete black when dry and laid the mix about 1.5 inches thick.
As this is the first winter for the railway I can't say whether or not it works but I have tried!

jim@NAL · Post by **jim@NAL** » Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:23 pm

good looking road

METHSSNIFFER · Post by **METHSSNIFFER** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 10:47 pm

Reinforced mine with chicken wire does'nt crack.

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:00 pm

That looks really good! I particularly like the stop lines. The surface texture looks spot on to me. Using chicken wire is just like putting in the re-bar that you find in 12 " to the foot concrete roads, great idea.

At the risk of wandering of topic (sorry!) what make track do you use please, because that's also some of the nicest track I've seen!

All the best,

Andrew

METHSSNIFFER · Post by **METHSSNIFFER** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:48 pm

The track is custom built using white metal chairs and semi flat bottom rail of peco variety pinned to treated ramin sleepers. The road surface is a bitumen paint with pva mix and slate dust and reinforced.

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 8:35 pm

Thanks Methssniffer. That's labour intensive but well worth while. One last question and I promise to shut up! Who's whitemetal chairs have you used? They are very good.

I'll remember the road construction technique when I reach that stage of construction myself.

METHSSNIFFER · Post by **METHSSNIFFER** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:34 pm

Fortunately I was given tins full of these chairs from a dismantled O gauge garden railway. They were produced by Mills Brothers of Sheffield. Now a rarity to find. Slaters and Cliff Barker produce them nowadays.

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:26 pm

Thanks Methssniffer. I hope I can produce some equally good looking track when the time comes.

andymctractor · Post by **andymctractor** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:27 pm

METHSSNIFFER:95532 wrote:The road surface is a bitumen paint with pva mix and slate dust and reinforced.

I like the look of your road surface. I've got some spare SBR and I would probably be able to source some slate dust or similar and some bitumen paint. Briefly, what did you do to get the finish seen in the photo?

Thank you

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