how too layout tip: dirt roads

[sean]

hey guys, I took a effort and made a dirt road on my layout, came out perfect, so, here is how I did it:

1-took real dirt and put it down where you want the road
2-let it dry so it is kind of dusty
3-take a old Ertl bulldozer (the 6 dollar ones from WalMart) and lower the blade the whole way down and run it over the road, this will take all the clumps of dirt and rocks off the road, leavingthe thin dirt where the road is.
4-clean the sides of the road (taking off the piles of dirt and making the edge neater....etc.)
5-take a Matchbox car, Hotwheels, or some other 1/64 scale car and roll it up and down the road to represent tire tracks.
6-if the road ends at a paved road, make the pavement alittle dusty at the end of the dirt road
7-DONE

This is a very simple and easy way to make a dirt road, also looks really realistic, here are some pics of mine...I also inclded a FG mack Granite dump truck (Dark Transport) for size...



Sean

[Austin Stewart]

That looks pretty dang close, not many people do dirt roads, everyone seems to do gravel. Maybe one way to make it looks better is to get some really fine sand and sprinkle it down?

[sean]

Thanks, Im really debating on putting alittle gravel down with it...... right now it looks like the road I live on, lol

Sean

[Austin Stewart]

That road must turn to muck with the slightest rain, our roads without sand or gravel always turn to muck and are impassible.

[sean]

yeah, it does get bad (pot holes are worse)

here is a pic of a dump truck backing outta our driveway onto our road and you can see how muddy it is......

and on a dry day......

[Josh Nuxoll]

Nice dirt road

[Austin Stewart]

Your roads are nice compared to ours. Even after two years the ruts in our road still havnt came out yet.

[sean]

I took that picture a day they were grading it, lol, I will have to get a pic of the way it is now...

Sean