Cheep and easy streets for your model railroad

[@thefutureofyesterday8136]

I see a lot of bashing by people in the comments. I just don’t understand why that’s necessary. You are taking the time to show how YOU do your roads. It’s a effort on your behalf to teach others and I for one appreciate that. Just because someone shows a video of how they do things does not mean people have to do it theirs the exact same way. Each and every person can take this technique and alter it to their liking. With that said thanks for taking the time to show others how you build your roads. I know I learned from it so keep on doing your thing. Thanks again. 👍

[@dandrake1372]

Thanks for another great idea for roads and highways.

[@brantleyhester6641]

I'm using this idea! Thank you and screw the people that don't like it. Love the vid

[@normanrowe2831]

Hi, so, so, many asinine comments here. Sorry for my fellow human beings. Thanks for sharing YOUR techniques for making roads.

[@SleeTheSloth]

Thankvyou.

[@jasonboche]

Thank you for the tip on Red Lion road markings. I'm working on roads now about 2 years after initially watching this video and I'm glad I remembered where I saw this so I could come back and visit for the vendor details. I did use Woodland Scenics paint pens to put down my basic line stripings (fog lines and center lines) but I need precision decals for the railroad crossings. I also picked up some handicapped decals while I was there. Thanks again! I really like your layout.

[@miamistax]

Very nice video. Just one suggestion and I sorta blame the manufacturer for not including a note. There’s a brass template with the railroad message etched that is used by quite a few folks. To save on brass, they put the horizontal bars very close to the big X, almost making it look like an hourglass. The company that made your press-down pulled the same stunt. And many hobbyists just mark everything at once without moving the template. Maybe some places marked that way years ago, but today in the US, those horizontal bars are 25 ft before and 25 ft after the center of the X. So ignoring the “R”’s for a moment, imagine the road is running horizontally. Instead of marking |X| straight off the template, you should mark | X | by moving the template away from where you mark the RXR before marking the bars.

[@tsu8003]

I use sanding belts for my roads as they have a good texture to them, can be painted and scuff easily to make potholes etc. They generally come in 100mm by 900mm lengths that are wide enough for a decent width road with parking at the sides. You do have to wear them down to get rid of the coarseness though. One unexpected benefit is that the ones I used were a red colour that looks remarkably like the red roads that some bus lanes and special parking bays use.

[@edhorst7212]

Nice tutorial on how you yourself do your own layout, what works for you is always best. Great tips on roadway material, highway strips, rr crossing, etc. Purchase a rather inexpensive tripod small enough to show closeup work, your third hand you were looking for👍🎶

[@scottdunn1093]

Very nice job... I'm going to do that to my N scale layout when I start it

[@maxheadroom7687]

Thanks for posting man, really useful info, hope the guys in USA post to Australia!😎🇦🇺😀

[@OPS_GUY2023]

Sean, how did you cut that curve for the grade crossing so smoothly? Is it a special knife to use? That's my biggest hurdle haha

[@SleeTheSloth]

The trick is a vary sharp knife. I like the cheap disposable ones, that have one long blade in them. As the blade gets dull, you break of a section at the scored line on the blade. I think I used a large coffee can to draw the radius of the curve. Then I used the same can's edge as a edge to keep the knife true as I cut it.

[@OPS_GUY2023]

@@SleeTheSloth thank you!!!

[@gerlandkent6377]

[thank, you for youre great helpful video]👍

[@gil6114]

Roads look great!!

[@johnkelly9894]

Too bad you didn't turn off the radio, it's very annoying.

[@kerrykeehn1694]

I do essentially what you do but I found you can glue everything down not using glue, but latex paint. I paint where I want to put the foam board. Then ,I paint the layout and the underside of the foam board. Works great. Question, a 2 lane roadway no shoulders on the roadway is 24 feet wide, Correct?

[@sithlord1626]

hey man love ur vid, and i just got done making a road myself using ur technique and i couldn't be happier...so much easier than smooth-it and 10 times cheaper, and i also use the same paint called "pavement" and gives it such a realistic look

[@SleeTheSloth]

Thanks for letting me know. Glad it worked for you]

[@sithlord1626]

I know its been awhile since we spoke but u should look at my vids on my channel and let me know what u think

[@adamzaidi1748]

Use a credit card to firmly scrape along the decal to seal it properly and then when pulling the plastic clear wrapping back ,pull it against the road itself as low as possible sliding it upwards against itself to make the peel back as sharp and flat as possible because when you peel and pull upwards it will pull the decal up and off the road.

[@MichaelMiller-od6pu]

nice work. I really enjoy the music ! Thanks again.

[@dprice2405]

I have to admit that I agree with you on the width of the roads that are available to purchase. I myself have bought different roads in N scale and both are way to narrow in appearance. Yet the HO scale seems perfect for my N scale roads? the appearance of the HO scale back roads is far more realistic "looking" specially once auto/trucks are placed on the road.

[@flozal72]

what sort of glue did you use to glue it down?

[@SleeTheSloth]

I used Elmer's white glue and wood glue in different scenes on the layout. Both work well. On a side note if you use tan or brown cooler wood glue on your ballast it will darken it. That works well for older ballast. Then white glue for newer ballast.

[@jasonhowe1697]

when you are doing an area of multiple crossing points typical use a 1 lane roads rather than dual carriage ways as looking at your multi track past the cross over typically would be a maintenance road so the necessity of 2 lanes wouldn't needed.. I have not a clue what you are modeling these tracks and road after however I know of no situations where you would have a rail multipoint intersection of a rail yard plastered with something like a mainroad.. though generally not over the points themselves may be a 1 lane access road for maintenance of the yard..

[@OPS_GUY2023]

How much did the foam board cost? I'm trying to find it on walmart or hobby lobby

[@SleeTheSloth]

Around $4 a sheet. Try to get them from the store. I had some delivered the other day and the quality was a tad bit down.

[@OPS_GUY2023]

@Sean Moore thank you sir could you send a link if possible? Sorry for being difficult

[@SleeTheSloth]

@@OPS_GUY2023 Here is the link I used the other day. www.walmart.com/ip/Pen-Gear-Ultra-Strong-White-Foam-Board-20-x-30/143526035?athbdg=L1102&from=searchResults

[@OPS_GUY2023]

@@SleeTheSloth thank you!!!

[@COKid02]

I enjoyed your video. It would have been helpful to show how you made the bend in the double yellow striping to follow the turn in the road. Can you offer any guidance regarding this?

[@SleeTheSloth]

COKid02 the curved Center Line is easier than it would appear. I use a ruler to Mark the center line I measured from the outside of the road and made a small hash mark at the center point moved the ruler ahead half inch made another Mark and continued this process around the curve then traced the center line so that all the little hash marks were joined into one light pencil line. Then as I put the striping down I first anchored one end and used my free finger to flatten the stripe out as I went. In that manner I was able to follow the center line around the bend.

[@redliontraindepot4322]

This is Jerry from Red Lion Train Depot on how to do the curves. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4e8fpSaoq9sidU

[@johnm3310]

first song in background is "let's hear it for the boy". LOL 6 degrees of kevin bacon.

[@suelinerr]

Thanks for sharing.

[@beyondDCC]

You should point out that the wheel grooves in the crossings need to be quite bit wider than the usual NMRA frog flange ways. Other wise the wheels will be rubbing against them, on one side or the other, as they pass through. And that's not good.

[@royshort3087]

I like the video

[@peterkunz6871]

Love those train rides

[@CR3271]

Road width: HO scale is 1:87. 2 inches * 87 / 12 = 14.5 feet. A semi truck is 8 feet wide, so indeed 2" would be very narrow. But going with 4" is really too wide for the urban scene it looks like you're trying to make. That's 29 scale feet... almost wide enough to be an Interstate highway, per a quick Google search. I got my CDL on the streets of Buffalo, NY and drove truck cross-country for a few years. One thing I can say about pretty much ANY northeastern city is they're not generous with their lane space. 2-3/4" to 3" would be about right for those crusty old city streets.

[@francis1247]

10cm is good

[@robpetersen6584]

Actually if you use the measure tool in Google Maps you'll find most roads are only 10 to 13 feet wide. Here in Washington the new standard lane width for freeways is 13.5 feet, but measuring I-5 south of Seattle (repaved in the early 2000's), the Freeway is 60 feet wide for 5 lanes or 12 feet per lane. I live in a 1970's era neighborhood with streets that measure 25 feet curb to curb plus 6 foot sidewalks. While my folks live in a neighborhood that's only about 10 years old and the streets are only 20 feet curb to curb and no sidewalks (streets waste building space). The city streets in my town are only 20 feet wide in downtown where no street parking exists, and where there is street parking then the parking spaces are 7 1/2 feet wide per side.The point is that street widths vary, so use what fits and looks good to your own eye.

[@ashevilletrainman6989]

Great easy idea!!!!

[@davidcurtis5398]

Not bashing you but please get a small tripod and firm up the picture.

[@manickreations]

nice!!!!!

[@lisahardy9707]

Its the radio thats LOUD in the background not air conditioner

[@gensocietycuyahogavalley267]

no background noise please when you are recording... Where did you get your back drop buildings? Bob

[@SleeTheSloth]

back drop buildings where found obay.

[@brocklanders6172]

Let's here it for the boy...

[@ripjeffhanneman5838]

Happy upbeat "let's hear it for the boy" to down in the dumps "candle in the wind". Who's your DJ? Is he drunk?

[@raymondleggs5508]

you can also use black construction paper

[@henrymcdonald870]

How thick are the roads

[@SleeTheSloth]

I think they're close to quarter inch thickness. Foam board comes in different thicknesses I take a pair of pliers and crimp the sides and little increments and it gives the edge of the road a curved burn like look to it. Or you can put your ground material which I use Brown Builders sand for my dirt right up to the edge of it when you glue it down good.

[@francis1247]

Simply I use 180 grade sand paper grey or black much cheaper & easy to use

[@henrymcdonald870]

We’re are you in up state n y

[@BurningtunaDC]

Why do you continue to plug that store that doesn't pay their help anything and is doing everything they can to kill off the remaining small business that are left?

[@SleeTheSloth]

I have no knowledge of this. If this is true I certainly do feel bad for the employees. All I know is that I have used there products and I found them to be of quality. No where in the video did a disapprove or approve of the actions of any company or store. I did say I liked the product and that it was a quality product. I stay out of company politics.

[@signman53]

I own Red Lion Train Depot. I am a sole proprietor and have NO employees. I am a small business so I'm not sure where you got your information. Thanks, Jerry

[@jsleee1146]

Think he meant Walmart Jerry :)

[@BurningtunaDC]

But you continue to give this billion dollar corporation plugs during your videos. If you're getting paid or getting free stuff then go for it. If things weren't bad enough now they are making their employees work on Thanksgiving. Christmas will be next.

[@cliogemelas9053]

Hello...2 days ago I bought the lanes you sell on Ebay and I can't wait till they come...

[@barrydixon2986]

Birds go CHEEP, low cost is CHEAP

[@rickfranklin5801]

nice work! and people don't know that song was famous lol...noobs lol

[@SleeTheSloth]

Thanks!

[@tactmedic4988]

Funny... you make fun at the work crew who painted the yellow lines at the pier... meanwhile you mispelled the word Cheep! also... It's not lain.... but Lane. Just saying.

[@SleeTheSloth]

I am lucky to spell my own name some days, So I guess you will just have to deal with my bad spelling.

[@mikebernard4762]

Turn the radio off please!!!

[@benjamingray1521]

You can hear him just fine

[@davidsalomskas4144]

terable

[@potatochip9255]

Cheap

[@martinsuper4545]

I think that this is the reason that model railroading is dying. My son is 5. Loves his model railroad. Wants to add buildings, roads, etc... We go all over youtube and we find this. YOU call this cheap and easy. No it's not. That is massively complex and time consuming. Model railroaders have no idea of MODERATION. Or beginners steps? Everything has to be "just so" and anything less is simply not shown. This is cheap and easy for the 50+ year old guy who has hours upon hours to tinker. What's cheap and easy for a 5 year old? Looks like we are going to go back to our idea of black construction paper.

[@SleeTheSloth]

Compared to Road systems like woodland scenic's or others where you pour a type of plaster or use paper mache to build up your road yeah it is quick and much easier.

[@SleeTheSloth]

As far as your comment for your son. I'm glad he's interested in the hobby. But there are many other aspects has a five-year-old in which he will depend upon you his father to help him with. A five-year-old isn't going to strip paint a locomotive or add details either. So you'll have to just help the poor guy out and do your part.

[@HardCase1911]

Are you serious? You sound like a kid. What business so you have creating one? Grow up Dad. Man up.