What's neat - Sept 2016 column | Model railroad tips | Model Railroad Hobbyist | MRH

mrhmag.com - MRH What's Neat columnist Ken Patterson has these goodies in his September 2016's What's Neat column: 1) Building turnouts by Jeff Otto; 2) Building a concrete road, step-by-step; 3) And lots of great runbys! Part of the September 2016 issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine.

[@step2191]

How to build amazing looking million dollar model roads? Hire Ken Patterson of course! Loved this episode!!

[@DKW1975]

Cool open! I love the the way the rain rolled in on the shot.

[@moisesbursztein2830]

Thank you Ken. There is always something to learn from your main subject and all the little tips that you mention as you go along.

[@LordRusty5]

Man! Super-duper, fandamntastic roads! Well done, Ken!

[@jasonthomas8602]

Ken This is the best video I've seen yet on how to make Roads on a Model Railroad.

[@atsf81rj]

Ken those roads may be the best I've ever seen. I can't wait to use that method on my n scale layout. That was a great show thanks for posting- Russell

[@dimiz218]

Great roads and scene of course, Ken! Thanks for sharing, Dimitris.

[@axeandrail]

This is a great tutorial on making realistic roads, with that in mind you may want to consider using pictures for reference and take some measurements(careful don't get ran over). You were correct with the road striping at 4 inches wide. The center line is always yellow that divides opposing traffic flow and most of the time are 10ft long with 30ft spacing. (based on U.S. roadways) Weathering the roads should show in the middle of the lane where oils and other fluids drip from the engines and drive train, the wheel paths of the lane will be cleaner and rubs away the stop lines, RXR icons that are painted on the road surface. Most pot holes/patching will however occur in the wheel paths. Not trying to be over critical on such nice work. I am just trying to help, not beat down, so we can achieve extreme detail that all of us want. Keep up the great videos.

[@markbailey7943]

Great episode Ken. My 7 year old just said that you are epic at your train layout stuff. he likes to watch while I build rolling stock. Right now we are in the middle of a Tichy 10,000 gal tank car kit.

[@Phoenixknight79]

Amazing job Ken, you sure have out done yourself again.. every time I watch your videos no mater how many times I watch them I learn something new. I just wish I had the talent you do and am able to do all the things you do, and was able to get a job with MRH.

[@centraljerseyconrailinnsca5676]

Thanks Ken another inspiring segment, and as always awesome camera work!

[@richarddotter1947]

probably the coolest thing on you tube I have ever seen, love it all, thanks, RED< a model railroader in Oregon.

[@ashevilletrainman6989]

Nice! I will be looking forward to following this channel and seeing how your guys layout turns out!

[@bobgeorgiou472]

Great work! I use a similar process for the roads finishing them off with dry transfers for the striping and pencil for the cracks in HO scale. One thing I never like is the color of woodland scencics for the gravel on the road sides so I color them with light acrylic washes in various browns to dirty them up.

[@Kevin-ev7hw]

Ken - I have found the Sharpie paint markers in a thin tip in Yellow and White pens. I either picked them up at WalMart or Office Depot. Great show too.

[@upsd402]

Great video Ken, keep up the great work......

[@gearedsteam12]

Great video this month Ken !!

[@JohnWilliams-uj5jx]

Nice. I use Dax for roads that are not level. It stays put since I'm building in hilly area.

[@pablomoyanavarro1950]

Ken you nail it!!! Great tip!!! thanks

[@MARKLINMAN1]

Excellent work man. Thanks for this. Awesome. 👍

[@TM-gm6zk]

hi ken, you did a great job with this helpful and instructional video. I've been with you since the start. I have been checking on KZbin for the past 4 days and finally I see this video. I would like to say that those roads came out as the best model roads I've ever seen. Maybe the Ballast could be dirtied. Any way I would love to see another video soon, and maybe some RC footage along the roads.

[@klbird]

Enjoyed the road section. Better than grey porch paint and sand!

[@QNERailroad]

Very helpful description of your road making process. Can you give us a tutorial on how you made the tie crossings?

[@retrainrun]

Love your monthly videos Ken.That is one of the things I look forward every month. One question. Can the sement

[@mattb.2359]

Hey Ken, really good job on the roads, although I use joint compound for my roads, and they look almost the same. And just as an FYI, those oversize loads on the flatcars on the end probably need to be pulled by more than one switcher due to the weight, and use more idler cars. Model Railroader had a column on operation oversized loads on layouts. Matt

[@snafu3714]

you are the Best.and thanks for your tips

[@InterCity134]

Excellent tutorial on the road building. I'm wondering how well one could embed ferrous guide wire in the surface (or magnetic strip) to run automated H0 scale Faller Car System vehicles on the roads. For those style crossings that system may not work but with more even grade crossings I can imagine the magnet guided cars may work even there.

[@dwightatnorthernstar1820]

Using concrete patch: I did the same thing on my lower n scale layout...worked really nice....

[@andrewwood1097]

great video as usual ken. what were the two buns locomotives in the introduction and the grain cars in the train. thanks Andrew Victoria, Australia

[@sandersvillemodelrr7539]

awsome who wooda thunk i like it. gonna try. thanks for sharing

[@CSXEMDTrainLover]

great model train video

[@Mr60059]

Hi Ken , And Greatings from Sheffield , England . Another Great Video , Really impressed with the road section This Month , Would this work well with N Gauge ?

[@larryshanks957]

Excellent

[@michaellombertino4532]

ken love your modeling question on your layouts and modules I know you use foam do you use any roadbed like cork on your layout at all if not why

[@jvanamb]

Fantastic ideas. I've been a modeler for over 60 years and I come from a prototype RxR family, though I only rode the line not WORKED THE LINE. Over the past many years I never understood how in Hades Model RxR's used fake fur. In fact I though it was some sort of mystical WOODLAND SCENIC product I couldn't find in catalogs. My wife would laugh at my stupidity, but this Episode of MRH set me straight. Thanks. Now a question: After laying the road with DAP you went back with some patch repair to fill in gaps and cracks, then black painted in road-crew patches and fillers. So my question is, what would be the result if instead of all that additional filling and painting I just use a black colored Epoxy Tile Grout filler to fill DAP shrinkage? And even after the road has setup and was weathered cut up small sections of the road and "Patch" fill with the grout. The Epoxy I am currently using to redo our guest bathroom is pliable, flexible, many hues, waterproof, and easy to apply. So what's your impression?

[@johnpapp92]

Does anyone know what the prototypical spacing is for a N scale double track mainline?

[@markmatteo2417]

How do you feel about plaster or spackle roads?

[@jefferyallen7042]

Hi Ken where can I find the ho scale radio control trucks and cars?

[@retrainrun]

I'm using my phone and got interrupted. Can the cement be use in molds?

[@CarmineRC]

Another great presentation, Ken! This is only the second time I've heard of DAP concrete sealer used to make roads. And what convincing roads it makes! But, something you mentioned in passing really intrigued me... R/C CARS??? In HO Scale? Really?

[@Kensart55]

We have had them on previous shows 2 of 3 times now. RC HO Lights. etc....

[@CarmineRC]

Ken Patterson, I've got to dig those episodes up!

[@acereport8939]

RC cars on those tiny roads? Please let us know how your doing that. Thanks

[@CONTAINERMAN68]

A great idea on using the cement for roads! But the centerline on a two lane road should be yellow not white. A white centerline would suggest both lanes traveling in the same direction. A yellow centerline suggests traveling in opposite directions.

[@LTBROYT6A]

CONTAINERMAN68, I agree 100%, Solid white lines go on the outside edges of the road and solid or dashed white lines between lanes going in the same direction, and either double solid yellow lines, one solid and one dashed yellow line, or a single dashed yellow line in the center of the road where there is two way traffic. If you have a divided highway the far outside edge of the outside lanes should have a solid white line and solid or dashed white lines between lanes and a solid yellow line along the outside edge of the far inside lane. Now if you are modeling in the fifties or earlier all white lines would be correct.

[@thefatfilo-oficer4332]

cracks in the road would look cool

[@rjl110919581]

THANKS FOR YR GREAT IDEAL USE NEW WAY

[@rgs455atw]

What brand/version of the heat gun that he was using?

[@handlaidtrack]

Bill, You can get off of ebay. Here is link to one: www.ebay.com/itm/Latest-2in1-SMD-Soldering-Rework-Station-Hot-Air-Iron-852D-5Tips-ESD-PLCC-BGA-/131115480122?hash=item1e8717743a:g:vDgAAOSwYIxX2RAu . Just get free shipping and make sure the pictures and description match up. Don't spend over $60 on one.

[@haraldgunther9965]

Hello Ken, the monthly videos are fine but this month video especiallly with building roads is helpful for us. But here i have a question. We are building a american layout here in Germany. The region is the midwest like Iowa. Now were disussing if all roads have white lines on the sides and have a center line. Differ that from State to State?. Another Question is the color. I saw a video on youtube from Georgia (mbmars01) where the center line ist yellow. Is that also different from State to State. Thanks for your wonderful videos.

[@rgs455atw]

Most line markings are standard from state to state. Normally solid white line on side of road. White lines in center for 1 way road, and Yellow for 2 way roads. Google "lines and lane markings on the road" Hope this helps. --Bill.

[@haraldgunther9965]

Thanks for this information. So we can build our roads in a better wax.

[@InterCity134]

Harald Günther the us department of transportation rules for marking is to use white paint when separating lanes that have traffic flow in the same direction, and yellow lines to separate lanes that have traffic flowing in opposite directions. So on 2 lane bidirectional roads the center lane is yellow ( and on highways typically two lines that can alter at solid and broken independently in both stripes to indicate whether passing is allowed; solid meaning no passing). So for this videos road that center line would most likely needed to have been yellow as i doubt that road would be 2 lanes one way unless it is 1/2 if a divided highway where the other half wasn't modeled but then the leftmost outside line would have been solid yellow.

[@michaellombertino4532]

or do you just glue track to the foam on all your layouts

[@ashevilletrainman6989]

JLWII2000 WOOOOO

[@wthwing]

Ken, you said that when the road surfaced had dried the first time you went back and filled in the cracks, WHY?, I can understand large ones but why not leave the small ones to make them look like the real roads? ps: LOVE your " What's New " videos !!!!

[@CarmineRC]

wthwing - I agree completely! I may also try filling in the cracks with RTV Black Silicone, through the smallest applicator I can find. That way, it could better represent the lazy road crews slapping tar into the cracks on the 1:1 roads!!

[@2toady]

Ken great job on the roads. The patching compound is a great idea, I think the striping looked a little time consuming. I've discovered a manufacturer who makes vinyl road striping for HO and other scales. They are called Highways & Byways, highwaysnbyways.com/index.html I have purchased one of their striping kits and really like it. They have a good how to video on their site.

[@PeterNGloor]

uhm - why did you do the grass before the roadway? Seems kinda messy.

[@johnbutler8388]

Hey quit whining and get it done there's no crying in Railroad

[@retrainrun]

I'm using my phone and got interrupted. Can the cement be use in molds?