* The roads are simply made from cardboard. Tip; pack underneath with a few strips of card down the middle to produce a camber.

* Pavements are also cut from card and covered with Scalescenes pavement paper printed out and then glued on top of the card road. Tip; pick out some individual flagstones with different and darker shades of grey paint - use a paint wash.

* The kerb stones are square section Evergreen plastic strip painted grey and cut to form drop kerbs where necessary.

* Drain grids are etched ones (available from the N Gauge Society) glued in to cut-outs in the card. Tip; paint the grids grey and the surface below black to provide a contrast.

* The roads are painted grey, mainly with Halford grey primer aerosols, and weathered with pencil graphite gently applied and rubbed in with a finger to produce exhaust and tyre stains. Tip; use a 2B or softer pencil but don’t over do it.

* Patch tarmac repairs are simply painted on with different shades of grey acrylic paint. Tip; outline some repairs with a fine pencil line to represent the edging tar seal often applied.

* Road markings (crossing zig zags, lane and stop lines, etc.,) are hand painted with acrylic paints using a fine paintbrush over guide lines lightly marked out with a pencil and ruler. Tip; check real local roads for accuracy. For period layouts do not assume they are similar to current practice. The best references for them are books of old aerial photos like ‘London's Railways From the Air’.

* Don’t forget appropriate street furniture such as lights, signs and railings. Tip; don’t over represent telephone boxes, post boxes, bus stops and bench seats.

* Always work from observation of real roads and/or photographs of them, not from memory or what you think they looks like. Tip; double check and ensure a suitable and appropriate width for the type of road required.



(Adapted, with authorisation, from an article in N'spirations2)

Z.

Some very useful tips there Z……:thumbs
:cheers
Iv'e tried a few methods for road surfaces and not really been happy.
Your method looks very effective.
Particularly like the idea of using pencil graphite to simulate exhaust and tyre marks

Very useful tips :thumbs