Japanese roads and sidewalks

[katoftw]

How are members doing sidewalks and roads for the Japanese layouts.

 

I notice alot of main roads in Japan are similar to western roads. But the side street and/or alley style ones are not as wide and only have the white lines on the outside.

 

For sidewalks, there is a Sankei product that has curved corners, and spots for gardens/trees. And even a larger corner kit for corner shops.

 

I have attempted google. But acan only find pictures, not info on products. or techniques etc.

 

Thanks.

[Kabutoni]

Let me try to make a few pictures today from home to the supermarket. We encounter a lot of different roads, even if it's just a 15 min. walk. From side streets without any markings (even with a few holes in the road) to the 'big' National Road 16 (Yokohama - Hachiōji).

[katoftw]

Thanks for the offer. Seens plenty of roads. It's more the products/techniques available, ways of getting them onto my layout I need.

 

I've never done any model railway road or sidewalk before being a reltively new person to model railways.

 

ie What products have people used. Likes/dislikes? I could go out and buy 1 one everything available and test. But I'm attempting to save myself $100 for just sidewalk products.

 

Plus still doesn't solve the roads issue. Do modellers just paint on grey roads and white lines? So is there something/product that makes it look better/cleaner/classier?

 

Thanks again.

Edited June 14, 2014 by katoftw

[Kabutoni]

I used to make roads with coarse paper sheets and paint them in asphalt colours with thick and smooth artist putty. Sand roads with coarse and sandy artist putty mixed with the earthy pigments. Roads are not all about colour, but also texture, since you really don't want roads to be super smooth, like in real life. It will go bad in the rain. Very bad.

 

Anyway, for me, it's all about making those simple things for myself. Cardboard, paint (for the correct colours and lines), tape (to tape off areas to create lines), a knife, putty of different coarsity grades (get them at an artist's shop or DIY store), practice and patience.

 

Also, try not to search for Japanese techniques, since roads are/look practically the same all over the world. It's just the details that sets some apart from others.

[bill937ca]

From Sankei's blog / website, this is there Kyoto tram layout with lots of detail photos.  Second page.

 

Here's a page with their fences and sidewalks.

 

I bought Sankei sidewalks once when they were very new.  Its a small package of patterned sidewalk and for what you get very expensive.  

 

Most side streets in Tokyo are 4 metres wide or 13 feet.  This accommodates signs, pedestrians, cars, delivery trucks and bicycles.  That is why they ride trains.

 

An older Sankei kits thread.

Edited June 15, 2014 by bill937ca

[Densha]

Tomytec recently announced some pre-made sidewalk thingies, but probably not worth even considering because you can make it yourself.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10275823

[cteno4]

Kato

 

If you are good with graphics apps you can also print your own roads. Texture of roads in n scale is soooo minute that it can easily be affected with a bit of texture in your fill pattern. You can also get some nice texture by using some heavier bond artist paper that has some surface texture to it and then print in ink jet on it (laser will flatten out any paper texture with the toner and fuser roller). Side walks can also be printed with just the lines printed as any sidewalk likes would be very small in n scale. You can come back over your printed stuff with weathering powders, chalks, etc to give other wear textures as well (although I've seen good photoshop artists do great streets with all the oil stains, tire wear, etc all in photoshop! Gutter details, cracks, manholes and even potholes can be rated in as well). Great thing about printing is you can print all your road makings as those (even a center line) can be a task to do well by hand painting or using decal sets. Fingernail pin tape can be bought cheap on Ebay at around 0.5mm that you can put down for line markings.

 

There is also a great technique for roads using thin foam rubber sheets (like 1-2mm thick called fun or craft foam sheets). You cut your road out of the stuff and glue it down. Then come back over and paint it with whatever color you are going for with some plaster mixed into the paint. Once dry you can come back and push on it to create cracks in the road. Even take a dental pick and created potholes! Ill dig up the link for it, its in a couple of threads here.

 

Also google satellite and street view are great for getting ideas for road details, colors, markings and such.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[macdon]

Kato,

 

If you decide on DIY prints, these might help:

 

http://paperstructure.web.fc2.com/Download/StreetDATA/StreetDATA_N.html

 

Mardon

[katoftw]

 

Kato,

 

If you decide on DIY prints, these might help:

 

http://paperstructure.web.fc2.com/Download/StreetDATA/StreetDATA_N.html

 

Mardon

do you just buy it and they send you the .pdf file electronicly?

[JR 500系]

Interesting thread...

 

I made my own pavement and road using higher quality coloured papers. Not really in-depth study into actual Japanese roads, but was more like based on my own feeling to make them. Please see the pictures attached which I have previously posted in Takahashi town. Definitely not the best around and looks a lot like a beginner's work, but I kinda like it since it's quite easy to make and it looks ok to me ~~

 

I then use the Tomytec guard rails to attach them to the side of the roadway, and attach GreenMax produced road signs for that added finish. The humans, signs and bicycle were glued to the walkway using super glue, while the vehicles were just placed on them as I wanted to be able to move them around.  

 

Ashamed and only to blame on my own laziness, Takahashi town has only one road made ready... There are still tons of road yet to be made...   :(

[Bernard]

Roads is something I've been experimenting for some time and I have different methods through out my layout.

One is I use a thin sheet of "craft form" it's what kids use to cut shapes out of to make refrig magnet drawings.....then I take a lite mixture of plaster (diluted) and brush in on to the form that has been pre-cut to the size of the street. I let it dry, then if I want to add pot holes I crack the plaster....

Another method is Woodlandscenics roads.....the material is on their website

http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/RoadSystemTerrain

[cteno4]

Here are a few threads that talk more on road stuff

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/3208-what-do-you-use-for-streets/?hl=%2Bplaster+%2Bpaint+%2Bfoam+%2Broad&do=findComment&comment=35915

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/170-making-roads/?hl=%2Bfoam+%2Bplaster+%2Bpaint+%2Broad

 

Jeff

[macdon]

 

do you just buy it and they send you the .pdf file electronicly?

 

Yes. The file comes with roads including intersections, sidewalks, medians, bus stop and both bus and car parking. 

 

Mardon

[cteno4]

Great way to get started fast! Just print some out and start taping them down to play with ideas. You can also cut and paste these in your own graphics program to make your own creations. Once you have things the way you like you can print out final streets and glue them down or make your own to your design.

 

Jeff

[cteno4]

A couple of more threads on road markings

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/3491-making-streets-and-road-markings/

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/3703-pin-tape/

 

Jeff

[Claude_Dreyfus]

The pavements on Yamanouchi Oshika were simply strips of painted cardboard.

 

Very simple, but worked well...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 15, 2014 by Claude_Dreyfus

[katoftw]

Thanks for the idea/links/methods. you have been a great help. Allowed easier googling searches.

 

I think I'll try the craft foam sheet and cardboard methods.

 

Found this inexpensive craft foam from a aussie seller that is very close to japanese grey road colour. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/20-Sheets-2-Packs-of-10-Silver-EVA-Foam-A4-Sized-Sheets-Craft-Projects-Fun-/321405448029?pt=AU_Scrapbooking&hash=item4ad541ef5d#ht_1543wt_797

 

And double layer for sidewalks. Seems a easy method. And the sheet can be flexed up for rail crossings etc.

 

Cardboard seems easy also, but city style streets with sidewalks might be a challenge.

 

Both can be tried away from a layout, and easier transferred or applied to a layout.

[cteno4]

Kato

 

In reality in n scale sidewalks are only about 2/3 mm in height (about 4") and really tall ones 1mm, so you don't need a lot of height. But at some viewing distance (like 3-4') a 1mm tall sidewalk may not show any vertical separation, so some folks will exaggerate more distant sidewalks some. Only hitch can be having a figure right at the edge where they may be looking like they are standing on a low wall then. Experiment some ans see what works for you. If you are doing ttrak, then I would go to scale as you usually are pretty close up to them for most viewing and your 3 track module idea will pack a lot in so that will make people look even closer and I expect you will want a lot of figures.

 

City side walks can easily be cut out of styrene. 020 styrene (about 0.5mm) or 040 styrene (about 1mm) is perfect for sidewalks. Its easy to cut with a matte knife. you can get large sheets of it very cheap (4'x8' sheet here is less than $10) at a big plastic supply house or sign making shop. Just make your road go under the sidewalks and then put the sidewalks on top. Use a scribe and you can put in the sidewalk grooves and even gutter blocks easily. You can even file in little gutter drains. Styrene sands well so you can make rounded corners easily. Paint to desired concrete and glue down.

 

Actually in Japan in many towns and in the back streets there are no sidewalks! Shops may have small bits of a sidewalk or shop front extension and this is what you see on many of the tomytec buildings. Some places you will see an outer road marking to designate the edge for traffic, but many place not.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

City side walks can easily be cut out of styrene. 020 styrene (about 0.5mm) or 040 styrene (about 1mm) is perfect for sidewalks. Its easy to cut with a matte knife. you can get large sheets of it very cheap (4'x8' sheet here is less than $10) at a big plastic supply house or sign making shop. Just make your road go under the sidewalks and then put the sidewalks on top. Use a scribe and you can put in the sidewalk grooves and even gutter blocks easily. You can even file in little gutter drains. Styrene sands well so you can make rounded corners easily. Paint to desired concrete and glue down.

Perfect. Thanks Jeff

 

I dont expect much sidewalks per 618x300 module. As you said in the other t-trak thread. There isn't much room for scenery once buildings are in. So I'm only looking for a single main road with sidewalks from front to back of a module. And everything else will/should be a thinner back streets.

 

Doing it this way means I'm not painting/applying much lines as it is only 1 main street 300mm in length, so should make it easier for me to do/begin.

 

Then when I get a bit more skilled. Go for a front area for a main station module.

Edited June 15, 2014 by katoftw

[katoftw]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Five-5-A4-x-1mm-Matt-White-Plasticard-Styrene-Plastic-Sheet-300mm-x-210mm-/300835901269?pt=AU_Toys_Hobbies_Model_Kits&hash=item460b378f55#ht_2184wt_1042

 

styrene sheeting like this okay?

[cteno4]

Yep.

 

Check your local hobby shop, probably can get small sheets like this for like $5-7 for 3-5 sheets. Really is with calling the local plastics supply house as for not much more you can get a lifetime supply! Great for all sorts of modeling.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[nscalestation]

I notice alot of main roads in Japan are similar to western roads. But the side street and/or alley style ones are not as wide and only have the white lines on the outside.

 

 

On many of the smaller streets, there are no actual sidewalks.  The white lines on the sides are supposed to indicate the boundary between pedestrian and vehicle traffic.  I've got a few photos attached that I took in Tokyo in 2011 that show this.

 

 

Not sure what the red and green colors are for.  So far I've used painted styrene for my streets and have not done any lines except for one cross walk that was a sticker that came with a kit I think.  Recently I used some yellow Builders in Scale stripes to put the yellow warning line on some platforms.  It's an HO scale product for highway lines that scaled out to about 9 inches in N scale so OK for my purpose.  It came out great and I really liked working with that product so I'm going back to the Hobby Shop to see if they have any in white that is narrow enough to use for N scale street markings.

[bill937ca]

There is more information on Japanese road markings in this PDF.  Page four shows that the diamonds seen on pavement indicate a crosswalk ahead.

[bikkuri bahn]

Not sure what the red and green colors are for.

 

The red indicates space for pedestrians and bicyclists.  The green indicates a route for schoolchildren.

[nscalestation]

Thanks Enzo for the information about the colors.

 

And that road signs in Japan pdf is a great reference for us modelers.

 

But they forgot one.