how to paint road lines

[Day One]

I need some suggestions about how to make road lines.
The layout I'm working on has about 100 ft of roads on it and nearly all of it needs some sort of road markings. I did some dry transfers for a section that was straight and that worked well, but there are a lot of windy and irregular roads where that will not work, plus the cost of that much dry transfer lines seems prohibitive.  So, what have you done that works?  The layout is set in the 70's so I figure I need white fog lines, yellow center lines, stop lines at intersections, and RR crossing warnings at crossings.

[DKS]

My preference is colored pencils. Cheap and relatively easy. Plus, the result is not "perfect"--it tends to look a little aged right off the bat.



Note that, in order to make yellow lines, you need to apply a white line first, because yellow pencil is somewhat translucent.

As for RR Xing marks, the easiest solution is a stencil you just tape down and spray: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/643-12

[davefoxx]

I tried DKS' colored pencil method, and I'm really satisfied with the results.  I did the white as he suggested before applying the yellow, and that tip really does make the yellow more visible.  That picture he posted upthread is, by far, the most realistic looking model road I have seen.  In case you didn't know, that's Z scale!

DFF

[tom mann]

Saaaayy, that colored pencil trick really is a good idea!

[Catt]

Ok, coloured pencils sound like the way to go.Any clues (other than colours) as to brand,or where to buy some that will work?

[davefoxx]

I just bought a white and a bright yellow colored pencil in the artist's section of our local art supply store, A.C. Moore.

DFF

[Chris333]

With pencils the tip tends to wear down quick so I had to keep re-sharpening, but it worked nice. I laid down a strip of masking tape to hold the pencil against and keep the lines straight.

[DKS]

With pencils the tip tends to wear down quick so I had to keep re-sharpening...

That's true. Works best to carve the tip in a wedge shape with a knife--it stays about the same size longer than a regular point.

I laid down a strip of masking tape to hold the pencil against and keep the lines straight.

I just use a steel straightedge. I also have a bendable ruler for curves.

[davefoxx]

I also have a bendable ruler for curves.

Talk to me about this bendable ruler.  I need to figure out how to draw lines on a very broad curve.  I could probably bend my steel ruler to this shape, but I don't have three hands.

DFF

[DKS]

Talk to me about this bendable ruler.

http://cdn.opentip.com/Office-Products/Acuarc-Adjustable-Ruler-Inches-p-882245.html?gclid=CIyguZ790bsCFahj7AodqmIA-g

[Chris333]

Tape is cheaper 

[Pennsy]

I use a Flexible drafting curve

http://www.utrechtart.com/C-Thru-12-inch-Flexible-Curve-Drafting-Tool-MP-55935-001-i1015600.utrecht?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=44140&gclid=CPK7rpiL0rsCFSdp7Aod4h4A1w

http://tinyurl.com/q94q649

Jim

[Rossford Yard]

Don't have any photos to post, but my best method among the many I have used is to use white styrene for the roads (obviously easier for straight roads, but possible on curves, too) and use small art tape for strips to cover the center lines.  I then paint the road concrete or grimy black, peel the art tape off, and voila, I have very sharp white lines.

If they are to be yellow, then I mask the styrene everywhere but the center (or other yellow line areas) paint yellow, unmask and then use the art tape again as before.

There are also road line decals, but I don't recall the brand name, that also have some good markings like the RR crossing sign in the pavement.  I have used those, drawing a light pencil line on the road to follow alignment. If you are careful, and pull them a bit they go almost perfectly straight.

I don't like pencils and rub ons because they don't get straight enough and narrow enough to look real to my eyes.

[nkalanaga]

If you don't want to buy a bendable ruler a styrene strip and some tape or pins will do the same job.  Use tape if you don't want holes in our road.  If you want to do longer stripes at one time a piece of rail also works as long as the curves aren't sharp enough to permanently kink it.

[Day One]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll give the yellow over white pencils a try.

I'm working with roads that are mostly already in place on the layout. I'm also installing a few new roads as I work on finishing scenes on the layout. The new roads are being made from .080 sheet styrene while most of the existing roads are masonite.  The masonite roads were brush painted with either latex or acrylic paint, while the styrene roads are being sprayed from rattle cans.  There are a lot of twisting and winding highways on the layout and laying out the center and fog lines consistently, will likely be the biggest challenge. The existing masonite roads weren't cut really accurately and the width varies thru the turns quite a bit. I'd like to be able to do white fog lines and yellow double/striped center lines. Finding a way to duplicate the curves for the center double yellow will be tricky.

I think that after I apply lines, I will likely airbrush or chalk weather the roads. In the areas where the roads are likely see some touching thru ops sessions, I will topcoat it all with some dulcoat.

Here's the area I'm working on now. The road on the bottom level continues each way about 15 feet and is twisty. The top should be easy with a straight edge, it's mostly straight.


 
I need to add lines to this highway and parking lot as well.


Here is a road I did a while back with dry tranfers. I still plan on weathering the blacktop.