Scale gravel

[Cyclone]

My new platforms could use a better gravel effect, than painted concrete.
So I was thinking of using coloured sand, fixed with pva.

Where to get the sand?
Buy grey sand?
Dye normal sand?
Use something like oo ballast?

What I'm not sure of is how colourfast these will be outdoors.

Any suggestions?

Ed

 

[Cyclone]

Another option is aquarium gravel.

 

[viaEstrecha]

As an alternative, you might consider a less messy option: I have almost completed my new platforms and used roofing felt (the finer, more pricey type), which looks not too bad as a representation of asphalt.  Glued down with Gripfill.

 

[nicebutdim]

Another vote here for the roofing felt. It makes a great platform surface for relatively little work.

 

[Northsider]

Roofing felt, stuck down with impact adhesive and sprayed black with a poundshop rattlecan. Stays out all year round; this is now a couple of years old.

 

[Cyclone]

Looks good especially when sprayed.

 

[dunnyrail]

What is most to scale is the Gravel on Roofing Felt, just finding a supplier is the tricky bit.
JonD

 

[Cyclone]

It's more getting the colour right and it staying right than the scale per se.

Here is a pic of the platforms, think I will struggle with felt.

 

[tramcar trev]

I made very effective imitation asphalt by painting cement render ( the acrylic flexible stuff) with bitumen paint and while wet scattering grey coloured sand over it.
Let it dry, vacuum up the excess sand ( for reuse) and it looks good.... Its withstood a couple of years exposure...

 

[Rod Fearnley]

Tennis court grit. Got lots of dust in it. So, sets up well. Been using it for years.

 

[Cyclone]

Dyed some sharp sand with grey fabric dye, which turned it brown.
So sieved it and that left lots of little grey stones, which I mixed with some other gravel I use for ballast.
Then attached it with pva to the platform.
Just waiting for it to dry.
Also changed the grain if wheat bulbs in the lamps to LEDs, which run nicely in series with the incandescent garden lights.
Eventually replace them all.

Excuse the clutter.