Road ramp for 2 level display cases

[Dat Lego]

So I have been planning to make a display case for my table town. It's been collecting dust and rather unorganized. I'm kind of frustrated because everytime I reorganize it, it's gets dirty again. The idea of cleaning them with a moist cloth or something similar is rather ineffective for me as my town is rather complex and narrow in some parts that some buildings and stuff need to be taken out to be cleaned.

So I decided to make a 2 level display case with an openable "sunroof", upper level for my airport and lower level for everything else. And now this is where my question starts. I will need to make a road ramp so that the vehicles and minifigs can travel to and from both levels. There aren't many miniature road ramps for this kind of thing and making it out of bricks would be hard the required parts will be hard to get at where I live (Indonesia). I plan to make the road ramp from wood along with the display case or from a sturdy cardboard. Any ideas to make a road ramp that's firm and sturdy and have a good angle so that the vehicles can drive through easily. Remember that I have rather limited space. Any ideas and help would be appreciated.

[eurotrash]

If space is limited and the angle for the road too steep have you considered building a lift for the vehicles? It'd take up less space and require less bricks.

[Peppermint_M]

You could try using poster-board and dressing it with LEGO. Using paper printed like roadplate and double-sided adhesive tape to fix LEGO plates to the edges as road verge or footway.

[Hrw-Amen]

I really does depend on how high the second level is I guess, is it low enough that one straight road baseplate would not make the angle ridiculous, or would this just be way to short? I think we need more information really?

Also, what is your CITY like, is it a typical LEGO CITY city, or is it based on any real life one? For example you say you are from Indonesia, I know from 1st hand experience on several occasions that there can be very differing structural types almost on top of each other in large cities there, skyscrappers butting up against what to all intents and purposes are small huts made of breeze blocks and corrigated metal, (My inlaws are in Bekasi.) many services by roads full of holes or not even tarmaced. If this is what you wish to represent then a higher angle maybe tolerated as reasonably realistic.

If however you want to make a typical LEGO CITY then you will need either a very small height difference or a longer ramp for it to look any good. Maybe you could offer us some photographs of your collection as it is now along with details of the space you have available and how high the rise is going to be, or is planned to be? Perhaps then we could offer more help?

[Xyver]

My City layout is split level, with the main city (modulars) around 15 bricks higher than the suburbs (general City sets) I created a sloped road simply using two straight road plates placed on a technic frame set at the appropriate angle, and the angle was fine for a main road up a hill. At this angle, the sloped road is around 1.5 baseplates long, so I just sat the bottom on another road plate so that it continues on to the correct dimensions

I guess it comes down to how much higher the top level is, whether a sloped road will work. The higher it is, the more room it will take. You could save some space by using the 8x16 tiles and making it a one way track as well.

Considering Lego themselves aren't above not including stairs in multi levelled buildings, I'm not sure it's really a problem if there is a road or not. To keep it realistic though, and to save space, the idea of a lift is a good one.

[Dat Lego]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far.

If space is limited and the angle for the road too steep have you considered building a lift for the vehicles? It'd take up less space and require less bricks.

I did but how would you make a lift? The first thing that comes to my mind is Technic but I know nothing about Technic.

You could try using poster-board and dressing it with LEGO. Using paper printed like roadplate and double-sided adhesive tape to fix LEGO plates to the edges as road verge or footway.

Hmm, seems reasonable. For the paper does the Decal and Customization forum take such requests?

I really does depend on how high the second level is I guess, is it low enough that one straight road baseplate would not make the angle ridiculous, or would this just be way to short? I think we need more information really?

Just high enough so my GE and PC can fit on the first level.

Also, what is your CITY like, is it a typical LEGO CITY city, or is it based on any real life one? For example you say you are from Indonesia, I know from 1st hand experience on several occasions that there can be very differing structural types almost on top of each other in large cities there, skyscrappers butting up against what to all intents and purposes are small huts made of breeze blocks and corrigated metal, (My inlaws are in Bekasi.) many services by roads full of holes or not even tarmaced. If this is what you wish to represent then a higher angle maybe tolerated as reasonably realistic.

If however you want to make a typical LEGO CITY then you will need either a very small height difference or a longer ramp for it to look any good. Maybe you could offer us some photographs of your collection as it is now along with details of the space you have available and how high the rise is going to be, or is planned to be? Perhaps then we could offer more help?

No, my city isn't based on any real life one. It's a normal, fictional city. I'm currently abroad now and I can't take any photographs until I return by the end of the week. But the second level just needs to be high enough to support the 2 modulars I had stated above.

My City layout is split level, with the main city (modulars) around 15 bricks higher than the suburbs (general City sets) I created a sloped road simply using two straight road plates placed on a technic frame set at the appropriate angle, and the angle was fine for a main road up a hill. At this angle, the sloped road is around 1.5 baseplates long, so I just sat the bottom on another road plate so that it continues on to the correct dimensions

I guess it comes down to how much higher the top level is, whether a sloped road will work. The higher it is, the more room it will take. You could save some space by using the 8x16 tiles and making it a one way track as well.

As I said, I'm not good with Technic. For reference can you post pictures of your city including the sloped road? Thanks