Static grass between the rails??

[nuno81291]

Hey gang, so my prototype in the 80s/90s has quite a lot of Branchlines on the verge of closing, as such the gauge was almost always all grown in but still in use. Here is an example photo (not mine):

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Is there any consensus as to modeling this? Am I asking for trouble? Keep the grass away from the insides of the rails? Should I worry about them being grabbed by the loco trucks? Glue the snot out of it and triple passes with the vacuum? I am in HO so I don’t think the grass will do much to affect movement, but I would hate to destroy my locos with this sort of abuse. At the same time this is how it looked and without some greenery it does not capture the feel of Guilford Rail Systems

[davefoxx]

I've used all sorts of ground foam between the rails.  No problem.  Now, I am considering trying static grass on a siding on my layout and see no reason why, as you put it, gluing the snot out of it and triple passes with the vacuum wouldn't work.  I say go for it.  Maybe start light; you can always add more later.

DFF

[Philip H]

For HO I'd recommend a mix of 2 MM and 4 MM grass leaning toward the 2MM.  You might also make your glue patchy and/or put some small pieces of tape over your dispenser to add to the patchiness. Then a bit of ground foam and the occasional tuft to top it off.

[wazzou]

[nuno81291]

Had to pick my jaw up off the floor... that is an amazing layout!

[Santa Fe Guy]

Me too, just an amazing layout in all respects. The ground cover and effects are extremely well done.
Rod.

[dem34]

Well you know you're doing something right if you can make empty fields visually interesting.

So I wonder, did he do the static grass in situ or did he premake a wide variety of 2mm tufts of various shapes and give them homes after creation?

[wazzou]

Well you know you're doing something right if you can make empty fields visually interesting.

So I wonder, did he do the static grass in situ or did he premake a wide variety of 2mm tufts of various shapes and give them homes after creation?

I think I have a PDF of a scenery clinic he did at a RPM Meet where he goes into pretty good detail on his techniques.

[DKS]

I used tufts mostly because it allows better control, unless I had scale miles of track to do, in which case I'd go static.



I found that grass fibers just tall enough to be touched by rolling stock didn't affect operation.

[DKS]

Also, this is an excellent tutorial:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=44732.0

[dem34]

@DKS thank ya much. Only really asking because my current layout has some ballasting sins I want to disappear.