The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[wazzou]

Meh.  It's August.  Looks like it's dried out and waiting for the next rainfall.
I like it!

Lee

Wow, it looks like May on my monitor, lol.

[davefoxx]

Well, I'm colorblind, so what does it look like to y'all?  It will dictate how I go forward on this layout.  I did consider doing springtime on the Seaboard Central 2.0, until I screwed it up, and everyone said it looked like fall.

DFF

[dem34]

Its a very lush green, but not like like its some "weird" shade like I sometimes see with EL Cheapo scenery materiel. My only 2 cents would be to add a couple patches of a much drier shade, and a couple patchs of the same color but either taller or shorter.

[Chris333]

Static grass always looks shiney. You can dry brush the tips a lighter color or/and Dullcote it if you want.

[wcfn100]

I think it looks fine, it just need to be broken up with other vegetation.

Jason

[davefoxx]

Its a very lush green, but not like like its some "weird" shade like I sometimes see with EL Cheapo scenery materiel. My only 2 cents would be to add a couple patches of a much drier shade, and a couple patchs of the same color but either taller or shorter.

I tried to go 50/50 on two shades of Silflor 4mm static grass that was left over from my old layout.  I was looking for lush, because I would like to model springtime and flowering trees and bushes, if this grass is headed in that direction.  I'll definitely look to add variation, as this is only the first pass (not counting the ground foam underneath).

Thanks,
DFF

[davefoxx]

Static grass always looks shiney. You can dry brush the tips a lighter color or/and Dullcote it if you want.

Drybrushing and Dullcote, huh?  Interesting.

Thanks,
DFF

[davefoxx]

I think it looks fine, it just need to be broken up with other vegetation.

Jason

That's the plan.  This is just the first pass of static grass.  I will also add low foliage and transition into trees on each side of the tracks.  I just wanted to get in there with the static grass applicator while there were little to no restrictions.

Thanks,
DFF

[Dave V]

Static grass always looks shiney. You can dry brush the tips a lighter color or/and Dullcote it if you want.

If you've used alcohol as a wetting agent, don't use Dullcote.

[davefoxx]

If you've used alcohol as a wetting agent, don't use Dullcote.

A great call, but I didn't.  I was afraid that a spark from the static grass applicator would ignite the alcohol.  I used wet water.

I have accidentally hit the ground spike with the static grass applicator, causing a spark right over the grass.  When that happens, it can be quite a surprise.  I don't need the layout then bursting into flames.    Plus, I intentionally ground the applicator when finished, so to discharge it and avoid a shock.  So, no alcohol in this application.

Thanks,
DFF

[davefoxx]

Although these screengrabs from Google Maps are supposedly taken in August (must have been a wet summer), this is the look that I am going for.  I figure springtime could be even lusher, but this is fine.  No need to overdo it.  Flowering plants will make it obvious that it's spring.





I'll continue to scroll around and see if I can find any pictures from April or May.

DFF

[Chris333]

I haven't used the Dullcote, but I have drybrushed it. Just to get a variegated look I guess. I can't really say do this or that because I just keep going till I'm happy with it, no blueprint.

[davefoxx]

More efforts.  I went back and hit some areas with more static grass and ground foam.  Keep in mind that I will add some scrub brush to this scene, but that won't likely happen until I crack open a box of SuperTrees and use scraps to make the brush.  I also started to apply static grass to the cut on the other side of the tracks:



I took the opportunity to bury the track in the pulpwood yard, too.  The adhesive is still soaking wet, creating the milky appearance:



Ballasting should pull this together, but I can't spread that out with all of the adjacent scenery still wet.  I made that mistake last night, and the granules of ballast started soaking up the moisture as I was trying to spread it, making the ballast stick to everything, especially the sides of the rail:



DFF

[davefoxx]

The Aberdeen & Briar Patch Ry. bridge project has begun.  The hills have been sculpted, and the abutments set.  This bridge must be built, because it's needed to reach a planned small staging yard that will improve ops and just make the layout more fun to run.  The scraps of cork roadbed are to ensure that I set the abutments at the correct elevation:



I cut my bridge track to rough length.  This is an 18" radius, which matches the curve at the bottom of the hill on this branch, and is the minimum radius on the branch.  The minimum radius on the SBD line below is 22" on the main and 20" on the passing siding.  The 18" minimum radius on the branch is fine, as the trains on the A&BP will only be about three cars long due to the restricted length of the planned staging yard.  I have my high and wide train out in the photo below to check clearances, as I am trying to figure out where to place the trestle bents.  I have no idea how I did this on the Seaboard Central 2.0.    But, thanks to the height increase project that required ripping out the A&BP grade many months ago, clearance for height is no longer a concern.  I-beams (as shown) will support the A&BP track where it needs to clear the SBD track below:



By far, this loaded 89' TOFC is my worst case scenario for clearance, and, yes, it looks ridiculous on the layout's curves.  But, I don't want to create a situation that I cannot run certain rolling stock, because I didn't plan ahead (regardless of how goofy these long cars may look on these sharp curves). 



DFF

[davefoxx]

Oh, and because I moved the dehumidifier into the layout room, things are drying much quicker.  I started applying other materials, e.g., sand, to the pulpwood yard to improve the look.  I may hit it with some gravel in spots, too.  Eventually, I'll add the pulpwood stacks and the necessary detritus:



Remember, here's my inspiration:



DFF