Laying the track on a grass mat

[Montfort]

Hello Happy Railway Modellers,
Can I lay directly the track on a grass mat like the Gaugemaster GM21 ? Thanks.

[b308]

Yes, but I'd have to ask why, it would look very unrealistic. When grass grows on raiwlays you can't see much of the sleepers.



https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/railway ... 166685.jpg

[Montfort]

Thank you. I'm not looking for realism so the grass mat is everything I need. It's only for my shunting layout not for a main line.

[b308]

Why not use one of the ballast unerlays then?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=javis ... 40&bih=758

[Montfort]

Thanks. But I want it green.

[BorderShed]

Yes, and why not, it is your railway after all ! A prime case of Rule 1 I think.

So, to answer your question :- I dont see why not.

I've not done it myself but I have a test oval of Peco settrack laid on folded kitchen roll on a table top. That runs ok, except that it is not pinned down so every now and then it wiggles a fishplate apart and has to be pushed back together I imagine a grass mat would not be as mobile as kitchen roll* on a polished table top. and anyway I imagine you will be fixing it down somehow. Perhaps glue the mat down, lay the track, position some extra tussocks of grass or weeds by the side to hold the track in place maybe. Then it is easily lifted if you change your track plan.

*Why kitchen roll I hear you all asking ? because I didnt have any ballast underlay nor grass mat to hand at the time and it was easier, quicker, than cutting up cardboard to deaden the sound (which the mat should do admirably ? ) of loco on track directly on the table

Perhaps your track across the field will not have been there as long as the one in the pic. so it does not need to look so hairy and un-loved lol!
Or you could apply extra static grass to make it look more "realistic" as per the pic

[Montfort]

Thanks for your very helpful reply.

[b308]

OK so that's me told!

Just a word of warning if you decide to use static grass in the way mentioned by BorderShed, it can be quite loose as the glue isn't that strong so make sure that there are no loose bits before running as it won't do the insides of your locos much good, the same applies to grass mats, the "grass" isn't glued that strongly and can come loose (you'll notice lots of loose bits when unwrapping the roll), it's rather like getting fluff in the gears when running on carpets. Hoover with a small low voltage hoover before running!

(Hence why I suggested using ballast underlays with grassmats used outside the track)

[BorderShed]

And that is me told as well
Nice pic tho' !
arnt fora great for learning and chatting
Dont forget the hand-held vacuum !

Come to think - when did I last hoover my kitchen roll , ooops >>>

[b308]

I use 9mm and 6.5mm gauges and they are a bit more sensitive to "bits" but even so OO mechs can get messed up as well... Though the old Triang locos never seemed to worry about carpet fluff back in the 60s when I started!

[BorderShed]

Shhh, dont tell on me but I have a secret 9mm habit as well !

Ah carpet fluff, ah nostalgia, my Dublo didnt suffer from the front room* carpet too much in the 50s either, but then - it had a proper roadbed/ballast/pretend sleepers to cover some of the carpet

* the front room was where vicars and other personages were shown into, so the railway had to be lifted whenever they were expected.

[Montfort]

Sorry folks but right now I'm a little bit lost in this topic...

[b308]

Did you never put down an oval of track on the living room carpet when you were a kid?! You've not lived!!

[Montfort]

We didn't have living room carpet. My dad nailed my first oval of track on plywood sheet.

[HarryR]

:lol: We didn't have living room carpet. My dad nailed my first oval of track on plywood sheet.

You had living room? Dear God you was lucky..........