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In the Dark With Tunnels? 5 Quick Tunnel Tips
Model train tunnels are generally a necessity on mountainous layouts, but they can also add greatly to the realism of a scene.
A tunnel is an excellent device for making a model railroad seem to be much bigger than it actually is. A tunnel will hide the train for part of its journey, leaving the viewer to imagine it has departed the area for a distant destination. When the train mysteriously reappears out the other end of the tunnel, it is easy to imagine it’s a completely different train coming from somewhere else. When model trains are constantly in view, realism can suffer.
Here are 5 quick tips for better tunnels:
1. Blacken the insides of your tunnels. A flat black acrylic paint can be used for the interior roof, walls, and floor. An unpainted “plywood-colored” tunnel interior will look unnatural, and lack the dark and mysterious appearance of a real tunnel.
2. Place ballast on both sides of the track inside your tunnel portal. Continue the ballast for as far as the eye can see.
3. If you are not experienced with making your own tunnel portals, they are reasonably inexpensive to buy. Ready-made tunnel portals sometimes are pre-weathered, but you can add your own weathering effects with gray wash, chalk etc. to add more realism. Smoke and exhaust smudges look good towards the top of the portal. Ready-made portals are certainly more realistic at the entrance to a tunnel than is a roughly cut hole.
4. Allow plenty of clearance inside the tunnel for your longest and tallest trains to navigate safely. There also needs to be adequate clearance for track and trains to the left and right of tunnel entrances. Although this won’t necessarily stop all derailments, it will ensure your trains don’t come to a sudden stop each time they try to enter the tunnel. Also, you’ll want enough space to put your fingers, or a tool (pair of long forceps or tweezers) inside the entrance if a train derails.
5. Allow access to the tunnel interior, because you can almost guarantee your trains will want to derail in the most hard to reach location on your layout, especially inside tunnels! Derailed trains can usually be retrieved easily from inside short tunnels, but longer curved tunnels can be problematic. This is why creating another access point is a good idea, either from underneath the track, or through the side of the mountain. Another option is to make your mountain (or tunnel) as a lift off section.
One quick idea is to build an old photo frame into the scenery. Chuck out the glass and use the frame and backing (face down), in the scenery. When a train derails you simply remove the backing sheet of frame to access the inside of your tunnel. You can hide the frame using bushes, trees, fences, or other scenery props.
3 Responses to In the Dark With Tunnels? 5 Quick Tunnel Tips
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Never, but never, have plaster directly over the track ! It crumbles down on the rails and causes endless contact problems. Line tunnels with card, or at least have a layer of card all the way along above the tracks.
Believe from the start that your trains will regularly derail in tunnels, so design really good openings for access !
Hear Hear on that. Always have access to your tunnels. Access from the side, or top it doesn’t matter. Even a reach in from the bottom along the tracks helps. Build your hill or mountain with a lift off of some scenery or buildings, Use Drawer pulls with flip handles to lift them off. Hide the pulls with rock formations that will lift off. Your lift off should overlap the permanent scenery and if done right no one would ever know. Side entries are good especially at the edge of the table where a door or drop down door can swing open. This makes easy cleaning and maintenance of those hidden spots. Be sure to install cross supports to support this scenery or have them installed on your lift off so the remove with the lift off so you have full access along the track.. Keep track connections to a minimum through the tunnel and ensure the rails connect well if you do. Soldier flex track connections to when you lay the rail that the track connection stays lined with the rail and does not jog in the connections. Getting a wrecked train out is tough without access.
My first was under a mountain where I had a small hole back in the back corner and of course crawl under the layout to get to it. Even when putting in my arm past my elbow it was tough to reach the whole wreck. I always conned my younger brother at the time to go retrieve it. Now I know to make sure I have access all the way. Even just a short distance such as a foot from the tunnel portal can be difficult. You will be glad you did. and done right know one will ever know that scenery opens up. If your tracks are on tables that tracks get out of reach from the edge, Leave your self a way in. As you get older those small holes are tougher and tougher to get to and in. Some folks do duck unders for gates. And those are tough when your guests try them so think about that also as you get older. Newman Atkinson
thank you very much for what you shown me its been very helpfull