Tunnels and Swamps?
- Thread starter KB02
- Start date
D&J RailRoad
Professor of HO
It seems like you are talking about two different things here. I understand "modeling the interior of a tunnel" to mean apply ballast to the tracks and making the walls of the tunnel black as you would find in a real tunnel with no light leaking in from the exterior.
Since I bought a small POV camera that can ride on a flat car on my HO scale empire, I ran it through the tunnels on the railroad and was surprised how terrible it looked and really departed from the scenery I was developing on the visible part of the layout.
I have access to the interior of the tunnel as it is over 7' tall and about 20' from end to end. I bought several sheets of black card stock and but them up to form walls along the track and then a cover that could be easily lifted off the walls to retrieve trains or do track work.
The attached video shows and early look at the tunnel with the first effort of card stock. I could still see light leaking in, so I refined it even more before completing the construction of the mountain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1OOSPCyLKY
Since I bought a small POV camera that can ride on a flat car on my HO scale empire, I ran it through the tunnels on the railroad and was surprised how terrible it looked and really departed from the scenery I was developing on the visible part of the layout.
I have access to the interior of the tunnel as it is over 7' tall and about 20' from end to end. I bought several sheets of black card stock and but them up to form walls along the track and then a cover that could be easily lifted off the walls to retrieve trains or do track work.
The attached video shows and early look at the tunnel with the first effort of card stock. I could still see light leaking in, so I refined it even more before completing the construction of the mountain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1OOSPCyLKY
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
I have seen some photos in model railroad magazines where hidden tracks were showing through a facia and the inside of the tunnel was shown for about a three to four foot length. In another article, an urban scene had a subway station showing under a passenger terminal. That one was cool. The modeler had a simple loop and a subway train would appear from time to time.
Railphotog
Railroad Photographer
I've modeled a swamp section on my HO scale modules. Cut a depression in the plywood base and added plywood underneath the hole. Laid the track and poured in Envirotex Lite up to the level of the rail. A tricky proposition, as the Envirotex is fairly thick and flows slowly, I didn't want it to go over the rails. More or less it, added foliage around the swamp, an abandoned truck, etc.
Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
Not me, but a couple of friends had done so on their modulars that we hook together. On is a serious tunnel interior with workers inspecting the ventiliation system ducts. The other has a dwarven mine inside. Both are big hits at the shows we have shown at.
KB02
Well-Known Member
Any chance of posting a couple of pictures?
tcwright973
Member
Bob
I really enjoyed that photo. It's a very nice bit of scenery.
Tom
I really enjoyed that photo. It's a very nice bit of scenery.
Tom
railBuilderDhd
Active Member
The module group I'm a member with has a module a member built that has a tunnel on the outside edge of the module you can see. It's more of an under building tunnel than mountain tunnel but looks great running through it. I'm not sure I have photos but I can look.
Dave
Dave
