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tunnels

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  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Northwest Montana
  • 409 posts
Posted by Rastun on Friday, August 19, 2005 12:26 AM
First you get together a crew with some picks and shovels. Then get a couple more guys with rock drills. Next find a non-jittery dynamite man and some stock for him to use. Let them go to work and start making dust. [:D][}:)][:D][;)]
  • Member since
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  • From: Centennial, CO
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Posted by kstrong on Friday, August 19, 2005 12:17 AM

Patio slabs also work well. These are 2' wide, and either 2' or 3' long. (The entire tunnel is 5' long) The vertical ones are burried about 10" into the ground, so they're not going to move on you. The cap pieces are simply laid on top, with landscaping plastic laid over the top to keep dirt and water from dripping in. Then, add a portal of your preference. Unfortunately, I lost the photos I took of the finished portal.

Later,

K
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 18, 2005 8:19 PM
kevin
i used the orange chimney blocks they work , i put stone around them and i had a mountian. ben
  • Member since
    January 2005
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Posted by markn on Thursday, August 18, 2005 7:07 PM
Yuop-see? I told you-there a couple hundred ways to "skin the cat" (apologies to cat lovers-I have two)-give as much info as possible from the get go-where you are, what you are working with, and what you are trying to do-etc etc chances are someone has done some like it before and can give some guidance/advise.
  • Member since
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  • From: North, San Diego Co., CA
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Posted by ttrigg on Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:03 AM
Hi YUOP

If the "insta tunnel" is not available, you can do as I did. 6x8x18 cinderblocks. get some of the cover caps. dig in the first course of blocks half way into the ground, stagger the second layer, two paralle rows, with bent rebar and quickset concrete. span the gap with the cinderblock covers, then wrap with roofing felt (keeps water out. cover with dirt. (or in my case a water fall)

Tom Trigg

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Vermont
  • 540 posts
Posted by ondrek on Wednesday, August 17, 2005 2:55 PM
Go to your local building supply store.

Tell them you want CRACKED chimney pieces. you know the orange cinder pieces that are used for the chimney linning. Cracked ones should be cheap, if not free. we all like that.

you can take the cracked ones because you will want to put the cracked side DOWN for drainage.

take the chimney piece, lay it down, and then bury it in the dirt, put a tunnel entrance on both sides, and DONE!

insta tunnel

Kevin
  • Member since
    April 2003
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 17, 2005 12:44 PM
I built my tunnel out of pressure treated dimensional lumber, mostly 2 x 8’s and 2 x 6’s, fastened together with the galvanized steel plates (not sure of the correct terminology) used in house framing. The result was a long box that needed dressing up. I built a low edge on the top of the tunnel to hold dirt and mulch for flowers. On the sides, I simply planted flowers that completely hide the side of the tunnel. For me, the tunnel was more a device to “hide” the train momentarily than it was to make it look real.
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: West Australia
  • 2,217 posts
Posted by John Busby on Wednesday, August 17, 2005 4:37 AM
Hi YUOP
First note where I am and the fact I am probably in a different time zone.
The tunnel on my line is a large diameter poly pipe the bottom of which has been slit to take the track.
I also has had spreader bars bolted in to keep the gap open when it gets hot..
DO NOT make the tunnel longer than you can reach or you must make adequate provision for acsess.
Make the inside of your tunnel much larger than you need it to be you dont know what will visit your line or what must have monster train you will want to buy or build in the future.
Make sure your tunnel liner cannot move.
the mountain over my tunnel is a plant being slowly cut to shape
no tunnel mouths yet as i have not made the wooden ones yet or obtained a piece of airated concrete to carve into a stone mouth not sure which I want yet.
regards John
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • 225 posts
Posted by markn on Tuesday, August 16, 2005 11:09 PM
I thought someone with alot more experience would chime in here first but I'll give it a shot-my railroad is small and based on whimsy so my tunnel is for the sake of a tunnel and not too realistic-I took a Jack Daniels half barrel planter, flipped it over, cut portals, lined it with roof flashing (to keep critters from taking up residence in the sides), made "stone" portals from Legos and named it the "Muppet" Tunnel in deference to the Moffat Tunnel-I've got a 2foot+ tunnel, a mountain, a planter on top, and a place to build a scene, If you need a realistic/prototypical tunnel, there are alot folks on the forum that can help but will probably need more info to help-such as what are you trying to do? ie tunnel thru terrain in place? will you build the mounatin?-how long (anything longer than you can reach in from either end will need some access-lift out section-in the middle). From what I have seen and read here tunnels can be alot of work to build and maintain so give the experts some info and they should be able to help.
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tunnels
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 15, 2005 1:39 PM
does anyone have any ideas on ho to make a tunnel????[%-)][%-)]
i need help[:D][:D]

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