Tunnels!?

[Louvian]

I have a 5' tunnel made from 2 fireplaace flu tiles. They are square and give plenty of clearance. (except when my grandson puts people on top of a tall car). I used asphalt sealer where the 2 pieces are joined and wrapped the whole section in black plastic. The bed underneath is limestone fines. It hasn't moved an inch and stays totally dry as it is slightly elevated from the adjoining track.

Louvian

[calenelson]

It's not really Massive, only 20' x 60'...And will prob get bigger as time and funds allow.  Currently it is a Mess, too hot for me to work, can't wait till Fall!  I do need to make a sketch, one day..currrently I'm running 1 large folded Dogbone, and just came across more used track to expand!  Below is a link to the log I am trying to keep!

 

NBRR Build Log

 

cale 

[Anonymous]

Cale, love to see a sketch of the over all above view of this RR, has to be massive! Impressive at far most as I have seen.

[calenelson]

Dukebasketballer,

I found this and just wanted to add some fuel to the fire of questions. I am really just a kid and don't want to impose, but I have a stupid question. In an older volume of the the magazine one man said he used corragaited pipe. But i can't help but guess at how he keeped the track level and how he got it in the pipe. Can someone please clue me in, please

Not a Stupid question...I used 12" PVC, thought of using 15" and they make 20"....Again, this is how I did....I used "Hardi Trim" painted the ends black to camo

 

screwed ties to Hardi Plank 

Installed up to my PVC sub roadbed

Leveled left to right, and added ballast

 

cale 

[calenelson]

 

thanks TF&WL, Our line is built on a Mature Raised Bed, been there since 1992.

 

 

kinda hard to tell, but it is about 30" on the tallest point near drive-way.

 

[EMPIRE II LINE]

[quote user="dukebasketballer`"]

Hey guys,

Thanks for your help and my deepest appologies on the wording of the question. You can tak emy word for it, I will NEVER make the mistake again I really liked the way Mike biult his tunnel with the cement blocks mortered together. That will be the BEST way for me.

Thanks again guys

Say David,

You know who I am, you might want to give me a call sometime and maybe take a run out here to see what is being designed and find out who I have contacted here locally and what they are going to maybe do for me. Very interesting....Tunnels.....Mountains.....waterfalls....Rivers.

Byron    

[Anonymous]

cale

Cale, when I went to Texas A&M and studied trees for my landscaping business justa FYI, they suggest only 1" of dirt around the tree roots per year and what might happen if to much is there it will likely kill the tree/s totaly. Myself I would ever thought it! I even keep the mulch level to 1" also at my place.

[calenelson]

 

this is how we did it

it

the longest is just under 10' with an access hatch in middle using a "turf box".

 

 

cale 

 

[runawaytrain726]

 one long PVC pipe and cover it with rocks and dirt!

you don't have to listen to me but you can try it and i found it very (suucesful?)!!!

-Steven

 

[ttrigg]

I am now in the construction stages and have decided to use concrete blocks and cement them together.

David;

Where's the pictures?   

[pimanjc]

The link is for a post with construction photos for a curved tunnel I built last fall.  The tunnel has a concrete base, block walls, and formed hand cast domed roof.  It uses modified Aristocraft tunnel portals.  Long term plans include the tunnel being almost completely covered with English Ivy.  Tunnel length is about 6ft, with a backside center access port.  The curve is approximately a 9ft diameter.

http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/989737/ShowPost.aspx

 Picture taken today, during rain storm.

JimC.

[dukebasketballer`]

Sagi,

 You are not imposing; I too am just a kid. The pipe idea works in certain areas. My problem is that I want to run a double track through the tunnel so I would need some massive pipe. Most people either put a false bottom down low in the pipe or just fill it with dirt. I am now in the construction stages and have decided to use concrete blocks and cement them together.

[Saji]

Dukebasketballer,

I found this and just wanted to add some fuel to the fire of questions. I am really just a kid and don't want to impose, but I have a stupid question. In an older volume of the the magazine one man said he used corragaited pipe. But i can't help but guess at how he keeped the track level and how he got it in the pipe. Can someone please clue me in, please

[Camaro1967]

Hey Dukie, While everyone is arguing about what to make a tunnnel out of, go to your local brickyard, and buy some chimney tiles.  They are about 10 inches square, and you can connect them together,.  Its quick, and works real well.

Paul

Go Terps 

[mgilger]

David,

My wife made two of the following tunnels.  They are made out of course hobby foam. I'm not sure what you call it.  It's not the pink or blue foam you would by for home insulation, but bought at craft shops. It's held up for 3 years now, with no issues. Before we put it in the ground, she wraped plastic food wrap around it to keep moisture out. Very simple to make.

Regards,

Mark

http://community.webshots.com/user/mvgilger

[markperr]

One of my tunnels is curved as is the better part of half a ten foot diameter curve.  It's approximately 13 feet in length and has an access hole in the center back.  I've never had a derailment in it but on many an occasion, there have been electrical dead spots after a long period of non-running.  That particular tunnel was made using pink foam insulation covered in chicken wire and mortar.  Were I to do it again, I would use something more formidible.

 My other tunnel is made from 12"x12" concrete paver sides covered by pressure treated lumber, which is in turn covered by EPDM rubber pond liner since the head end of my waterfall into my upper pond begins above the tunnel.  Far sturdier construction.  I have no fears of standing on this tunnel/mountain.

Mark

[cutlass12001]

I have 3 tunnels on my garden layout.  The longest one, with a total lenght of just under 5 feet long, was made out of 2 expansion tanks from several old furnaces with the end caps cut out and welded together.  I then coated it with roofing tar to seal and protect and laid it in place.  This one should outlast me.  Then I added two smaller ones made out of terra cotta tile for a large chimney.  This measures 13" x 13" with an inside of 12" x 12".  If I remember right, these were just around 30" long.  I haven't gotten them covered or portals made, but they hold the track just where I want it.  I still have a lot of work to do.  As soon as I can figure out how to add pictures, I will add them to my next reply.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes Kev you do make sense; however i have had my tunnels now for some years and i get few problems and when i do i can rectify them easily by the methods mentioned, with no damage to my rolling stock and i have some very good stuff. (ie a Golden Mountain train pulled by the latest blue crocodile with all the bells and whistles).

I love the tunnels your train disappears and appears elsewhere, very interesting.

The idea of a path is great, you remember all the talk a few months ago about Cyril Freezer the British guru, well he loved to go under paths, then the roof of the tunnel becomes the path or vice versa. I know a great method for tunneling under paths, taught to me by our tame elctrician.

There is an American man; who is respected and revered the world over; who, with his sons jack hammered up his front porch, put in a stainless steel tube for a tunnel, so his trains could run right around his house. What guts, what disregard for his own safety! (wait till his wife finds out)

Rgds Ian  

Rgds Ian

[Great Western]

Greetings,

             As I have no tunnels on my layout, and at present have none envisaged, I found this a very interesting topic.

  When I started my construction last year I noticed that many advised against tunnels - other then very short ones - for a few reasons i.e. Murphys Law derailments, animals settting up home, and the difficulty of stock retrieval when no longer agile. 

   I see Ians' views and they obviously suit him and maybe he is prepared to risk some possible stock damage, but I go with Kevin regarding that point.

  My No.1 son who lives locally to me was keen to construct a tunnel where the rail line crosses  a pathway which leads on to a lawn.  It seemed a good idea at the time but I realized that it meant steps to negociate, possibly in haste, and therefore a source of injury.

   I haven't discounted the idea of a tunnel entirely but feel that a very short tunnel (not much longer than a standard sized G scale boxcar) could be used as a scenic break and to me that would be permissable. 

     At least in this realm we have very few dangerous reptiles or insects to worry about.    It is interesting that this facet of the  possible problems did not arise  -  I am sure Ian and those in the U.S.A.   could  tell us if this is a problem to them and how they overcome it.

  
 

  
 

[kstrong]

Actually, Ian, there's nothing to disagree about. Long tunnels are unavoidable on many railroads. I mentioned my dad's railroad earlier--4 of his 5 tunnels violate the "rule of arm." But in building tunnels or any track where the train is inaccessible, there's an inherent risk. When designing your railroad, you need to take that risk into consideration. If you run collectible pieces, or are all thumbs when it comes to repairs, then keeping your tunnels accessible greatly diminishes your chances of irreparably damaging your prized rolling stock.

It's like building a bridge over a pond. There's an inherent danger of the train getting wet. You can take steps to mitigate the danger (guard rails, etc.) but the only way to completely avoid the danger is to not build the bridge over the pond. When you build a long tunnel, you can take steps to lessen the chance of a derailment, but you cannot completely eliminate it. So long as you're comfortable with the consequences, then there's no issue. If it were my $3,000 locomotive getting pushed out with a broom handle leaving a trail of detail parts and bent valve gear in the process, I'd be seriously rethinking the length of that tunnel.

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

Well Kev mate, we will agree to disagree on this one. All the best.

Rgds Ian

[kstrong]

While Ian isn't particularly fond of the "two arms' length" rule to tunnels, I'm here to tell you it's a good rule of thumb. (Or would that be "arm?") Actually, you can go two arms' length plus a foot or two, because all you have to do is be able to reach in and grab the end of the derailed loco or car. Having had the "pleasure" of contorting my body to try to reach inside of one of dad's longer tunnels on more than one occasion, I really don't recommend it for anyone who's--shall we be polite--less than nimble. Yeah, broom handles can work, but I prefer a less destructive method of retrieval.

If you must have a long tunnel, I'd advise against ballast of any kind, and secure the track to a firm subroadbed to keep it from shifting and twisting within the tunnel. You'd also be well advised to block the entrances when not in use to keep leaves and wildlife out. All too many times, I've seen furry and reptilian things scurrying out in advance of the trains.

Getting back to building materials, the cement blocks mentioned above are good. I used a similar technique, using 2' x 2' and 2' x 3' patio pavers for the tunnel on my old railroad. They're set on end into the ground about 10", which keeps them from being pushed inward over time. The top is capped with additional pavers.



Later,

K

[Ray Dunakin]

I also use concrete blocks for my tunnels, although I used Elmer's urethane glue instead of mortar. One thing to bear in mind is that you want good solid ground under your tunnel walls to prevent settling, especially if you will have a sizeable mountain on top of it. Even then you may want to keep the height of your tunnel a little on the high side so that if it does settle over time, your tunnel won't become too low for trains to pass through.

I like to apply textured, tinted cement to the inside of my tunnels, at least near the portals where it shows. This makes it look more like blasted, fractured stone.

I have pics of my tunnels and their construction on my website:

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=3009006&a=32116967

[Anonymous]

David, what did you think of the portals, i know they are not American more European but i made them myself out of a Jigdstone moulding kit.

Tom yes this over a concrete path, as you know i don't have a backyard as such and this is a courtyard out the back, which we allocated for my railway. I will post a few photos later showing what it looked like before i started, including an idea of tunnel construction. Also photos of the completed thing.

Tom it is not for me to gine marital advice but i had a wife that was hard to get on with and i got myself a new wife; 24 years ago now and it was the best thing i have ever done.

Rgds Ian

[dukebasketballer`]

Hey guys,

Thanks for your help and my deepest appologies on the wording of the question. You can tak emy word for it, I will NEVER make the mistake again I really liked the way Mike biult his tunnel with the cement blocks mortered together. That will be the BEST way for me.

Thanks again guys

[ttrigg]

Ian:
Is this the infamous 4% twisting turn you constantly state you wish you had never built?



Is that a paved pathway under the bridges?  My wife would never let me get away with something like that.  I'm getting enough verbal abuse from her over a little three inch transgression onto the very corner of the patio where the track turns away from the pond to head out to Vine Arbor.

[Anonymous]

Sorry but that is area 3 not area 1 and it is now much more greened with a complete coverage of lawn over the tunnel roof.

You can aslo see my dreaded 4 % gradient with R2 curves under constrction.

Also note club rail 3.69 m in length which i bend myself and cut to size.

Hardly any joins and any shape and size i require.

Rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

A few pictures of my tunnel portals in area 1 under construction a few years ago.

Ian

 

[Mike Dorsch CJ&M r.r.]

No Tom , actually the bricks come that way . Those are score line groves if you want to break the brick to shorten it . That tunnel is about 5' long and it was real inexpensive to build .