Has anybody built the inside of a cavern such as Kartchner caverns in AZ or Carlsbad in NM? I plan on having a "window" to look inside. How did you build and what materials did you use?
There is a model of Carlsbad Caverns in the visitor center. I’m not sure what it is made out of. I have never heard of any model railroader building the interior of a cavern on their layout but I have seen several silver or coal mine interiors. They just use standard techniques like plaster, etc.
iwander...what materials did you use?
I've not built a cavern, but I use a lot of Sculptamold and a cavern would be something it would work well with. It's easy and forgiving to mix and shape and doesn't crack or shrink when drying. It's also fairly strong on it's own when dry, if you need narrow section items like stalactites or stalagmites, or you can form it around an armature, like a bamboo skewer, to make it even stronger. It also takes paint, stain or washes well.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Hello all,
I remember seeing an article on how to detail the interior of a tunnel.
The author used heavy duty aluminum foil. They crinkled the foil and then painted it to replicate the interior of the tunnel.
I believe that the same technique could be used to replicate the interior of a cavern.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
I ust expanded one of the tunnels on my layout and I was thinking of leaving the side off so you can see inside. I was just wondering if that would add any interest to my layout. I'm kind of on the fence.
If I do detail the inside, I was going to use Sculptamold but I may try the foil idea. It's a cramped little space that already has rail going through it.
Thanks for bring up the subject. I look forward to various thoughts...
On YouTube at It's My Railroad
Awesome idea. I imagine shaping foam concave would be fairly easy. Adding stalagtites and stalagmites might be a challenge but would be a new contrast to traditional train scenery. I wonder if you could affix a small led to a spelunkers hardhat to provide lighting within the cavern?
I am not familiar with Carlsbad Cavern, but a model of Ruby Falls in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee would be interesting.
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Lots of undergound streams and rock formations inside of it to add interest. It could be lit like the prototype.
My guess is that the same techniques used to build rock outcroppings on layout surfaces could be employed underground. Access would be harder. It would probably be easier to build it at the workbench and install it on the layout when completed.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Carlsbad Caverns is a nation park in New Mexico. It is pretty amazing. It was originally discovered by a cowboy who discovered the massive bat cave that turned into a huge business of mining guano (bat poop), which turns out to be the best fertilizer since the bats eat tiny insects, mostly fruit flies. It takes all day to walk through it. The Big Room is the largest chamber in the world. At the end of the day you take an elevator back up because the hike out is too much for people but in the old days you had to walk out. Now you have to take the elevator. Anyway I saw on the Woodland Scenics website they suggest using plaster to form the interior of the cave and rolling up plaster cloth to form stalactites and stalagmites and then gluing them in place.
If I were going to model a cavern I would cheat rather then build one. They may still make those little viewers you get at a tourist stop that are a fixed picture viewmaster you hold up to the light. They have a small lens in one end and a picture in the other that you see when you hold it up to the light. Should be fairly simple to mount one in the facia with a bulb or led behind it. Wouldn't be surprised if they sold them at Carlsbad Caverns.
ndbprrIf I were going to model a cavern I would cheat rather then build one. They may still make those little viewers you get at a tourist stop that are a fixed picture viewmaster you hold up to the light. They have a small lens in one end and a picture in the other that you see when you hold it up to the light. Should be fairly simple to mount one in the facia with a bulb or led behind it. Wouldn't be surprised if they sold them at Carlsbad Caverns.
Somewhere from my childhood I have the viewmaster slides of Carlsbad Caverns which were purchased there in the 1960s or 70s.
If you live anywhere near Pennsylvania visit Roadside America. They have a cavern built on the side of their layout that you can actually walk thru. It's pretty amazing