Tunnel portals and the best sites for buying model railroad supplies

[Anonymous]

Can you make realistic tunnel portals? I was looking for prices and was shocked at the price (7.50 woodland scenics). I have been using internettrains.com for my supplies because that's what I found first, but if you have any recommendations on sites I'd appreciate the help[:)]

[skiloff]

Check our http://www.1stplacehobbies.com


The prices are the best I've seen, though internettrains.com aren't much more. Still, if you are ordering $200 worth of stuff, it will probably be $10-15 cheaper than internettrains. But it also might depend on what items you are ordering. Perhaps 1stplace hobbies just has better prices on the stuff I buy.

Anyway, I've ordered several times from them and never had a problem.

As for the tunnel portals, I've seen scratch made tunnel portals. I think Dave Frary's books may show this, but I can't find mine right now. His website is:
http://www.mrscenery.com/

Check it out.

[selector]

I am sure that, with a bit of small wood pieces and some hot glue, you could make your own as molds, and pour plaster of paris into them if you want that extra step. Or, cut it out of extruded foam and glue wood 'lumber' over the foam form for a wooden portal.

[skiloff]

Just for interest sake, I did a "comparison shop" at internettrains and 1stplacehobbies to see what the final price difference would be. I tallied up all the Unitrack I need for my planned layout (although it will change, but thats another story). The order from internettrains (before shipping), came to $444. 1stplacehobbies came to $414. That is roughly a 7% savings, or to put it another way, 1stplacehobbies gives it to me tax-in. (I pay 7% coming over the border).

[babefluff]

I have used Excel chewing gum packs. Peel away all of the foil and pour in plaster of paris let it set and viola, instant bricks!

Scott

[MisterBeasley]

I bought 1 WS tunnel portal, and one bottle of WS latex rubber. I used the rubber to make a mold of the portal, and then cast several more of them out of hydrocal. I like them better because I can make them a quarter-inch thick, rather than almost an inch like the original.

I use the same technique to cast "tile walls" and "concrete floors" using Evergreen styrene sheets.

[Anonymous]

I have built wooden portals based on one af the woodland portals. It took about two hours, a dab of wood glue, and $1 worth of dows to build two. I will post some pics soon.