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Tunnel Portal

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  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Sunday, July 12, 2015 8:31 AM

richhotrain

 

 
zstripe

what ever You decide on...make sure Your tallest rolling stock will fit under the side arch's and long cars on the inside if a curve, will not hit the side arch.

 

 

But, of course.   Huh?

 

 

Amazingly....some people don't allow for the inside sideswipe of the long cars.Huh?

S-scale!!??!!Tongue Tied

Take Care! Devil

Frankie Smile, Wink & Grin

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, July 12, 2015 8:43 AM

zstripe

Amazingly....some people don't allow for the inside sideswipe of the long cars.Huh?

S-scale!!??!!Tongue Tied

That is pretty obvious to most of us and will become obvious to the rest when the long cars sideswipe each other.

Regarding an S scale tunnel portal on an HO scale layout, you need to be more open-minded about innovation.  Once you start widening and heightening HO scale tunnel portals, you are effectively increasing the scale anyhow.  So, why not just use S scale tunnel portals and be done with it?   HO scale is approximately 26% smaller than S scale, so will the casual viewer really notice that difference on a tunnel portal, and if he will, won't he also notice that the HO scale tunnel portal has been heightened and widened, effectively ncreasing the scale?

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • 1,358 posts
Posted by SouthPenn on Sunday, July 12, 2015 11:05 AM

I test all my track work with a test car that I made. ( not an original idea; I read about it some where )

I cut a piece of 1/8" plexiglass to the size of my largest car. I mounted a pair of trucks and couplers to it.

The car is very light and when gently pushed around the track ( by hand ) you can check your track work. If there is a problem you can watch the trucks through the plexiglass. You can also check your clearances. When you are happy with your work, attach the car to an engine and double check it.

South Penn

South Penn
  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • 6,099 posts
Posted by Phoebe Vet on Sunday, July 12, 2015 11:11 AM

SouthPenn

I test all my track work with a test car that I made. ( not an original idea; I read about it some where )

I cut a piece of 1/8" plexiglass to the size of my largest car. I mounted a pair of trucks and couplers to it.

The car is very light and when gently pushed around the track ( by hand ) you can check your track work. If there is a problem you can watch the trucks through the plexiglass. You can also check your clearances. When you are happy with your work, attach the car to an engine and double check it.

South Penn

 

I have one of those, too.

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Sunday, July 12, 2015 4:14 PM

Rich,

I was not talking about cars side swiping in a curve..cars on the inside of the curve, the side of the car hitting the side of the tunnel portal and if running double stacks/auto racks, they will hit the arch.

I am being open minded about innovation....but not a 26% larger detail on the portals, brickwork,timber, stone. He said He wanted to try to match the other portal at the other end. That's what I was basing My answer on. I didn't notice any plain concrete portals on the link You gave, also they were single track, He would still need to widen it.

Once a plaster cast tunnel portal has been widened, painted and weathered, it's almost impossible to tell.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, July 12, 2015 4:51 PM

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, July 12, 2015 4:53 PM

zstripe

He said He wanted to try to match the other portal at the other end. That's what I was basing My answer on.

ahh, good point.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Sunday, July 12, 2015 7:04 PM

Frankly...Whistling

The idea of the S scale portal could be an option. Depends on size of the detail on the S scale item, the proportions, etc. The need to match the other end may overrule the handiness of an off-the-shelf solution here, but it might work.

I use architectural matrials all the time that are actually 1:100, but works fine in 1:87. Lots of Plastruct stuff is actually 1:100 as it was originally developed for architectural models, which typically use this scale. I've got some 1:100 figures waiting to be painted; they're just small people. I think they're JTT, but could also be Wee Scapes.

I have a couple of Ertl S scale Toyota Hybrid forklifts. They're smallish in S, but largish in HO. They work.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, July 12, 2015 11:20 PM

mlehman

Frankly...Whistling

The idea of the S scale portal could be an option. Depends on size of the detail on the S scale item, the proportions, etc. The need to match the other end may overrule the handiness of an off-the-shelf solution here, but it might work.

Yeah, Mike, that's why I was disappointed to see Frank dismiss that suggestion out of hand.  I didn't want the OP to be discouraged from using what could be a workable solution.  The concept of implementing an S scale structure on an HO scale layout has been used on more than one layout, and quite successfully, over time.  

If ever an S scale structure would work on an HO layout, it would be something like a tunnel portal which is typically out in the open, away from HO structures that might easily reflect the difference in scale. 

But for the need to match the tunnel portal on the other end, an S scale tunnel portal would be a possible solution.

Rich

Alton Junction

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