Tunnels & Mountains

 

Tip # 1 - Make a small coal mine
Take a N-Gauge Tunnel and cut it to fit against you HO scale layout's mountains or a painted mountain backdrop. Use landscaping materials to hide the joint. Use N scale track to simulate the mine track. Put a sign over the entrance, and pile coal randomly around the mine. Next place miners and an ore car to complete the scene.


Tip # 2 - Detailed Tunnel Interiors
The inside of tunnels are sometimes reinforced to help prevent cave-ins or rock slides. Use cardboard or balsa wood to recreate this inside your tunnels. The cardboard and balsa can be marked to simulate boards and painted to look like dark wood. Make the interior tunnel big enough so you can reach in and pull out your train in case it derails. The edges should not be visible when viewed through the tunnel portal.

When you pour your plaster for the outside entrance area, just before it sets up, take an exacto knife or other sharp object and pick away at the plaster so it appears chipped and rough. Leave this one tunnel entrance rough to look like the workers haven't finished added the wood or concrete face to the tunnel. Basically a tunnel in process.


Tip # 3 - It's a Dirty Business

After years of use, train tunnels end up with soot on the tunnel portal above the tracks. To model realistic soot, grind up a charcoal briquette and brush on the powder with a small paintbrush. Lightly spray Dullcote to secure the charcoal.

Another way to add smoke is to use smoke. Take a candle and light it. Hold the flame under the tunnel entrance, the farther away you can hold it, the better, the soot will rise and char the entrance for real.

Tip # 4 - Make A Rock Slide
Railroad tracks often go through rough mountainous areas where rock slides can happen. You can model this on your layout using gravel, ballast and stones plus a few larger boulders.

Put the stones and other material near the entrance to the tunnel, but not blocking the track.

Place men with shovels, a truck, road barriers and other details around the rock slide as if it were being cleaned up.

 

Another idea is to run a set of tracks into a tunnel opening and then pile boulders and rocks etc. in the entrance to simulate a cave in. Obviously you don't want to do this on a piece of track that you are running trains on, just make a fake siding some place.

Tip # 5 - Many Uses For Mountain Paper
Mountain Paper is a versatile landscaping product that can be used in a number of realistic ways on you train layout. Try these ideas:

quick cover-up for unfinished areas
railroad or highway tunnels
removable cover for access holes
easy to make mountains
river bluffs
cover for seams or back edge of train platform
conceal work in progress