SCENES ALONG THE
CIMARRON & TALL TIMBERS RR
By
Tom Troughton, MMR
Here's some ideas and techniques I've used to create darkened tunnel effects. A casting form from Woodland Scenics allows you to make curved topped linings, but I wanted to use one that provided easy access to the rails within the tunnel. My tunnel walls are plaster castings made from a rectangular rock casting mold. The castings rest on the lip provided by the sub-roadbed and are covered with a piece of cardboard.
This overall view of Silver King Mountain shows the main line of the Cimarron & Tall Timbers RR on the lower level as it enters a concrete tunnel portal while the branch line above only has a blasted rock portal. The track in front of the concrete portal will eventually be replaced by a wooden trestle to make a dramatic view when seen thru the window on the left.
Here's the painted concrete portal fastened in place on the unweathered plaster scenery of Silver King Mountain. The portal was made from two pieces of 2 x 6" lumber and faced with pieces of Masonite. Tiny Masonite strips provided the detail along the top edges. The structure was airbrushed with Polly Scale Concrete color and smoke weathered with Tarnished Black.
The branch line tunneling crew decided not to make much of a portal, but was able to blast and hammer out a rounded entrance. The arched opening was made with a form cut from a piece of 2 x 6 lumber that was further cut into three wedged shaped pieces for easy removal once the plaster had set.
This view shows the interior of one of the main line tunnels of the C&TT RR. It was created by painting untempered Masonite with a base color of gray acrylic paint and finished by blotting on lighter colors with a sponge.
This is a sample of the casting I used for the liners. I made a regular casting first from a very etailed latex rubber mold, cut the casting to the correct size, flattened its surface details and made a RTV mold of it. The casting on the left is typical of those used in this project.
This view shows the interior of the branch line as it completes its 4% climb up to the Silver King Mining District. The plaster castings have been attached to the curved pieces of the untempered Masonite with a dab of Liquid Nails for Projects.
The view on the right shows that the closest liner support is screwed into the sub-roadbed for easy removal. The facing liners are attached to the support only as far as necessary when viewed thru the tunnel portal.
These scenes are of the backsides of the other ends of the tracks just shown. This view shows the main line on the left, the 4% branch line in the center and the throat leading to a three track storage yard below Silver King Mountain. The tunnels are lined just far enough so that a viewer cannot see beyond the liners.
The ends of the three storage tracks below Silver King Mountain have an arch that holds an Infra Red Diode to provide a light beam to the receptor circuits located below the roadbed. When an object breaks the beam, a bi-colored LED on a panel changes from Green to Red, indicating that the track is occupied. These arched type detectors are located at both ends of the storage tracks.
This tunnel portal is made of 3/4" plywood side supports that have been scribed to simulate planks. The timbers have been distressed and small brads inserted to suggest nut, bolts and washers.
The final scene shows the two tunnel portals thru the window in my layout room wall. As a youngster, I can remember looking through the window of Union Station in Joliet, Illinois to see the model trains inside.
