A railway tunnel is also a great way of adding height to your layout. In real life, trains cannot go up steep gradients, but in the model world, we can make this possible. Now, I’m not talking about building a mini Mount Everest on your layout, I think you get what I mean.
If I’m being honest, I prefer the cheaper option of building them myself, and I want to show you how you can do it too. If you prefer to got out and buy an unrealistic plastic looking model tunnel, then that is an option, but one that is costly.
Using Paper Mache
The only way to build realistic scenery’s and get the effect of natural hillsides is to go the paper mache way. You can purchase tunnels entrances from hobby shops, but they might be a bit expensive, but many people prefer to do this.
You can also make your own tunnel portals,using simple things such as cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls. I know it might sound a little odd, but when the product is finished and strengthened, you will find it makes an excellent tunnel entrance, and very cheaply.
Using Styrofoam/Polystyrene
Styrofoam, is a well used base material of model railways, and can be easily carved and cut to create many shapes and forms. You can Styrofoam/Polystyrene in most model shops and also at your local hardware store. It can come in many shapes and sizes, so it’s best to have an idea of what shape you are going to need, to save on money.
Creating A Realistic Model Railway Tunnel
Building model railway tunnels, of actually settings of maybe somewhere in Devon or Cornwall is now sounding very appealing to me, and I don’t know how I have never thought of really doing this in the past. I think I have always gone with my mind, and never used a Model Railway Layout Planner, just always used my imagination.
Building Model Railway Tunnels Video
This is an amateur video, but I just had to add it here, to see what you can build if you put your mind to it. Using simple household materials, you can build some amazing looking tunnels, using little or no money.