Charlie Comstock is ...
UP THE CREEK: Tunnel Liners
A regular report on the construction of a 1950s-something layout
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Avoid that “hollow hills” look. If someone peeks into a tunnel, will they see evidence of the solid rock the construction crews blasted through, or only empty space? In this column I explain how I handled this issue.
Charlie Comstock is our layouts editor and columnist. Click here to learn more about Charlie.
H
ave you visited a layout with gorgeous scenery? You admire tall mountains, waterfalls, stands of tall timber, and track that snakes its way through the rugged terrain. Locomotives struggle to overcome steep grades while their trains cling to mountain sides, fly over chasms on spindly bridges and dive into tunnels blasted through solid granite. Then you take a closer look as a train heads into a tunnel. “Hey, there’s nothing in there besides some cardboard webbing, a few 1x2’s and some plaster! Isn’t that hillside supposed to be solid rock?” The illusion is destroyed (or at least tarnished).
Page 126 • Issue 6 • Mar/Apr 2010 • Up the Creek column, page 1
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