Tunnel portals

[bootneckbob]

Hi, not really been in this section much but thought I'd share a bit on tunnel portals. I'm modelling a real place (Exeter St Davids) but have had to make a couple of small changes.
Anyway, my build was always going to be scratch built and the the tunnel portals at one end were my first attempt at scratch building and working with modelling materials.
I did, or have done years worth of online research of pictures and video from ESD; some has to be time relevant (late 1980s) but other things dont change much over time, the tunnel after the viaduct to Exeter Central for instance. I started by studying some pictures; for the first tunnel I carved the tunnel shape from foam. I used the stuff you use for flower arranging. It was very easy to shape but really messy and fragile. Once I had the shape and had tested it with trains for clearance and look, I then bonded foam card (5mm & 3mm) to it and then use Slaters Plasticard on the front and inside.
It was at this point I started painting and messing around with how to achieve a weathered 150 year old look.

From there I made and added the rest of the detail which I should have done before painting. I did this on the second one, but I was eager to start painting on the first one!

My paint finish is achieved by painting the card in a red terracotta then layers of burnt umber/raw umber etc. I add white in patches to get the paint into the mortar lines and then use wash after wash with water to get the layered look. I used a small piece of hardboard to rub off some of the paint too.

The longest part was making the the detail for the arches as I had to cut up specific lines of brick from a sheet of card and then add them to the entrance a line at a time.

For the second tunnel I made I used an old Metcalf card kit which I then basically just applied the steps I described above. This second tunnel doesn't exist on the real railway in this location so after some research I decided the time-frame that those lines were laid was within 20 years of the other lines on the viaduct so a similar design of tunnel would almost certainly have been used.

I added a little more detail on the second tunnel with communication lines hanging from the wall which is something I saw in my research.

Anyway, not completely finished yet but you should get the idea.

Ps I've been using a glue gun for the construction at the early stages and super glue for the external detail and arches.

[bootneckbob]

Didn't really show the second one in full.

[gppsoftware]

Exeter isn't too far from the neck of the woods I model: west of Newton Abbot.
In that area, there are Brunel-style tunnel mouths. I used cab-view photos of the tunnel mouth at the top of Dainton bank, suitably adjusted and then modelled with plaster:

http://www.mrol.com.au/Pages/Vu/Modelli ... unnelMouth

Scroll down a bit in here http://www.mrol.com.au/Pages/Vu/AshpringtonRoad and the tunnel mouth at the other end of my layout can be seen.

Plaster is a really good material for representing stone and gives a really realistic finish when water colours are applied.

[bootneckbob]

Really interesting article and a lovely layout; thanks.

[End2end]

Plaster is a really good material for representing stone and gives a really realistic finish when water colours are applied.

I couldn't agree more. It's one of the reasons I like to work with Linka moulds / plaster.
Thanks
End2end