Building a Rockface tunnel

[AddictiveBiscuit]

So I'm wanting to put a tunnel on my new railway with a rockface style, that looks like it was simply made by blasting through rock with dynamite. Similar to this, can't be that hard I thought! I thought..... Suggestions please! I know where I can get some big rocks but could it be easier to make it out of something else?


Biggest rocks I have and even these wasn't tall enough.

 

[stockers]

a bit of cement and build upwards - but give plenty of clearance - rolling stock has a habit of getting bigger!

 

[Gizzy]

Lots of smaller pieces built up should do it, like a dry stone wall?

Your first picture shows a more angular rock, rather than the smoother, rounder boulders that you have in the garden.

You could disguise any joints with some clever planting....

 

[Frank Gallagher]

a bit of cement and build upwards - but give plenty of clearance - rolling stock has a habit of getting bigger!

Said the man with Harz Kamel

 

[beavercreek]

Styrofoam or urethane blocks are easy to carve and will take a covering of plasticised cement which is stained with 'rock colours' as it dries.
Using the carved blocks together with real rock will give a good representation of what you are after.
It is also weather resistant, especially if covered with the cement.......

It is good for the face of the tunnel and would disguise the construction, especially if you have use flat slabs for the tunnel roof

 

[korm kormsen]

i had the same idea.
tried to realize it with styrofoam.

from here:
http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/21819/protocoling-a-mountain?page=1

 

[a98087]

There's 2 ways of doing it, you do as your doing and build a tunnel out of rocks

Or the other way is make a tunnel out of bricks and patio slabs and then clad it with rock

Both methods work just as well, as as already been said allow plenty of room for clearance

Dan

 

[stevedenver]

And ample arm, shoulder and hand clearance and access to the inevitable derailment........positive drainage too so you can hose out critters and detritus......

 

[trammayo]

I just used up stones and old concrete - plus polystyrene packaging for the tunnel roof (for shuttering and left in-situ). Rendered and stippled with an old paint brush. Polystyrene (used as shuttering) can easily be removed if you wanted to form a hewn rock faced portal - just a drop of petrol will disolve it.



Used a thinned down, oil-based, u'coat to colour it when dry (about three weeks).

 

[duncana]

Hi Guys, my first post, so hello to all.

I had the same question and came up with a possible solution but have not got round to trying it yet.

I thought if i dug out a 'mould' in a spare part of my garden in the ground, I could then Shutter the tunnel entrance and base, and then use the resulting 'mould' to cast in concrete, and when hardened, lift and use as is, or wash it off. Has anyone tried anything similar to this?

 

[Burl Rice]

Someone else will have more experience than me in this subject, but the only problem I see with casting concrete in the dirt would be getting the air bubbles out. Concrete responds well to vibration, but it might ruin your mold.

 

[trammayo]

As concrete weigh around 2 tonnes per cube, it could hurt the back as well!

 

[AddictiveBiscuit]

Not using rocks anymore, having a mould made but we aren't using concrete.. Tunnel grout or something like that (Probably wrong).. Have to wait and see!

 

[dunnyrail]

The other way would be to use the Concrete Mountains that we did on the Ruschbahn. Just make a frame out of Timber, Chicken Wire Mesh on top of that with some old Blanket or Sheeting, cotton type works best. Then a mix of 3 Sharpe, 3 Building, one cement and a good dollop of external PVA. Oh you could add a bit of Black Concrete Colour Powder as well. Mix this up and apply with an old 1 inch filler knife. Try to get some strata in by dabbing and smoothing, an old brush and spraying with an old kitchen clening spray gun loaded with water and some washing up liquid helps. If you want a more rough finish you can fling Postcrete at it whilst wet or just rewet with the Spray and do your thing with the Postcrete. Ypu vpcan leave to dry overnight and have another go at it the next day or week till you are happy with the result. Over time the wood may rot but the conctete will stay firmish as the combination of the Chicken Wire and Concrete will make a good strong job.
JonD

 

[Handsomerob]

Here is my rock tunnel, it took a lot of heavy lifting.