Papier mache tunnel
- Thread starter joshpaul1
- Start date
JimmyB
Now retired - trains and fishing
In theory yes, but any area, no matter how small that is not completely protected will allow water in, and you will have mush over chicken wire.
Northsider
Modelling the Northern half of the Isle of Man
Fibreglass 'tissue' and resin would work, but could be messy/smelly. But once it has cured ('set hard') it will be fine.
Concrete is a much better bet, you could do the original detail with paper mache if you wish but I tend to soak cut up old blanket in a thin watery mix of conctrete. Let that dry overnight this time if the year then mix up a 2.2.1 mix of sharpe sand, building sand, cement with some waterproof PVA, water and a splash of washing up liquid to a fairly thick proportion, if the original is quite hard you can trowel it on. If not make the mix thinner and apply with an old 4-6 inch brush. If you want detail let that dry a day or two then make a other thick mix that you can trowel in adding detail as you go. Detail can be added with a plastering 1inch knife. If it is very hor the concrete may tend to dry too fast, here a spray a couple of times a day with an old cleaning spray bottle with water and a splash of washing up liquid will help slow the drying process to assist correct curing. You could if course add summer Concrete Liquid to the mix but I have never found it necessary.
maxi-model
UK/US/ROW steam narrow gauge railways 1:1
Just a thought, why do you want a tunnel ? I only ask as a lot of people like the giving the appearance of a train disappearing in one place and reappearing in another. The effect can achieved by carefull planting of shrubs and othe foliage, like ferns. Ok, you need to wait a little for them to grow but the effect is the same but blended naturally into a garden. And a lot more accessible than a full cover tunnel. Depending on what you want to achieve a possible solution ? Max
Example of what I have done to create "tunnel" or "screening" effects.
Example of what I have done to create "tunnel" or "screening" effects.
viaEstrecha
Spanish metre gauge in G scale (on the cheap)
If you have a friendly building site nearby, they might let you have an offcut of big drainpipe, to form an inner lining
Wow that would make a great then and now location pic.
playmofire
Registered
And it's easier to re-rail a derailed train amongst some shrubs and foliage than inside a tunnel.
I only have shrubs and flowers in pots plus who doesn’t love a tunnel?
So I’ve decided on the old insulation foam tunnel,
The poor souls digging them
In the latest 16mm Magazine (May 2026) there is a very nice layout with a tunnel passing beneath a Brick Built Tunnel, it has nice Concrete cast Tunnel Mouths and the seat has lifting panels giving access to what lies below. Apparently the what looks to be a 3 rear tunnel length is a popular spot for live steam locomotives to run out of puth, but clearly in this case acces involves no arm stretching.
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