Tunnel Portal for 6" track spacing

It is easy to make your own. Spray it with a fine sand paint (Rust-oleum Multicolor textured #239121 Caribbean sand) to give a concrete look.

Made my extra large ones out of blue board and a hot wire carving tool.

 

 

 

The advantages of building your own are custom fit which is going to look very realistic.

 

The above photos demonstrate how a hot foam engraver can create such realistic models. While the portals above are modern it is just as easy to engrave a stone finish for an older look and feel

 

Dave

Beautiful work Clem!

 

Cesar

Thank you Cesar, I do most my scenery with blue board and hot wire foam factory tools. I want to try a single track block curved viaduct with arches. This winter is new mountain and tunnels and coal mine.

 

Clem

You're welcome! My last project with the viaduct was made with the blue insulation board with a pen hot knife from Foam Factory. It should be easy, especially with your skills!

 

Cesar

You can do what Clem did or take two portals and cut each at the opening end; discard the extra supports and reconnect the cut portals. I cut every other brick back so I have a toothed brick to connect with the other cut portal that is also toothed to receive it.

 

Glue together and you have an extra wide portal. 

Thank you guys, all good ideas. 

 

I am old school and have never worked with foam. Looks like I need to jump into the fray .....thanks again.

 

Donald

Clem, Donald,

 

I made the back wall and the arched section with foam and a Pen Hot Knife.

 

 

 

Cesar

 

We made a few out of 3/4" plywood. Score some lines, attach sum trim moulding, prime, and paint. They can be any size you want, and built to fit in your particular scene.

The two portals in the photo beow  were done basically  as AlanRail describes.  Both are store-bought cast-plaster portals.  I cut thin (4mm) plywood to a template of the portal shape I wanted, trial fit it, etc, and then cut apart and glued the store-bought portals in pieces to cover them and filled in gaps, etc (spackling paste) and painted them, then glued them in place.  The one on the left looks similar to store bought but is both wider and taller than as it came from the store.

 

 

The portal below is just plywood covered with spackling, sanding and sprayed with Rustoleum textured sand paint. I have two or three like this.  On some I weather them with powders to simulate dirt and loco/traffic exhaust.

 

Danfitz

 

Most portals use 1" blue foam. I cut the opening with a band saw and clean up with file. The blocks are cut shallow with hot wire small carving tool. I mark off the foam on each side of tunnel with a mark every 1/2 inch or whatever looks good to you, line up a straight edge with the marks and draw with your hot carving tool. I think you can use a pencil or ball point pen to just press the lines in.

 

clem