Use of tunnel portal suggestions

Just cut the center legs off and affix them together on the back side. You can use some wood and CA them to the back side, then you will have one big opening.

Staggering can be effective as well.

     l had a similar problem on the old layout that is now taken down. l cut out 1/2 of every other brick / stone and inner locked them together. Scenic Express sells wall sections that inner lock together so it makes it look like one solid wall as you put together section after section. l did mine by hand with an exacto knife and after l was finished my father bought me a scroll saw. lt would have made that job a lot easier having the saw to cut them out instead of by hand.  Choo Choo Kenny

Hi Joe, Couple of suggestions. I would stagger the entrances to get away from that flat appearance. By staggering

them you can add retaining walls etc.  which will provide a lot of scenic interest. Do you operate the layout from

inside the bench work or outside? I would think about arranging the staggering  appropriately i.e.  your

illustration indicates you viewing angle is on the inside, opposite of the camera angle. If you do decide to

splice the entrances you can gap them as in these photos. One final thought is if you need to

splice them together more tightly together I would look at the tunnel portals from Scenic Express.

I believe the Woodland Scenic portals are plaster casts. Attempting to cut them will likely result

in breaking the plaster. The Scenic Express portals are a 'foamy' material and are easily cut and

mated together. Good luck, Mike

Joe:

I really like the staggered effect. I think it helps break up the scene much more than one two bay tunnel portal.

Joe

FWIW, I agree with the others on the staggered portals looking much better than the side by sides.

If you stagger them in your application, you will need a wall between them in the center of the tracks.  

If you splice them, you should cut half the side of each so you maintain the brick detail on the curved top.  To be more detailed, you would need to jigsaw each brick to weave them together as they would be normally laid.  Your splice will need to be touched up and painted in any event. You can use some weathering and steam soot color to aid the effect.

Enjoy! It looks like you are making good progress.

George

Staggered portals will look better IMO, preferably with the scenery made to fit with it.

However, I don't think the flattened-arch masonry portals look right from an engineering standpoint. Masonry portals need more parabolic arch shape to look credible. Call it modeler's license if you wish.

Joe,  What is the radius of your curves?  They look great! 

I too have used staggered portal placement with masonry connecting walls in this situation.

Tom Tee posted:

Joe,  What is the radius of your curves?  They look great! 

I too have used staggered portal placement with masonry connecting walls in this situation.

138/128 113/106. Hindsight I should have gone down 1 lower on the 2 inside loops to allow for tunnel portals but the decision to add tunnels was  after the track was down. Poor planning on my part. As it stands I'll have to angle the stone walls between the portals or place them further apart than I would like. These portals came in 2 different widths so I ordered the larger since they'll be on big curves.