Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Place your tallest engine or rail car on a section of track and road bed, and measure the height and width of each in millimeters.
Add 20 percent to each measurement to determine minimum clearances inside the tunnel. For example, an engine 65 mm tall and road bed 20 mm wide requires a tunnel at least 78 mm high and 24 mm wide to ensure the train can travel through:
65 x .20 = 13
65 + 13 = 78
20 x .20 = 4
20 + 4 = 24
Lay the cork road bed and track in place, and secure with rail nails and white glue.
Mark lines on the base along both sides of the track that correspond to minimum width clearances. These lines are reference points.
Mark the entry and exit points of the tunnel on the base.
Place newspaper over the track, and mark the location of the track beneath the paper and both portals.
Cut along the lines drawn on the newspaper to create a template marking the interior walls of the tunnel.
Mark and cut the outer edges of the tunnel to define the shape of the model mountain as you like.
Match each template to the clearance lines and trim as necessary.
Place the template over a foam sheet, and mark the the template edges.
Cut the foam with a hobby knife along the template lines, and repeat the process until you have several layers of foam.
Stack the layers, and apply lines of glue between them to form the mountain and tunnel around the track, securing by pressing a few finishing nails into the foam as you go.
Add a top layer of foam sheeting to cover the tunnel once you have reached the proper minimum height clearances.
Add the entry and exit portals using white glue to secure them to the base.