# 2 Short Tunnels



## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

My daughter Sara was of the opinion that I NEEDED a tunnel.... or two. Covered bridges just weren't good enough. Soooo, I started on a couple VERY short ones between rain showers this evening. They are each a whopping 16" long so far. I might extend the one another 8" yet, I haven't decided.

Tunnel #1 - at Giant gnome farm. A view block to help hide the return loop.









I rearranged the cap rocks after this pic was taken, but by then it was too dark to take a photo









Tunnel #2 - at Hitch Gap I may decide extend this one, and hide the hitch under a planter...


















Gotta go get more rocks tomorrow or Friday....


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## White Deer RR (May 15, 2009)

Looking good, my daughter insists that the train come forwards out of the tunnel towards the yard at all times, because she decrees it. Thus my usual direction is reversed from what it had been, so I got to re-level some curves. 

I felt compelled to build a short tunnel too, and went ahead and bought one foam portal. It looks kind of cool lit up by an LED garden "rock" spotlight at night, almost Disney-esque. Having some kind of interruption in the view of the train can be effective, as you suggest. The back tunnel portal, typically out of view, is just 1/2 inch wood. 

And hey, if we get a stall in the tunnel, no problem, huh? Somehow I managed to choose a spot with a joiner so I replaced that first with a rail clamp. Oh, and I wouldn't suggest it for big tunnels or folks using stone of course, but since I just wanted an inch or two of dirt on top, I used an old two foot plastic planter with the ends cut out for a liner, braced against pavers for the side walls. It's easily rained 10 inches here this spring but so far so good, no collapses, runs drips or errors. 

Happy running!


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