MODEL RAILROAD TUNNELS. Easy How To

[@Rhinexing]

I purchased a bunch of plastic sheet products from you a a couple of months ago, & I'm glad I took your recommendation to go up a scale. The HO will look just fine for my N-scale builds. Great Video, DJ! -Mike

[@djstrains]

Yay! Thank you!

[@djstrains]

Thanks, and anyone reading should know that I am selling at huge discounts on sheet styrene from evergreen and plastruct. [e-mail]

[@gigigoldie3668]

@@djstrains thanks DJ U r the man 👍❤️from oz

[@jeffreymcconnell6794]

Great video, DJ! And your NASCAR comment is spot on! 😂😂😂

[@MRR_Shadowolf]

DJ - love your channel since I found it, I have got to say this, in my opinion, this is your best video to date! From intro to some incredible tunnel/portal tips I had not seen before, I took notes! Loved the Nascar comment at end! Thanks for sharing!

[@djstrains]

Thank you! More to come!!

[@MDKTraining]

Really appreciate your background info in these videos, the drone shots and the history along with real world railroad operations and then modeling advice. Doesn’t get much better. Thank you.

[@djstrains]

Sincerely appreciated

[@GrandTrunkWestern85]

I absolutely agree with you on your comments about amazing drone footage! I'm a grand trunk guy but I loved them shots from the Bessemer a while back top notch man cheers DJ take care

[@jhoodfysh]

Nicely done DJ, short and to the point with some variables. The drone footage at the end is great. Thank you.

[@djstrains]

It was caught by luck. I was so excited to get it

[@billvenables5309]

I would like to suggest a different way to cut your tunnel portal. Cut up the center line from bottom to the curve. Then cut along the curve in both directions to the line marking your widest point. Turn the plastic over and score along the lines marking the widest point. Turn it back over and fold the center pieces down ward on a sharp edge to a 90 degree angle . Slide the tunnel portal into the tunnel .You now have a tunnel portal with a liner for the first couple of inches. Love your videos.

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Some great tips in here, I learned a bunch, thanks for sharing!

[@djstrains]

Thanks for watching!!

[@tomeasley5979]

Awesome drone footage! Thanks for always explaining where the trains are coming from or headed to. Fun tunnel video also. Thanks for sharing.

[@djstrains]

My pleasure

[@masonprater7564]

Awesome job D.J.

[@ronchickadel5837]

Thanks!

[@the_BRD_sub_byDonHennessy]

DJ, great video, nicely done. Cheers

[@djstrains]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@MrJohnB-qs6dp]

Awesome!!!👊🏻 Thanks for showing how to make a tunnel!!! Stay Safe & God Bless!!!

[@djstrains]

Thanks, have a great weekend

[@MrJohnB-qs6dp]

@@djstrains You do the same!! Looking for warmer weather!!

[@pauljacobsen9002]

So cool! Love your stuff and delivery!

[@djstrains]

Thanks so much!

[@normanrowe2831]

Hi ya DJ. Nice magic trick with the laptop. And another great tip on how to make a proper tunnel portal. Inexpensively. Thanks. I look forward to your next update. Take care.

[@djstrains]

Thank ya, buddy!

[@mikehowey4869]

You made it look so easy, the tunnel looks fantastic!!

[@djstrains]

It is!

[@sernajrlouis]

Mmmm. Cutting chocolate cake.....oh wait a tunnel. Lol. Now I want cake 😀. Great video

[@djstrains]

Lmao!!!

[@kraigsickels3918]

Always a great video DJ !!! I just really enjoyed all the time , effort , knowledge and positivity you put into all your work!! I am going to revisit my tunnels later on!

[@djstrains]

I appreciate that

[@thomasmaster5603]

Great tips and video.

[@djstrains]

Glad it was helpful!

[@newhavennscale]

Thank you for this instructional video. I learned a lot.

[@djstrains]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joeraderblackrockcentralrr]

Great tips as always DJ. Thanks

[@djstrains]

Thanks for watching

[@NJP76]

This will play well with a T-Trak module I am planning on building later this spring. I used to use paper towel rolls cut to about 2 inches, slit open and painted flat black inside. That was actually quite successful for single track tunnel portals. Never considered using brick sheet stock for the liner. Will be trying that for this upcoming project. Guess it is time to get my order in.

[@djstrains]

I sell for $6. while other stores sell it at $15. email. [e-mail]

[@mapit07]

Great technique for tunnel portals. Thanks for sharing!

[@djstrains]

You're very welcome!

[@skerbs7755]

Great video. Learned a bunch. OK, I will slow my freight trains down. Sometimes I do like to run my Conrail's at 65.

[@mapit07]

Great tunnel technique DJ, plan to use it on my N scale Model RR I'm creating. Thanks for sharing!

[@djstrains]

Cool, thanks!

[@mikihill88]

This will be helpful as I'm ready to build my portals. 😉

[@djstrains]

Yeay

[@realwildman]

Nice video. It sometimes amazes me how many modelers will add curves and tunnels without thinking about "Why the railroad would have done that". The railroad always wants the straitest, flattest rouge they can make for the cheapest price. PS love the drone footage at the end.

[@djstrains]

My thoughts exactly

[@dwighthitchens9838]

Cool video. Thanks

[@djstrains]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@MaxTheStinger]

What did you use to make that dirt/mud look?

[@djstrains]

I always enjoyed using sculptamold. I also use acrylic paint

[@cp368productions2]

The reason it looks right is because retaining walls are usually made out of fairly large cement blocks.

[@mmi16]

Back in the day, the early 1950's, the B&O's Howard Street Tunnel was double track for passenger trains and nominally single track for freights. The passenger tracks were in the normal location for a double track tunnel - the freight track was a gauntlet track that was in the middle of the tunnel and took advantage of the higher clearance of the arch in the center of the tunnel. Shortly after the B&O stopped their passenger service between Washington and New York the passenger tracks were removed and only the freight track remained. Over the subsequent years the clearance has be raised, when I worked in Baltimore 17'3" open top auto racks could operate at track speed (25 MPH) 17'5" racks were restricted to 10 MPH. In the 2000's the tunnel can handle 19'2" auto racks and double stacks - a project is now being undertaken to permit the movement of 20'2" auto racks and double stacks. I don't know when the projects expected completion is.

[@Phoenixknight79]

I just found this video, and lucky for me I want to build a HO scale tunnel diorama.. just to do something different in my collection of buildings and have been wondering how I should go along doing this

[@djstrains]

You can do it!

[@colossalbigfoot256]

Didn’t know you had plastruct. I’m def going to order some.

[@djstrains]

I have it all in sheet form, all scales, and over 60% off. [e-mail]

[@KevinSquire]

Great video as always -- I used some of the "HO block" that I grabbed from you back at the Monroeville show for inside my N-Scale tunnel !! :-D Looked great! (and that footage at the end of AVR -- pretty sure that was over the Mon, not the Allegheny ... Isn't that the sandcastle parking lot ? )

[@djstrains]

LOL!! I didnt even realize I said that! HAHAHA. I was thinking AVR, so naturally my unscripted brain has a brain fart moment. I am doing the N Scale show in Sept. Hope to see you there.

[@KevinSquire]

@@djstrains I'm thinking that diorama you used for demo purpose is pretty close to perfect to turn into a T-TRAK module :-D Then you can join in on the fun with us IronCity N-Scale guys next time around :-D

[@lionellance]

Hi DJ.. your right.. slow down the trains... they are not all Amtrack..thanks for sharing and keep up the great work..Lance

[@djstrains]

Thanks for watching to the end

[@NJP76]

LOL! I doubt that even Amtrak runs as fast as the trains on some of the videos I have seen. 😂

[@djstrains]

@@NJP76 LMAO!!!!

[@gcorriveau6864]

Great details - thanks. I was waiting for the tunnel to disappear at the end. ;-) ... Ditto on the running speed of trains. Here's a quick way I use to calculate speeds. My SW9 is 45 ft. long (for round numbers). If it goes past a point on the rails in 1 second, it's travelling 45 fps (feet/sec). Using a calculator (iphone or online) that converts to 30 mph. So - if I want to go at 10 mph, (15 fps) it should take 3 seconds to move past a point. That's actually challenging for a lot of models to run that slowly and still be smooth.

[@j2themac778]

Neat idea to go up a scale when using plastic or card sheets. Be interesting to try out myself.

[@djstrains]

It really fools the eye.

[@dbcooper1961]

The opening photo looks so much like the portal on the TVRM in Chattanooga Tn. Tell me I'm wrong...

[@djstrains]

I’ll have to google a pic

[@djstrains]

Yes. Similar stone work. Only difference is single track vs double track

[@SD45-ET44AC]

So I could leave the single track on one side and a rail to trail on the other side like Harper`s Ferry and thow some boulders in the river like a rock slide?

[@djstrains]

Very creative, love it!

[@richardnelson-ux1zz]

Can I buy the brick paper at any hobby shop

[@djstrains]

Brick sheet is available in most hobby stores by a company called Plastruct

[@oldman975]

Burke,Idaho,a ghost town in the Idaho panhandle,sat in a valley so narrow that the rail line had to be run through a hotel lobby. Now I know that’s not a tunnel as such,but this video reminded me of it,and I thought something like that might make a good modeling project. Are you familiar with any such structures in your area?

[@djstrains]

None in my area. That’s wild

[@TourDriverSean]

Learned a couple things on this video. I made a tunnel as a visual exit/entry point on my layout (videos are on my page) that I can add to things learned from this video to make it better. And I believe i was in your area the other day. I was running sourh on hwy 28 by Pittsburgh and I swear I saw familiar track lol

[@djstrains]

LOL, I travel RT 28 often. Shot a few things there.

[@TourDriverSean]

@@djstrains dang it I knew it looked familiar lol

[@justgonnatruckit1127]

Can you post a link to your buddy Steve’s layout. Didn’t see it labeled in your layout tour playlist

[@djstrains]

MODEL RAILROAD LAYOUT TOUR. Industrial Operations Explained kzbin.info/www/bejne/opi1qIOEfbt7apo

[@evenblackercrow4476]

Nice modeling tips and engineering and period details, thanks. About those slow speeds: Which scale does the slow speed the best, or does it depend mainly on the quality of the electronic controls?

[@djstrains]

it doesn't matter as long as it looks like trains and not a dragster or pulling 6 Gs of g force, lol.

[@Enjoyer.762]

@@djstrains kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3bZaJulgN98m9U

[@Phoenixknight79]

you website doesn't work... is there any way I can send you a photo of what I'm working on....?

[@djstrains]

On new years I made the decision to close my website and most social media and change my focus. I have other goals for 2024, but maybe in 2025 I might return to the hobby

[@Thibbs136]

Why do Norfolk Southern & CSX locomotives have flashing ditch lights and UP & BNSF Don’t?

[@djstrains]

I dont know.

[@Meagain921]

Thanks…

[@djstrains]

Glad you enjoyed

[@Enjoyer.762]

27,000 total YT competitive railfanning foamer points awarded. Key foamer bonus points: All EMD power 6,000. Over the bridge shot 3,000. Long-distance stealth railfanning 3,000. Drone bonus 3,000. Total graffiti 1,000.

[@rc9597]

The laptop got me 😂

[@djstrains]

Yes!!! My first attempt at augmented reality