Home > Railroading > ACRR > Tunnel Portals >

The Alville & Captown Railroad
The Tunnel Portals

Tunnel portals dress up the entrance to tunnels. They also help hold the surrounding ground in place so that it does not fall on the tracks. I constructed wood portals for both entrances of Tunnels 2 and 3. They are made of red cedar and stained with walnut colored Danish Oil Finish. It gives a creosote treated appearance to the wood. This is an interior finish but has held up well outside. I don't mind if it weathers, that's just what wood does. Titebond III exterior wood glue was used in the construction.

Doors were made to close the tunnels in fall and winter. There are several trees nearby and the fall winds blow the leaves all around and into the tunnels. And the winter winds blow snow into them too. Critters in the tunnels were a concern but all I have seen is a squirrel passing through a couple of times. The doors are made of corrugated polycarbonate plastic leftover from construction of my greenhouse.

The portals are held in place by a couple of screws thrugh the front and into the wood top of the tunnel.