One of the real vexing problems that I have had with both the BR sub. already released, and the KP sub., under construction and revision, is how to make a decent tunnel, on say a 10 degree curve. Wherever possible, I cheat and use the nearest curved tunnel section in the "kit", but this does not always work.I had experimented with creating a rock tunnel portal, with some success, though it would be nice if I could convert the terrain ace file for rock into a tga or bmp file so I could use it on the tunnel portal as well. It then hit me, why not make an oversize tunnel "portal" closed on the bottom, to fill in the space inside the tunnel making it completely light proof. So tonight, I created such an object. The interior dimension is 30 ft. wide, i.e. about 1.5 times standard, height is 30 ft., and thickness about 33'. I plan to fill in one tunnel with this item, using appropriate portals, and see what it looks like. If it is good, I will post it to the file library,
and when I do, I will include the TSM files as well.The object is closed on the bottom, so you sink it to just below track level, center it on a chord of the curve, and then stack as many as it takes, edge to edge, turning each one slightly to make the alignment.I expect to be in the vicinity of at least one coal mine this weekend, and hope to get enough photos to allow me to make a reasonable facsimile. HOpefully this will be the transloader/mine at Appalachia, VA, but I have photos of it in my slide collection. I also have some pix of a mine head in Claiborne Cty. TN when it was brand-new (1977). I believe that mine has played out.J. H. Sullivan, P.E. (retired)
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