Does anyone have pics of tunnels and portals that have been increased for double stacks and excess height cars? I'm trying to figure out how to make an effective looking portal where this has been done in real life, but I have never seen what changes are made to the portal itself, if any.
Milwaukee Road just dug under the track to get more clearence. This was for the bigger auto racks that began to appear in the 60's. Milwaukee Road Historical Socitey had an issue out about this very thing a few months back. Steve
As steve has said some railroads didn't do anything to the portal instead they lowered the roadbed. Case in point is Conrail's south portal at West Point, NY. Clearance project took place in 1985.
The west portal of Cascade Tunnel on Steven's pass appears to have been clearanced for stacks: http://www.northwestrailfan.com/ pic:
The Milwaukee Road tunnel is at Tunnel City, WI and is the only active tunnel in the state. I rode through the tunnel on the Amtrak Empire Builder in 2002. I've visited the site and, if I recall correctly, the lowered tunnel floor has a wedge-shaped curb under the eastern portal: [ \ ===== / ]
Don't have pics handy, but SP cut some tunnels out at the top. A Rectangular notch in the rounded arch of the portal. Obviously in solid rock. Bob in IDaho
