# Running a train line though a fish tank?



## OceanRailroader (Jul 26, 2016)

There is a idea I once shared on the fish keepers website monster fish keepers. And I have even asked several acrylic fish tank makers about this idea.

This idea is that I buy a 300 to 1000 gallon acrylic fish tank and have a acrylic tube or box built into the bottom of the fish. The tube would be dry and air filled and my double line HO scale main line would run along the bottom of the 350 foot HO scale deep fish tank and the trains would be riding past giant 60 foot long HO scale giant Goldfish swimming around outside of the tunnel

The railroad tunnel would be anywhere from 6 to 18 feet long and run under 24 to 30 inches of water.

The clear acrylic railroad tunnel would be made out of at least inch thick acrylic and it would be six to four inches wide and four to seven inches tall. 

As anyone on this website thought of a idea of building a custom tunnel though a fish tank for trains?


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

OceanRailroader said:


> This idea is that I buy a 300 to 1000 gallon acrylic fish tank and have a acrylic tube or box built into the bottom of the fish.
> 
> The railroad tunnel would be anywhere from 6 to 18 feet long and run under 24 to 30 inches of water...


I have SW - 240 gallon shallow reef on the main level, another 300 gallons in the basement. I've bought and sold a number of large tanks over the years.

Your idea would make your tank worthless. not worth less, but worthless. as in impossible to sell.

add to that the difficulty of track work, the inevitable derailment, and the maintenance headache both train and tank related. 

Yeah, go for it.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

When your train derails in the middle of the tunnel, how are you going to get it out -- without damaging the loco and cars??

Solve that problem first. Then maybe you have an interesting idea.


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## OceanRailroader (Jul 26, 2016)

The derailing and power supply are what I'm wondering about. I've also heard that railroad track power would only be 15volts so it wouldn't bug the Goldfish though a inch or a inch and half of acrylic.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

55 gallon tank, 4" I.D. clear acrylic tube carefully sealed inside and out with clear aquarium caulk...would not need to be 1" thick, 3/16" should be more than adequate. Track would be mounted on a piece of 1 1/2" x 3/8" aluminum bar stock that could be slid out for derailments.



Yes, I've pondered it myself...if for nothing more than to terrorize guppies with the 3:10 from Yuma....


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

We do have a thread here somewhere of someone that had many big fish tanks. I can't remember if he had the trains running through them or around them? I think it was back in around 2011 or so, maybe 2012?

I can't find the thread.
I will keep looking for it for a little while.

Cool if it can be done.......sort of like the North River tunnels running into NYC, but see through.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

It has been done, I posted another video years ago of something that actually was in the water running underneath in the water. It was a G scale train sealed for under water use..
The video is no longer available.

I found this on you tube, it can be done.:smokin:


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

How about canning the tube ideal and actually running it underwater?
Another lego train,* in the water.:thumbsup:





*


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## jlc41 (Feb 16, 2016)

Okay Big Ed, I'll bit. Are we looking at a completely sealed RC setup?? Hence no worries about water and electricity.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Looks like the track could use some ballast.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jlc41 said:


> Okay Big Ed, I'll bit. Are we looking at a completely sealed RC setup?? Hence no worries about water and electricity.


What the G scale train that ran underwater?
I think it was battery powered, yes it would have to have been all sealed watertight somehow.

Or are you talking about the second Lego video?
That looks to be battery powered and I guess weighted down to keep it from floating?

I don't know I just came across them on you tube while searching.


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## OceanRailroader (Jul 26, 2016)

That is strange that they did that with a G scale Lego train and ran it under a swimming pool like that.

This idea at least would have the train running in a tunnel that is built into the fish tank.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

OceanRailroader said:


> That is strange that they did that with a G scale Lego train and ran it under a swimming pool like that.
> 
> This idea at least would have the train running in a tunnel that is built into the fish tank.



That Lego train that runs in the water looks closer to O scale?
That guy has a beeeutifull pool. :smilie_daumenpos:

Did you watch the first video, that runs through a tube through the water. That is what your talking about doing?
Right?


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## bluenavigator (Aug 30, 2015)

I watch the second video for Lego train going into the swimming pool. I do not think that it is being powered at all during it is going into the water. Noticed that one end of the train was not shown at all, more likely that it was pushed manually.


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## Chip (Feb 11, 2016)

Using "re-railers" for track inside the tunnel would help mitigate derailments!


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Don't really understand the fascination with running a train through a tunnel in a fish tank but no reason why it shouldn't work.

No reason why electric motors won't work under water. Try taking a electric motor connected to a battery and suspend it by its wires in a bowl of water, it still will run.


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

..........or just copy Las Vegas:


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