Following with great interest Gormo. I have two very long platforms on Dargan and the customers are complaining about the lack of shelter particularly in these winter conditions. Cheers and happy modelling Richard
G`day Richard, Well we still have to see how it turns out, but fingers crossed, if it works, I can tailor the roof truss file to suit your dimensions...ie..width and height and I can export it as a PDF and send it over to you if you like.? It`s a very simple process to alter the dimensions, I did one last night. I am currently waiting for paint to dry on the roof frame........rainy weather doesn`t help, but there you are, I will have to be patient. In the meantime, I`ve sealed the valances and the canopy ends and made up some platform number signs. Also need to cut out some card roof sections with roof lights and I`ve still got to work out a system for the posts. Gormo
G`day Folks, The platform canopy is coming along and starting to make more sense......well to me at any rate..... Since the last update, the roof trusses assembly has been sprayed a cream colour. I mixed it myself until I was happy with the tone. And the end gables have been fitted. The gables are just the beginning in stiffening up and strengthening the structure. It doesn`t look very cream in the pic below, more grey, but anyway all traces of cereal box heritage have been removed. The end gable So pressing on from there, I then shifted my attention to the roof covering. The roof covering is two layers which allows skylights to be sandwiched in between the layers, plus the two layers again adds strength. The roof sections will actually stiffen and straighten the whole structure. This is one of the inner sections painted a grey green. And this is an outer roof section complete with ridge capping. Everything is just sitting in place for the purpose of photographs. Once the building is completely assembled, I will get onto dirtying up that roof with some rust and grime and soot. And an attempt to show the inner section in place. In addition, the skylight frames have been printed and are yet to be sealed. The valances have been cut out. All those little saw tooth cuts make the eyes go wobbly and numb the brain. The canopy internal lighting has been worked out. There will be three or four LED`s that will hang down from the ridge board and they will look like the yard lights I built recently, but without the post. Platform number signs have been sorted. Also the structure will be supported by a single row of posts along its length in the middle. The posts will be made from 5mm dowels. The dowels will have a slot cut into one end, which will allow the post to be slid up onto a roof truss and glued into position. I am also considering incorporating a Peco news stand kiosk as part of one end of the structure. It will be the old WH Smith of course. Last night I was checking clearances by just placing the roof section on the platform and running trains past both sides of it. It`s pretty tight, however when the penny dropped and I raised the roof up to about 40mm off the platform, there was plenty of room......Phew !!!!! So there is still a considerable amount of time required in construction before this thing gets planted on platforms 3 & 4, but I now know it`s going to work one way or the other. More as it happens. Gormo
Thanks Gary, Yes I have the valance cut out but I need to get the lights done first, then the roof can go on and then the valance. The valance will be easy to damage, so best left until necessary. Gormo
Okey Dokey Folks, Moving right along.......all the skylight frames have been cut out.....16 in all because I`ve done them double sided. Eight skylights equals 16 frames.They were then glued to clear acetate / plastic....or whatever this stuff is..????.......and then glued to the under side of the top of the roof. Then the underside of the roof was glued up under that lot. So we now have a double thickness roof ( 2mm ) with skylights sandwiched in between the layers. Now we wait for the glue to dry. I am using small craft pegs to clamp the pieces. These pegs are used in all sorts of creative endeavors in the Craft Hobby and sometimes people use them to peg Christmas cards onto an indoor Christmas card clothes line across the mantle piece or windows. I found a bag full of these at Vinnies charity shop, and thought they would be very handy next time I was gluing on a grand scale. I have placed the roof sections on timber to keep them flat while the glue goes off. The right hand one had to be weighted to keep it flat. So now we wait The next job is fitting the internal lights ( LED`s ) and associated wiring. That has to be done and tested before the roof goes on. More as it happens Gormo
Neat work Mr Gormo. I'm looking forward to see how you deal with the lighting. Now ..... if you go to B and Q, you can get some nice petal shape light shades with floral designs ..... . I'm sure you'll make light work of it. Cheers Toto
.......Nah!!!!....I don`t think so Toto, The roof panels are set to go, so today I`ve been working on lighting. Mostly just preparation but also sorting out my WH Smith kiosk and getting that ready to go under the end of the canopy. The kiosk serves as a structural part of the building and supports one end of it, the rest of the support being carried by internal posts. So I`ve had to add some canopy lights to the roof of the kiosk as well as an internal light for the kiosk itself. You won`t normally see this view of the kiosk as it will be hidden by the canopy roof. Two trusses will rest on top of this kiosk roof. Because it supports one end of the canopy, I wanted lights to illuminate this end of the building so the obvious solution was to hang them either side of the kiosk. The rectangular projection to the left of center houses a 3mm amber LED which illuminates the inside of the kiosk. And these are three LED`s ready to go into the canopy itself. They will hang from the ridge board and be evenly spaced along the length of the building. I`ve also been busy downloading images of 1960`s newspapers and magazines and they will decorate the kiosk and bring a bit of colour and interest to the equation. More as it happens Gormo
No Toto, It`s a bog standard Peco model........normally a reddish brown colour, but it was painted this afternoon. Lots of little newspapers and magazines required to finish it. OK the lights are in the canopy now.........and they work......no point in moving forward without testing.? The wiring fits under the ridge cap and hopefully won`t be seen. It`s all kept in place with hot glue. And the underside Well that`s all for today folks.......I just need to sort out the posts now and then it`s just a matter of putting it all together.... Gormo
The latest installment.!! I am still stickering the kiosk....seems to take ages to add all those little items,........ Anyway I made the internal posts today. They are currently in the paint shop undergoing their transformation from 5mm dowels to platform canopy posts. I have used part of the barrel of a Papermate pen to create some bases for them ( not shown ). These bases have been fitted and painted brown and need to dry overnight. I can then mask the bases and paint the rest of the post cream. First things first though.......a test run to make sure they fit and the heights are OK. It all looks a bit rough and ready at the moment but I think it will come good in the end. Back to sticking magazines and newspapers on the kiosk Gormo
Have come back to this thread a bit late - methinks you may have rain/snow pooling if the skylights are installed below the top roof level ??? Peter
Don`t worry about it Peter...................it never rains or snows in Gormo`s shed............I won`t tell if you won`t.... Obviously I didn`t do my homework........I must rebuke myself for that......."naughty, naughty boy !!!!".........Aaaah !!! that feels better. Gormo
Lucky for you Gormo that it ain't snowing in your shed. I'll say that we have had a few cold nights of late. One thing I do like about your modelling is, 'if it looks the part, it'll suit the scene !'. I thought you may have turned some old hard wood on your lathe for the post/supports !! Great work so far, carry on. Cheers, Gary.