How to use Inkscape to design a station canopy roof truss for your model railway layout

[@rumblefish2536]

Brilliant video mate. It has made so many things clearer. The whole series has been wonderful. Many thanks.

[@Chandwell]

Glad you found it useful! Thank you! Michael

[@tornadofairy5376]

Thank you for making the Inkscape process much clearer. Time to try it on my planned OO Gauge one, where it should be a bit easier, being bigger!

[@Chandwell]

Brillianr! Thank you - Have fun!

[@vaughanlockett658]

Just joined your channel, i think your work is fantastic and I admire anyone using home products not only to recycle and save money. In ky youth i was a member of Macclesfield model railway group and there was a modeller who specialises in buildings mainly from plaster card and card . No computers back then or printers so i love the way you have introduced the old and modern element to achieve your affect . I will say about the column's that perhaps some striped wire insulation push over the cocktail stick or dip the millie putt in water and spin in a small tube to get a consistent finish then trim off the ecsess .

[@Chandwell]

Thank you for your kind words. I am trying to do just what you noticed - use modern elements but to use techniques that are as timeless as the hobby. Those are great ideas for improving the columns- thank you.

[@nickvdW1958]

That is looking stunning already!! What a powerful piece of software (in the right hands of course!)

[@Chandwell]

It really is! powerful - I've only used a tiny part of it, and I don't think I'll ever know everything it's capable of.

[@exehavenharbour]

Always interesting Michael, looking forward to seeing this come to life , cheers John

[@Chandwell]

Thank you John! I hope to have a video of the completed roof ready for this evening! It’s being a long one to edit.

[@pauljames9626]

Hi Michael. I have a similar project in mind and managed to pick up an old Silhouette cutter fairly cheaply which I plan to use to cut the components out for a roof canopy using ten thou styrene sheet and then layering them together. The problem is, the design software that comes with it is pretty useless and I doubt I'll be able to do what I want using it, but now you've given me a way of knocking up some roof trusses in Inkscape and exporting them to the cutter which will do all the work for me while I sit back with a glass of something warming to keep the chill out - you've saved me a big headache, thank you! Thanks for posting and stay well.

[@Chandwell]

Two weeks ago, Paul, I’d have said “pah! You don’t need a cutter! Do it by hand!” Now, 33 components comprising 200 individual triangles later, I have the blisters and wrist-aches to acknowledge you are a wise man indeed. I’m glad that you’ve found something helpful here and hope that it exports nicely into something your cutter can use. Let me know how it goes! (You can email [e-mail]).

[@timfairweather7568]

I was excited to see a pop up that you had published again. I wasn’t disappointed! Another excellent video tutorial sure to inform, inspire and entertain. Keep them coming!

[@Chandwell]

Thanks Tim. I thought it was about time I did a new Inkscape video and it was a good way to fill a gap while this roof build drags on and on and on and...

[@chrishodge8159]

Hi Michael, Excellent work again. Looking forward to the follow up Regards Chris

[@Chandwell]

Thanks Chris. Hopefully the next video may involve the actual completion of the roof. It’s been a pain to make, this one.

[@thegrowler-blackwoodngauge]

Hi Michael - absolutely fascinating. So simple yet effective. Cheers Euan

[@Chandwell]

Thank you Euan. This does all boil down to simple shapes but those shapes have been giving me nightmares with all the cutting and failed attempts! I see light at the end of the tunnel though. Hope all well with you and your new layout room is nice and warm in this weather! All the best... Michael.

[@JWitchard]

Another excellent and well explained tutorial. Thanks and well done. :)

[@Chandwell]

Thank you John!

[@roystudds1944]

Really enjoyed that, thanks for sharing. Roy.

[@Chandwell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ngaugefouroaksstreetstatio6932]

It's going to look superb.

[@Chandwell]

Hope so Chris! It's being a really time-consuming pain, but with luck it will be worth it! :) --Michael.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Hi bubbly. Really enjoyed that 👍🏻

[@Chandwell]

Thank you Stevie. Hope to have the video of the completed station roof published this evening.

[@Hal-Zuzzu_Model_Railway]

Awesome .. downloaded Inkscape. I'm sure to use it on a few projects. Thanks for the help :) :)

[@Chandwell]

Good stuff! I use Inkscape on everything. It’s brilliant. Have fun!

[@Hal-Zuzzu_Model_Railway]

@@Chandwell Cheers :)

[@SoRTs6233]

Great demo. Can certainly use that! Thanks

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! Good luck!

[@dwells77]

This was one of the most informative and well-explained tutorials for using Inkscape to design mechanical structures that I have ever seen! Well done! And thank you!

[@Chandwell]

That's really great to hear! Thank you very much indeed for your comment.

[@davestrains6816]

Very nice tutorial. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Warpy75]

Really good tutorial. I haven’t tried Inkscape but this video really makes it look straightforward with a bit of practice and a great tool for modellers. Look forward to seeing the next step.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! Practice definitely helps. If you start with the basics and think in terms of simple shapes then you can’t go far wrong. Ask me if you have any questions and I will try my best to answer them.

[@davidrauger]

Gosh that was fascinating, daunting and inspiring. Even though I am not familiar with the software, the way you explained the process was clear and informative. The end results speak for themselves; they look fantastic. My wife was willing to watch a You Tube video but I'm glad I watched the one on my own as it might have made your channel seem quite heavy going as I don't think she would not have appreciated the technicalities. However I'm sure she will appreciate the gorgeous modelling on the layout!

[@Chandwell]

Thank you Dave! I appreciate the feedback. Yes, the Inkscape videos can be hard work and quite dry. That’s why I use blue titles rather than yellow so that viewers can choose to avoid them if they are not their thing! Thanks for watching!!

[@barleyvalengaugemodelrailw3694]

Credit to you mate that is amazing well done!

[@Chandwell]

Thank you!

[@jezbo7827]

That’s a great video Michael. I’ve seen Inkscape used before but this tutorial is really good. Looking forward to the next part. Cheers, Jeremy.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you Jeremy! Thanks for watching. Michael.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

That just looks blooming fantastic. I've been using Inkscape occasionally for years and evidently only scratched the surface!

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! I think I’m only scratching the surface too. There’s so much in it that I’ve never clicked on... it’s a voyage of discovery, that’s for sure.

[@MrVinnyh]

Well explained Michael

[@Chandwell]

Thank you, Vinny.

[@andrewretallick4614]

Brilliant video, very clearly explained. Thanks for sharing your methods.👍 Andrew 🙂

[@Chandwell]

Thank you for watching Andrew!

[@deansburytownmodelrailway5056]

Another great video Michael, really enjoyed it. The only problem is I found myself watching this instead of doing any of my own modelling! Looking forward to seeing what you do for the windows, and what you did for colour on the roof elements. Thanks Liam

[@Chandwell]

Thank you Liam - sorry to be a distraction from your excellent layout! :) The windows have worked out really well, so I will be glad to show them off. The trusses are part-painted and part-printed, which I will show in the next video. I'm finding this build a real challenge and more than a little tedious, so I am looking forward to getting it finished! Michael.

[@deansburytownmodelrailway5056]

@@Chandwell I must admit the thought of all those cuts isn’t terribly appealing! But it will look great once finished. I’ve just had a go at some windows myself. Black frames came out fine, but dark brown ones were quite transparent. Further attempts required!

[@Chandwell]

Yes it took me a while to get the brown. I had to go a lot darker than felt right at first. But go too far and you end up with sunglasses. It seems that black works fine. Everything else is stymied by the fact that you’re working on transparency rather than white as a base so all other colours are way off.

[@deansburytownmodelrailway5056]

@@Chandwell Thanks for the tip Michael, I’ll give it a go with a much darker colour next time.

[@PrideParkway]

Hi Michael, hope you’re well! I really enjoyed this, seeing the whole Inkscape process from start to finish. Looking forward to park two and how you’ve assembled the structure. All the best, Geoff

[@Chandwell]

Hey Geoff! All well here in snowy Chandwell. Hope all is well down at the Parkway. Thanks for watching. They can be a bit dry these Inkscape videos. They get a lot less viewings than my other videos, but I think some people get a lot out of them, so it makes it worthwhile. This roof build is taking FOREVER! It didn’t help that I built half of it before deciding to throw it out and start again. But I may just edit that bit out of the next video!

[@peterstecks7660]

Excellent again Michael. Very helpful as usual. Your attention to detail is remarkable. Just one comment, if I may? I wonder if your prototype has cast iron drainpipes to remove the water from the roof in heavy rain [which never happens in Yorkshire] - if its is feasible, could the wiring for the lighting be hidden in the drainpipes...? That would make the build very complex, but I know you like a challenge... ;) Number one rule in Railway Modelling... "Its my railway and I'll do what I want". So just a suggestion. 😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@Chandwell]

Oh I like that suggestion Peter but it’s just 24 hours too late. I added the wiring and lights last night and I have to confess to making a pig’s ear of it! Your comment has inspired me to think of at least three things I could have done better. The gutters, the down pipes, or even in the”V” of the roof would have been better than what I actually ended up doing. It is also interesting that you mention the drainage. I can’t see on any photos of Ilkley where the rainwater went. There is no obvious drainage. Some close ups show what may have been the tops of downpipes but I am not sure. I was beginning to think they just let the water run onto the tracks below. So for now, I’m ignoring the drainage problem and if anyone asks I’ll say there are downpipes inside the columns. If you have any other ideas, please do let me know! Michael.

[@peterstecks7660]

@@Chandwell Hi again. I am certainly no expert on older station roof drainage, so I did a bit of Googling. I found that large station roofs perhaps didn't have drainage down through cast iron pipes. Maybe some of the Grand City Centre Stations had internal drainage. I found an article written for the Railway Heritage Trust on Roof Valances and the famous Station Canopy Dagger Boards. You learn something new every day... 🧐 Here's the quote which makes sense. They didn't afford drainage or gutters which needed maintenance. They used the drainage built into the track. "To keep passengers dry, canopies extend beyond the platform edge, over the track. Water runoff functions differently depending on whether there is a train at the station: In the absence of a train, rain water runs off onto the tracks, and is carried away by track drainage. This saves on the cost and maintenance burden of gutters. When there is a train in platform, rainwater runs off onto the roof of the carriage, and is diverted to the end of the carriage and down to the track. This creates a sheltered zone for passengers to get on and off the train without getting wet." You could run the cables up the support pillars for the canopy, but like I said... Its your railway and you do with it what you wish. What you are doing is superb.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you for taking so much time to look into this! I really appreciate it. So they DID just drain onto the tracks. Makes sense I suppose. I am lucky in that one end of the canopy will be fixed to a building so my plan is to take the wires into the building and down the inside wall. But I need to keep the canopy removable for track maintenance and the like, so I am still pondering the method I will use to fix it all together on the layout.

[@peterstecks7660]

@@Chandwell Still Thinking... ;) This may be way too late, but could you leave the pillars in situ permanently, and just remove the roof section(s) for maintenance and feed the lighting cable up the pillars and along simple horizontal (hidden ? wooden coffee stirrers) supports between the pillars? Peter

[@Chandwell]

Hey Peter! Too late I’m afraid. I finished the roof yesterday and am now working on the video. I’ll show you in the video what my plans are for routing the wiring. I considered something a bit like you suggest but have gone for something slightly different.

[@ChobertonJunction]

Excellent really starting to like Inkscape. Now wondering if you have ever done any arched church window type Inkscape drawings? I am trying but not very successfully.

[@Chandwell]

Only the main arch on Revs, which I think you have seen.

[@ChobertonJunction]

@@Chandwell I did see that video but I was wondering how to create a pointed arch. Will get there.

[@Chandwell]

@ChobertonJunction I’ll try to do a tutorial soon

[@GORDINIODS0199]

Genius

[@Chandwell]

Thanks!

[@leemoore7930]

First of all, thank you for what you do. Second, what product do you use for sticking the paper to the card?

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! I print the base layers onto A4 sticky labels as these can be cut without waiting for the glue to dry. I sometimes use glue sticks too. For the cover layers, I just use PVA glue from a fine tip applicator. This video covers most of the things I use… Scratch building with card - tools and materials kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4LZlYF8iLlqjbc