# Lighting buildings w/removable tops



## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

It's possible (even likely) that someone else has thought of this, but I thought I'd share anyway...

I have a few of the Pola buildings on my layout and am in the process of building a couple more. I enjoy detailing the interiors and I also like to add lights, which makes a removable roof important--it's much more difficult to replace the lights or fix anything that goes wrong in a glued-shut structure (ask me how I know  ) However, this is tricky here in central Kansas, where the prairie winds regularly gust to 40mph and a roof can't just sit on top of the walls.

Anyway, I've come up with a method that holds the roof firmly, conducts power to the lights in the ceiling, but is still easily removable.

In the corners of this building (a switch tower) I placed small-diameter brass tube with wires soldered to the ends. 



The wires lead to the plug where the building plugs in to the layout lights power bus.



In the roof I placed piano wire with the ends bent perpendicular to the roof line. The LED downlights are attached to the piano wire.



When I put the roof on, the wires go down into the brass tubes. This hold the roof firmly against the wind and conducts power. Since the wires are just slip fit into the tubes, the roof will come right off if I need to open it up.

Here are more pictures of the interior. I'm just waiting for some figures to finish this up and put it on the layout.


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

I have that building too. Nice extra details you've added.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

So, your (2) piano wire & tube sets act as single-conductor jacks, and also lateral indexes for the roof. Am I understanding correctly? I suppose if a larger roof & heavier bracing were needed, one could use larger wall tubes, and go with a smaller brass inner tube or rod, perhaps soldered to a flange or other bracket for mounting the the roof. 

Thanks for sharing the tip.

===>Cliffy


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## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

CliffyJ said:


> So, your (2) piano wire & tube sets act as single-conductor jacks, and also lateral indexes for the roof. Am I understanding correctly?
> ===>Cliffy


Yes. 

I think that if a stronger connection was needed between roof and building I'd just add another set of non-conducting tubes and piano wires for one at each corner. I suspect that the method I used would probably work on a heavier/larger roof as well, since the down force of the extra weight would tend to keep the roof on. I don't have any really large buildings to try it on, so YMMV


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

OK, make sense. Neat approach.


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