Great idea, Mark!
Peter
Thank you, Gene, Jay, Myles, Ted, Poconotrain, Peter!
Myles, I like to think that reading your detailed descriptions of problems you have had to work out have helped me think better than I used to.
Of course there are so many others on the forum who have posted problems and suggestions that have helped me to think through things better.
Ted, the strip LEDs are really handy for lighting the inside of a building, just like lighting a passenger car. I would have handled it differently if I only wanted certain rooms lit and others dark. On this building I thought if they are working after dark, then the whole building would be lit, so that made it easy.
That raises a question. Should I assume the owner and secretary went home so the single floor office would be dark? Or am I over analyzing things and should just light everything? 
Leave some areas dark. I always add some light blocks on some floors/spaces that would be more realistic (to me) and a bit less toy-like. In a factory or office building having all spaces lit might be a reality, but a store with apartments over top or a house, all rooms would not be fully lit. For example: my engine house is fully lit, the art gallery is not.
@Mark Boyce posted:
...As I said before, Dennis Brennan did a great job of designing a kit that really mimics Frank Ellison's original, but with modern materials and techniques. Frank didn't provide an interior, so Dennis didn't either. I think the kit is great for someone like me who desires a basic building to make a start, and then each builder can add highlights, or additions either interior or exterior as desired...
Now that I'm rested from some yard work, I hope to get back at the Sanky Wanky this evening.
Mark, you absolutely nailed my intent. This allows me to provide these kits at a reasonable price, making them available for anybody. I love hearing about what you and others have done with my kits. Tapping into one's creativity is what this hobby is all about!
By the way, routing the wires through the chimney is brilliant. Had I thought of that, I would have predrilled the hole. Kudos, Mark!
Dennis, thank you for confirming what I guessed. Thank you for producing these kits, and making them affordable! Well worth the price.
I finished wiring the LEDs permanently. I drilled a hole in the 'concrete' base at a spot that is covered up by the chimney. Then I attached the Rod Stewart LED module that converts AC to DC with double sided sticky tape to the under side of a brace for the first floor. The two wires that come out from underneath will eventually go through a hole in the plywood the building is on and connect to the AC source. I forgot to take photographs of the hole in the base or the underside showing the module. I am not flipping the building over again, but this photograph will give a good idea of what I am describing.
Here are a couple photographs showing no light seeping out. Tape works wonders.
That's a Menards truck with the high beams on. I just have it plugged into an adapter for now. When I place it and a couple others permanently, I'll have to add some resistance.
The Sanky Wanky Coffee Company is done for now. The extra kit parts, instructions, and extra 'coffee sacks and crates' cutouts are tucked away in the original box. I need to do some site work, which isn't much since it will be gravel driveway, some weeds, and then the three dimensional objects as I get those. Folks have mentioned 3D printing. I don't have access to a printer and one isn't in the budget, but I will get the objects as time goes on. 
Addendum: As I was typing I would add another AC feed for a couple LEDs in the office when I get office furniture, it came to me how to wire it using the existing module. I'll have to flip the building on its side to do it, so I can get to the module. Keep your fingers crossed I don't break anything in the process! Tune in again; Same bat time, same bat channel!! 
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@Randy Harrison posted:
Randy, Thank you so much!!
For Pete's sake, Mark! What was so hard about lighting the office area??? I'm really laughing at myself!
You know, if I hadn't started writing about it, I may have not seen the easy solution staring me in the face. 
That is why I didn't just delete everything in my post before Randy's comment before I even posted it.
So, I did turn the structure on its side and can show you the mess underneath. It ain't pretty, but By Jove it works!
On the photograph above, I'll start at the bottom. You can just make out the base of the chimney resting on the old tee- shirt. I drilled a hole in the base right beside the perpendicular styrene scrap I used as a back for the depressed floor area. Those two wires are soldered to the input of Rod's module that is attached to that perpendicular with double-sided tape. The output is wired to the Wago connectors that I taped one on top of the other. The horizontal and two diagonal floor braces are scrap styrene that wasn't as wide as the kit's bracing. That was quite handy because it let me put the wires over them without drilling more holes. In the upper right, I drilled a hole through the floor right at the corner of the singe-story part of the building that I am calling the office. I put in a three LED section of LED strip taped to the removable roof and soldered two wires to that. Here is the results.
I can just see a bit of wire in the upper right of the foreground office window. I'm not fooling with it. I will be removing the roof someday to put in furniture and a worker or two.
Thank you for taking a look!!!
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Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together.
Looks great Mark. A piece of advice for the Menards trucks. I built a DC power supply with an old HO transformer, and a variable voltage regulator. The LED's in their trucks are way too bright out of the box.
The transformer is set at about 10vdc and I have the output at 4vdc.
Bob
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Thanks for the heads up Bob. I have have a few of them that my wife made me buy at York last October.
Thank you, Jay, Bob!
Jay, you are so right about a plan coming together!
Bob, I have a few of variable voltage regulators. The truck lights would be a good use for one. I have 2 pickups and one stake body truck with lights. Equipping more trucks and cars with lights is a project far down the road.
Mark your lighting looks spectacular; very nice work. Good to know that one of the lighting modules worked well for you. and as you know, you can adjust the output down if you ever decide you need to.
One easy way to tone down the menards truck lights is to build a male-female adapter using the same 2.1/5.5 plugs Menards does, and wire about a 470 ohm resistor in one side of the middle of it. Easy peasy. Sorry I don't have a picture handy to post that shows what I mean, but you probably figured it out.
Rod
Mark, things are looking great, and I really appreciate that you were able to show the bottom and your wiring diagram. I have the same variable voltage regulator Bob is showing and use then to light many of my building from one, I also use it for my Menards cars and anything else I can figure out how to put LED's into!
You must feel great to Have Dennis chime in on your build! I know it shows me that he really cares about his product and how people think about them. Itis enough for me that now I want to buy one once I get back to building a new layout! It might have to wait as I also bought a Millhouse TT for the future layout! The CEO about freaked! LOL
Thank you, Mike! I have four of the same regulators you and Bob are using, but mine are still sealed in the wrappers. I thought they were robust enough to control a lot of LEDs. I have ample old power supplies. I need to power the leads in the Idaho Hotel across the tracks to see what lights Myles included when he built it.
I have been thrilled that Dennis Brennan has followed and chimed in with helpful comments and compliments. I think I have gained a feeling for his thoughts and imagine he is glad to see someone sharing how one person has built one of his kits.
You won’t go wrong purchasing his kits. This has been educational and fun. I can see how you may be a bit strapped having purchased a wonderful Millhouse turntable. I don’t know how you got that by the CEO, but I’m sure Al is glad. 😃 From what I have seen, you will need some help physically installing it, one person above and one underneath the layout! Congratulations!
Looks great, Mark!!!
George
With the Sanky Wanky Coffee Company off the workbench, I decided for a change of pace. I've been working on my lower lift up bridge the last few days. I adjusted the pivot point some and it moves freer again. I completely re-laid the roadbed and track. I used a section of Atlas track that came with a small Atlas bridge that I crushed inadvertently. 
The details are buried on this thread, and I will leave them buried. I then glued girders on the sides. I wanted to cover some of the plywood roadbed, but still make it a through girder bridge. It came out okay. Actually, I never even pay attention to this bridge when I am running a train or even just looking at the layout. The big truss bridge totally overshadows it. While there is still more to do, I'm not going to spend a lot of time on it at this point.
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@Mark Boyce posted:With the Sanky Wanky Coffee Company off the workbench, I decided for a change of pace. I've been working on my lower lift up bridge the last few days. I adjusted the pivot point some and it moves freer again. I completely re-laid the roadbed and track. I used a section of Atlas track that came with a small Atlas bridge that I crushed inadvertently.
That looks great Mark. Your progress over time is fun to watch.
Mark,
Nice work on the bridge. I have something similar but think your set-up is more "safe".
Dave
