#4: Karahafu Roof

Inspiration from LEGO Neighborhood

The book LEGO Neighborhood is a great guide for building LEGO cityscapes. It currently has two volumes and explains that constructing a LEGO city follows a certain order. Since LEGO is built from the ground up, a solid foundation is crucial. Planning the space layout and determining key dimensions in advance is an important skill. Although there is no traditional Chinese version, a simplified Chinese edition is available (published by People's Posts and Telecommunications Press).

Starting with the Facade

As an amateur LEGO builder, my experience is nowhere near those who have built multiple modular cityscapes. For this Karahafu roof challenge, I initially considered using design software, but my home computer setup wasn’t sufficient, so I had to start building directly.

To make things easier, I decided to begin with the front facade and build from the bottom up step by step. This allowed me to adjust as I built, similar to sketching with my eyes half-closed. The book also mentions that as long as the main facade is well-designed, the building is already 80% successful. Interior details are often less important since most people won’t see them anyway.

The Challenge of Karahafu Design

The curved Karahafu roof is quite different from common square designs, and LEGO does not have existing parts that match this shape. To ensure accuracy, I studied traditional Tang-style wooden architecture still found in Taiwan, such as the Taoyuan Shrine (Taoyuan Martyrs' Shrine). Through images and section diagrams, I learned that this type of roof is built by first constructing the internal support beams and then placing the roof tiles, which are typically connected using interlocking joints.

However, LEGO does not have suitable parts for this shape. Most official LEGO roof pieces are either quarter-sphere or full/semi-cone shapes, which don’t match the smooth curve of a Karahafu roof.

48092 to the Rescue

Luckily, I found a solution: LEGO piece 48092 (Brick, Round Corner 4 x 4 Macaroni Wide with 3 Studs). This part has been around since 2004 and is commonly found in castles, city buildings, and airplanes, mainly in light gray. While searching through my brick collection, I realized I had quite a few of these!

By flipping 48092 over and testing it, I found that its curve, while not a perfect match, was close enough. In the end, I used 44 pieces of 48092 to build a heavy but stable Karahafu roof. The middle section was connected using long bricks, ensuring proper alignment along the central axis to avoid structural imbalance.

Securing the Roof

At first, I tried using side-mounted bricks to simulate real architectural beams, but they lacked the necessary support strength, causing the roof to collapse. I had to change my approach by shifting the weight onto the side walls instead.

I designed the roof with two locking mechanisms: one central square hole and one Technic pinhole. In the end, for easier assembly and disassembly, I removed the pinhole and relied solely on the square hole, which proved to be stable enough.

Refinements and Challenges

1. Simulating Karahafu Beams and Grilles

Based on photos of Wanhua Station, Karahafu roofs typically have five decorative columns with latticework. However, LEGO does not have small grille bricks that match the scale. Standard 1x2 grille bricks looked off. After searching through second-hand marketplaces, I found a Ninjago printed tile (Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with 8 Silver Octagon Outlines Pattern, Item No: 3069bpb0551) that perfectly resembled a traditional lattice design.

2. The "Glass Brick" Problem of Brown Pieces

The details beneath the Karahafu roof were even more challenging. Brown LEGO bricks are infamous for their fragility due to their plastic composition. They tend to break easily when removed, so I kept a small trash bin nearby to collect broken pieces (sadly, many met their demise!).

3. Ticket Gate and Weighing Scale

To recreate the train station atmosphere, I used an illegal LEGO building technique (clamping parts between studs) to create a ticket gate. I referenced historical photos from Zhu Tian Station, where traditional stations had ticket counters and weighing scales. After multiple adjustments, I finally achieved a design that looked authentic.

Why Not Use Brown 48092?

Initially, I wanted to use brown 48092 to make the roof more realistic. However, this piece is extremely rare and only appeared in three LEGO sets. The most accessible set was the 40463 Easter Bunny, which contained four brown 48092 pieces. To get the 44 pieces I needed, I would have had to buy 10 sets, costing around $5,000 NTD. That was just too much!

So, with my sanity intact, I stuck with light gray instead.

Completion!

The Karahafu roof was successfully completed, with the weight fully supported by the side walls. To enhance realism, I carefully designed the entrance area, including the ticket counter, cargo section, clock, decorative floor tiles, and even a vest-wearing bearded stationmaster to welcome visitors.

This build was full of challenges, but I learned a lot about LEGO structures and architectural design. Looking forward to the next MOC challenge!

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See Final Work in Display: The Timber Terminal – Changhua’s Golden Age Station 

01 Recreating - 02 Coloring  - 03 Parts Inventory  - 04 Karahafu Roof  - 05 Colombage Skill  - 06 Main Roof  - 07 Steam train  - 08 Vintage Bus  - 09 Tree and Shelter  - 10 Final