Background information:
This platform canopy on (double) T-posts was built around 1912, when it was still common to rivet steel plates together until the desired construction was created. The T-post was not created by chance. After all, the wish was not to have any columns along the platform edge, so that people could get on and off easily and quickly. Both the steel construction and the wooden roof boarding give the canopy character, which is particularly noticeable from the passenger perspective. The double T-post is a result of the combination of the above-mentioned design principle and the creation of space for stairs leading to a passenger tunnel. Because ideally, there are no heavy columns of the platform canopy on the roof of the passenger tunnel. However, the columns cannot be placed infinitely far apart and so preferably columns are placed both to the left and to the right of the staircases, creating the "double T upright".
Construction details:
In addition to advantages for the users of the platform, the T uprights also have a disadvantage in the alignment. The arms of the T upright form a slight V shape so that precipitation that falls on the roof is collected in the middle in the gutter and can be drained via drainpipes. However, getting the arms perfectly symmetrical, both per upright and between the uprights themselves, proved to be more difficult than with conventional constructions with uprights on the corners and outer lines. For example, we see in the large example in Ghent (B) that the roof edge over the length is more of a sloping line than a straight line. In reality, the double T uprights were found in pairs of 2 trusses in Ghent and then usually 2 times per platform, given the fact that the passenger tunnel had a staircase to the platform both to the east and to the west.
The Markenburg canopy on (double) T-posts can be used well in combination with the type B platform segments. However, when placing the canopy, any platform facilities, such as stairs, must be taken into account. Although these double T-posts were developed exactly for that purpose. The centre-to-centre distance of the T-posts is 74 mm in scale 1:160 and 139 mm in scale 1:87. Combination exceptions are Bet03, because of the large shelter and Bet06, because of the lift.
These intermediate segments with double T-posts are intended to be able to extend the platform canopy. These intermediate segments with double T-posts are twice the length of a regular intermediate segment. It is advisable to build an entire canopy in one go, but more about that in the manual.
