Modeling the Dudley #3

Covering the Rivets

To help protect the rivet decals from coming off when handling a coat of gray primer was sprayed onto both sides.

The final prototype McGinnis red-orange color was then applied to the letterboard. No masking was used during this step just a stiff card held below the letterboard eliminating the chance of masking tape pulling up any of the rivet decals below the letterboard. There are no rivet decals on the letterboard so that can be masked off with tape for a sharp color separation when the black top coat is applied.

Sizing the Roof

The Tom Madden cast resin roof had to be shortened to match the length of the car after one vestibule was removed from the Branchline Pullman core.

The roof was shortened removing the needed amount from the center of the roof. Two cuts were made equal distance from the roof centerline, the halves were rejoined with ACC.

Completing the Roof

Another unknown in this build is new electric kitchen range roof vent. A partial view of this vent can be seen in the photo below on the duplicate car Quincy.

The converted parlor to dining car Narrows Light had a similar electric kitchen and range, the New Haven shops installed the electric kitchens in the three cars Dudley, Quincy & Narrows Light. 

Logic would suggest that modeling a vent similar to the one on the Narrows Light that there is a photo of below would be the best guess.

The 1934 Pullman duct layout plan after A/C was installed below was used to locate all the roof vents on the model of the Dudley. 

All the cast resin vents on the roof are also from Tom Madden. The range vent on the clerestory was made from styrene and located in a position over the electric range per interior drawing. The clerestory block off plates are styrene and the drip rail is brass rod.

The joint where the halves of the roof were glued together was finished with a skim coat of catalyzed automotive glazing putty.  

Below is the same kitchen side after primer.

The aisle side in primer below with a New England Rail Service A/C duct cut to length and installed. The duct and separate ends were difficult to fit to this roof, specially the duct ends. A narrow strip of .010" strip styrene was needed at the top of duct where duct meets clearstory to make the joint look neat and straight. The small gaps visible where duct ends meet duct will be filled with automotive glazing putty before painting.

Along with the other details an ice hatch and ladder rest where installed at the kitchen end of the A/C duct. It is not clear if the ice refrigerator below the hatch was still in use but it shows in the 1957 prototype photo at the opening of this build series.

Car Ends

The car ends of the Dudley were not pedimented but curved where ends joined the roof.

There is no resin inset baggage/express type car end with a curved top available to my knowledge. A Tom Madden resin wide clerestory pedimented inset car end was curved at the top with a file using the resin roof as a guide. The remaining pedimented Pullman vestibule car end on the Branchline core was also curved to match the roof using same method.

The inset end will be attached to the Branchline Pullman core after it is painted and the sides are installed.

Next step will be to paint all the body parts before assembly.