Hi All,
I thought I would share the latest project I just completed. I modeled and printed a new cowling for my Dorm Car on my 1957 El Capitan.
Background:
The 1957 El Capitan was a beautiful consist consisting of:
| F7 diesel ABBA |
| Baggage |
| Baggage |
| Baggage-dorm |
| Step-down-coach |
| Hi-level Coach |
| Hi-level Coach |
| Hi-level Diner |
| Hi-level Lounge |
| Hi-level Coach |
| Hi-level Coach |
| Hi-level Coach |
| Step-down-coach |
Here is a video of my consist before I started this project:
I was able to get all Lionel for the consist including the Dorm Car which was only available in a 4 car set.
The prototype Dorm Car had a cowling that basically changed the car roof from normal up to the Hi-Level Car roof line.
Here is what it looked like in its Amtrak livery:
I had decided in the past to make one out of styrene, which worked pretty well which you can see in the video above.
But since I got a 3D printer and got much better at modeling, I decided to create a more prototypical version.
Here is the original:
You can see that the lines are not very good and that it is too high leading into the Hi-Level Step-up Car (which I changed from just upper door to simulate a lower door).
So I modeled the cowling using better measurements (in mm). I printed the first version forgetting to put the curve on the front. Then I fixed it and modeled the new version. Here is a picture of the model as well as the three side by side:
Here is how it looked on the Dorm Car:
Because I didn't feel like trying to model the holes on the bottom to fit over the Car detail, I just used a soldering iron to melt the plastic to create the reliefs (it doesn't look nice, but it works fine):
Next, it was time to figure out how to make it ribbed like the prototype. I ended up using HO Scale roofing to do this:
Before I received it, I painted the cowling with Silver Leaf model spray paint:
Then I applied the roofing. It was hard to line the ribs up, but I think it is ok (and when the train is running, you won't notice):
So it is now complete and I put it on the car:
I'm really happy how this turned out. 
I am working on getting the model loaded in the repository so anyone can print it. Again, the cowling is designed for the Lionel 18" passenger cars due to the roof slope. I can probably make one with an MTH roof line if it is needed.
