CJ -- I was mostly just thinking about your desire not to have a bar end shifter, which I agree with. When I had them on my rando bike I constantly had a sore knee from hitting my bar ends.
My thought was instead of going with a bar end, a shifter boss could be brazed beneath the rack, near the back. I still haven't seen Rudi's bike in person. I'm not sure I would find it useful enough to put it on any of my bikes.