Hallo John,

Sorry about that, obviously a red herring. My references were outside in the workshop and the rain was bucketing down in torrents!

How I agree with you on the question of photographing locomotive roofs, particularly elrctric ones where the model manufacturers are often cavalier in the types of fitting or insulator and sometimes their positions and even number.

Years ago a friend stood on the bridge over the throat of Bw Frankfurt Hbf to get close-ups of the standard electrics and even now they're needed. It's hard to understand why Roco's latest first-series BR E 10 and BR 140 both have a wrong (right-handed) Hauptschnellschalter, derived from their E 41, when they make a perfectly accurate one (left-handed, viewed from the switch end) for the BR 111. Conversely, they fit the wrong left-handed one to the recent 103s. One solution: buy a 103 for every 110 or 140, leaving the 111 and 141 alone!

Another gripe: years ago they produced a fair replica of the characteristic barrel-shaped Durchführungsisolator (above the transformer). They now use a plain clipped line insulator (103) or a parallel-sided one with thick lead to the Hauptschnellschalter. It's a pity when everything else is so good about these models.

Am I just a Grumpy Old Man? Don't all whoop at once!

David