EMD E8 Roof Question

[E7]

The PRR guys will hate that as I cant find a photo of a PRR E8 with even a lever on the side of the hatch. There appears to be a lift ring in that location in most photos. In all the looking I cant find one photo that shows that part on the roof near the winterization hatch on any road. Simple suggestion Omit it on all units it is easier to add them if required that to remove and try to match paint.

Prototype roof shots are difficult to find. That said, I looked at a friend's Key Imports brass PRR E8, and the lever is there hiding behind the train phone antenna. It is tiny, but it is there. If it were not, I doubt it would have been missed, but you never know when dealing with the rivet counting crowd! Considering ALL the first batch of 3Rd Rail E7's came through with shovel nose/streamline???? type pilots (like those on the E1 through E6's) which were totally incorrect for a LARGE number of roads, I would worry more about something like that, than what will likely end up being a little blob of plastic on the roof.

Rich (opinion)

Anyone know the correct name for that swoopy pilot?

[DaveJfr0]

I am concerned the part these guys are trying to do, even if its this lever, is too large. I have asked gnnput for additional help in looking at this part.

If I can get just one good photo of this lever, even if on the key model, it would be helpful to prove my case against this part (or for it.)

I bet the lever is supposed to be tiny, as that would probably explain why no one knows what it is and I personally have never seen it on any model in any scale before (except the american models photo I posted above, which I had to go look for.)

PS - I don't want to jinx the project, but I have yet to find anything else of any real significance wrong with the files I was given. All earlier mistakes I spotted...jeez a year or two ago, had been fixed in the most recent files. Then again, I can't speak for road-specific detailing, multiple pilots, etc...and I can't speak to what will actually happen on the factory assembly line... since some previous help of mine was ignored in making the SOU SD9's. Oh well.

In any case, I am just trying to do my due diligence in "researching" something that looked off.

[Tom Dempsey]

The only time I ever dealt with a winterization hatch lever was on a FP-9. It was just a small (like 3 inch) lever on the side of the housing that you turned by hand while standing in the ice on the damn roof. The lever actuated vanes, the winterization hatch didn't move. The lever stood proud of the side by maybe an inch and a half. I don't think you guys are identifying what is trying to be modeled correctly but lack the certain knowledge to be sure. However, the picture looks to me to be more like electrical conduit.