Ludmilla modifications
Impatience has got the better of me... I've bought a DR liveried BR132 (Roco 63911) which I wish to update to mid/late 1990s DBAG condition (albeit retaining the Wine Red livery). However, there seem to have been a lot of modifications carried out over this period, which are causing me grief! There are three areas which are most noticable. Firstly, the windscreens gained a different frame. Some retained the originals into the present decade, so I'll probably leave them alone. Secondly, and immediately apparant, are the cantrail grills. Originally, they were as seen here: http://www.br232.com/Bilder/132/132_062_1a.htm At some point they were changed to thus: http://www.br232.com/Bilder/232/232_085_1a.htm This is particularly bugging me, as I can't find any pictures of DBAG locos with the original variant, nor can I find any under DR with the modified variant. 700-odd locos can't all have been modded at once, so it would be useful to know whether this was a late DR or early DBAG modification. If it's early DBAG, I can probably get away with the fact my model has the original variant. It would also be useful to know whether or not there is something like an etch available to modify my model. Lastly, the roof itself. Some locos had a cowling around the radiator fans added (probably all by now!), and all had some kind of pipe arrangement (the purpose of which eludes me) at the non-radiator end, inboard of the box with two fans which I assume to be the rheostatic brake resistors. Again, are these parts available to detail my loco? Anyway, the pipes (or whatever they are!) are visible in this picture: http://www.br232.com/Bilder/232/232_100_8i.htm Thanks in anticipation, Rich

Hi Rich: Although I am certainly no authority on the Ludmilla, let me see if I can square a few circles for you. On the prototypes, the piping behind the regenerative (dynamic) brake fan assembly is, evidently, a resistor bank. The locos started to get the brake fans in the boxed format (as opposed to two fans standing proud) as far back as the late '70s (from the factory?). The resistor banks came later, but still when the locos were DR machines-the 132 063 (destroyed in a head-on collision at Oebisfelde in June, 1991) had the resistor banks at the time of its demise. Most locos wound up with resistor banks by the early '90s, but one notable exception being 232 329, which didn't have the resistor banks as late as 1997, but was outfitted with the Rangierkupplung (the retractable coupling usually found on shunters)! The three Siemens radiator fans (with cowls) at the rear end of the unit don't seem to appear until 1998 or so, although many units were retrofitted with them in the following years, along with rectangular buffers. Both of my Roco Ludmillas have the same grill arrangement on the roof-so, with some weathering, you might want to let that slide. Unfortunately, the Roco spare parts list I have for 63913 (DBAG 232) is remarkably vague, but there are a couple of parts which might help: -112691 (Teilsatz 3/Parts Set 3-includes the resistor bank, the fans (question: which type-the earlier proud ones or the later boxed ones?), the horns and a piece I believe to be the exhaust stack) -114981 (Wiederstaende/Resistors)-resistor bank only -107584 (Teilsatz 1/Parts Set 1-includes the fans (again!), along with many other parts-truck sideframes, cab interior, etc and the Siemens radiator fans) -106775 flat buffers Perhaps if Roco has the parts they can enlighten you as to exactly which fans are in which parts set. With the resistors and the boxed regenerative brake fans, you should be able to recreate many of the machines as they were in the mid-90s, in original paint. Source: "Die 232 Familie-Die DR-Baureihen 130, 131, 132, 142 und die DB AG-Varianten" Eisenbahn-Journal Special 3/99. Hope this helps. Cheers, Charles

Thanks for the info Charles, very useful. Looking at other Roco Ludmillas, it does look like they all have the original grill arrangement. At some point I might have a go at making them look a little like the modified arrangement with some styrene strip, but for now, weathering will be the order of the day. I don't know why I didn't think to look at Roco spares lists before- the part numbers you've given are useful! I'd overlooked the buffers in my orginal posting. I don't know how much I'll do on the loco still- I've yet to settle on a prototype, as there as just so many to choose from!