Clive Coleman wrote:
In message , John Rowland
writes
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...

Now I might get shot down in flames from one of
our resident drivers or engineers here but one
way to tell which is which is to look at a train on
the opposite track and see which wheels have
the "shoe" attached to pick up the electric power.
If a carriage has shoes then it is a motor car,
if there are no shoes then it is a trailer car.
The best lines to see this on are the sub surface
lines like the Met or District lines because there
are two tracks side by side.

... also on any line where above ground.

As far as I know all the Southern region stock has bus lines
throughout so any car with or without shoes could be motored whereas
no underground trains do.

Not quite correct. There is a motor to trailer bus line to feed the
compressors.