Nick,
Hope you are on the mend and nice to see you are making progress. As regards the torpedo nets they were typically used in home waters where there was some concern with submarines at anchorage so ships on extended missions (to the Falklands) sometimes had them removed as the potential submarine threat was virtually non existent, but often refitted on their return, hence the contradictory pictures as it all depends on the precise date.
Whilst I'm modelling mine at the time of Jutland evidence is contradictory if the Battlecruisers mounted them or not. I certainly recall seeing a picture of Lion on the way home showing torpedo nets and yet another of Indefatigable before she was sunk not showing nets (assuming the picture date is correct.
I plan to model them as:
1) Conflicting evidence exists
2) The Sambrook plans show them
3) They will make a very nice and distinctive model feature and add considerable detail.
On another note I just rebuilt both brass tripods as on checking they were too wide at the top with the legs being too prominent. The legs actually meet at a point immediately below the control top so the control top is really only supported directly by the central leg, which in turn was supported by the legs, hence why, on Invincible there is an external ladder outside on the legs as a secondary way to the control top. The main route being a ladder inside the main leg.
I should have examined the plans more carefully.
One think I have not been able to clarify is how is the foremast year fixed to the center leg - even in the Dreadnought Anatomy of the ship book this seems unclear.
Cheers
Geoff