A B757-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN OVERHEAD TEST SWITCH AND LIGHT PANEL NOT IN EFFECT FOR THIS MODEL ACFT.

Narrative

DURING PREFLT; I NOTED A HYD GENERATOR TEST SWITCH INSTALLED IN THIS ACFT; EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT PLACARDED OR LISTED IN THE OPS MANUAL VOLUME 1 AS AN EXTENDED RANGE ACFT. THE INSTALLED TEST SWITCH FOR THE HYD GENERATOR LED ME TO BELIEVE THE AIRPLANE MIGHT BE AN EXTENDED RANGE WHICH WOULD HAVE MAJOR ELECTRICAL DIFFERENCES COMPARED TO A DOMESTIC AIRPLANE. SUBSEQUENT TEST OF THE HYD GENERATOR FAILED TO PRODUCE A PROPER TEST. MAINT WAS CALLED TO ASSIST MAINT ALSO FAILED TO GET A PROPER TEST; AT WHICH TIME THEY REQUESTED I ENTER THE ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A HYD DRIVEN GENERATOR IS NOT INSTALLED ON THIS ACFT. THIS CONFUSION RESULTED IN A 34 MIN DELAY. AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT AND AFTER SUNRISE; I NOTED SOMEONE HAD PENCILED ON THE PANEL 'INOP.' THIS PENCIL ENTRY WAS NOT VISIBLE WITH NIGHT LIGHTING AND MAY NOT BE A LEGAL PLACARD. IT IS POSSIBLE THE ACFT HAS THE WRONG TEST PANEL INSTALLED OR PERHAPS WE NEED TO INSTALL A PROPER PLACARD TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM BEING MISLED.