Drummond T9 Question

I have just come across a reference on Steamindex in a 1903 Locomotive Magazine to 705, a Drummond four-coupled bogie engine (presumably of class T9), being fitted with 'experimental gear'. Does anyone know to what this refers? Does it mean an indicator shelter for experimental running, a new valve gear or something else?

I've had a quick flick through both of Bradley's LSWR books but found nothing obvious. Does anyone have an inkling?

 

From The Drummond Greyhounds by OS Nock:

Final batch of T9 built 1900/1. Two, 337/8 built with Westinghouse air brakes as well as vacuum.
At this time Drummond was experimenting with steam sanding and these 15 were so fitted.

Best I can do.

Julian

 

705 was indeed a T9, one of the 1899 Dubs-built engines. I've had a look through the Bradley volume on the Drummond engines, and like you found nothing obvious. I don't think it was valve gear; Drummond was very loyal to his (well implemented) inside Stephensons gear until the 4-6-0s proved that mixing it with outside Walschaerts didn't work well. He'd already tried Joy gear on the outside gear of the double singles without obvious benefits, and fitting it to a T9 would probably have been quite a major undertaking.

1903 was two years after the end of T9 production, and roughly contemporary with the introduction of the L11 and S11 mixed traffic 4-4-0s. One feature they had which the T9s did not was exhaust steam feedwater heating in the tender. My best suggestion, based on nothing but conjecture, is that maybe this same equipment was also tried out on a T9 for comparative purposes. Another possible later feature would have been the smokebox steam driers used on the 4-6-0s, but I've found no evidence for either of those.

 

I've drawn a blank too. A steam drier or some other such patent device had been my best guess, but I cannot find any evidence.

Tom

 

Thanks very much for the replies guys. Food for thought. I both love and loathe enticing little titbits of information like this.

 

I recall one photo - in a Hamilton-Ellis book, if memory serves - of a T9 (I think) with a rectangular box over the offside splasher ... though I can't for the life of me recall what it was! Didn't Drummond's steam drier equipment result in a rather unsightly smokebox?

 

Could this be for the across water tubes in the firebox?