Modifying existing locos

Quite possibly as he was at Doncaster at the time.

 

But hopefully not on the railway!!!

As for loco mods. I think there is a distinction between preservation and operation. If something is truly preserved in the strictest sense it is stuffed and mounted, if used, its not preserving but is wearing it out. If we are talking operation, then it needs to comply with the regs - obviously, but also may need modifying operationally. E.g, cutting down 6024 for fit the network, and if needs be, converting to oil firing, or fitting more reliable bearings etc.. A certain amount of modification to satisfy the aim of keeping the thing viably running on a modern railway has to be accepted, or we return to the stuff and mount option.

 

Yes extra rear dampers were fitted to supplement the already existing one. After correction of the front damper air spaces in restoration, no further need for research into draughting was considered necessary. However, in main line running, recurring problems were encountered with melting firebars and clinkering at the rear of the grate, due to lack of air through the rear of the ashpan. When a new ashpan was fabricated to replace the life-expired one made in restoration, the single centre rear damper was supplemented by two outside ones, giving increased volume of air and better flow to the rear of the grate.

The major contributors to the poor steaming experienced in BR day's as found and rectified during the initial rebuild was a wrongly proportioned chimney and blastpipe as well as the already mentioned less then adequate front damper air spaces.