Byron Software and Services

Locomotive Ballast Modification

Extract from Neil Thompson's
I.Mech.E Professional Review Report
(section B1.1.3)

Taiwan railways had objected to the weight of the cowcatcher. I set up modification procedures and recruited local labour to replace ballast of 1.5 tonnes per cowcatcher (ie 3 tonnes per loco) by a similar weight of steel bars secured by moulten lead inside the dragbox. Access to the dragbox was through small ports shown on the RHS of the photograph.