An arm on the top of each box rotates a shaft when pushed or pulled. The shaft extends to the bottom of the box and moves a flap over a hole to allow or prevent the sand descending through the hole to the track.
The two front and the near-side rear boxes are all operated by one lever, the one to the left of the reverser lever. Oddly, the off-side rear box is operated by another lever, the one to the right of the reverser lever, via a vertical shaft.
LH lever operates 3 boxes via a cross shaft behind the boiler and below the coal bunker. RH lever operates the offside rear. |
The sandboxes are heavy castings; one box's mechanism in particular had seized due to rust combined with sand over a long period.
Flap seized over the hole (the fluid is diesel to attempt to free it) |
One attempt to free the mechanism freed only the end of the flap! |
Sandbox "remodelling" begins! |
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