[HM181]

Nearly all big engines were fitted with steam heating boilers .
It was the secondmans duty to fire up the boiler and tend it through the journey.
The heat was passed through the train by special pipes which conducted the steam through the train.
These pipes could be isolated from handles on the headstocks of the coaches.
On the last coach of the train this isolating cock would have to be in the off position otherwise the steam would blow off to the atmosphere.
When splitting coaches off from a steam heated train, you isolated the steam pipes, and on these pipes was rubber valve which you pushed in to release the steam within the pipes you were splitting off.
This was done by finding a piece of wood to depress the valve in.
I have only coupled up the steam heating on one train and this was from Green Arrow into the NRM Support Coach at Scabrough.
When locos had he steam heat boiler removed they put a big slab of concrete in its place.