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Steam Smokebox Question
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JoshW1992
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Do you mean the Smoke Deflectors?
They are designed to lift the smoke away from the loco when it is travelling at high speeds, which gives the driver a better view of the line ahead.
They are used in several countries, mainly the UK and Germany, but there are plenty more.
They are designed to lift the smoke away from the loco when it is travelling at high speeds, which gives the driver a better view of the line ahead.
They are used in several countries, mainly the UK and Germany, but there are plenty more.
Aureol
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Unless you want to go into the technicalities of them 
Basically, when locomotives were built they were fitted with single blastpipes, so the exhaust was a powerful bark which sent the smoke and steam high up and over the locomotive boilers and cabs, though when they were fitted later on in their lives (certain classes only, of course) with double blast pipes, the exhaust wasn't quite as powerful, thus making the smoke and steam drift into the line of sight of the footplate crew. It was later decided (sometimes as long as 2/3 years) to fit deflector panels to the sides of the smokeboxes to deflect the smoke up and over the cab, this works by the draft being forced between the deflector and the smokebox, using the profile of the smokebox to force the draft upwards, and the draft from the outer side of the deflector keeps the smoke from venturing out of the inner draft and into the line of sight of the footplate crew.
Hope this helps
Basically, when locomotives were built they were fitted with single blastpipes, so the exhaust was a powerful bark which sent the smoke and steam high up and over the locomotive boilers and cabs, though when they were fitted later on in their lives (certain classes only, of course) with double blast pipes, the exhaust wasn't quite as powerful, thus making the smoke and steam drift into the line of sight of the footplate crew. It was later decided (sometimes as long as 2/3 years) to fit deflector panels to the sides of the smokeboxes to deflect the smoke up and over the cab, this works by the draft being forced between the deflector and the smokebox, using the profile of the smokebox to force the draft upwards, and the draft from the outer side of the deflector keeps the smoke from venturing out of the inner draft and into the line of sight of the footplate crew.
Hope this helps
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