After a number of false dawns, Didcot Railway Centre hopes to finally set its blue 4-6-0 No. 6023 King Edward I free on the national network this summer. The locomotive suffered steaming problems on Didcot demonstration runs in 2014, following the four-inch reduction in the height of its blastpipeand chimney casting to make the'King'fit within Network Rail's stringent 13ft 1 in height restriction. The locomotive volunteer group stated in January: "Drivers and firemen reported that there was very little suck from the chimney on the fire, and if anything, one would have thought the fire was burning in a stationary engine waiting for duty.
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