Boiler washout on 401

401 has been out for boiler washout today...this photo shows three of the many mud-hole doors that have to be removed to allow the boiler to be washed

In the cab/backhead/firebox crown there are another 6 mud-hole doors to be removed as well as 5 washout plugs

The washout begins in the smokebox with any sludge/boiler scale etc being blasted towards the back of the boiler, then the firebox crown and sidesheets are washed until it all falls down to the foundation ring. In this photo, the foundation ring is being washed round whilst someone is in with a rake on another foundation ring door (out of shot) to scrape any scale out