Peter Kerslake says "This picture shows the cab tarpaulin ready to be deployed in bad weather. The open cab and narrow tender is probably why the West country enginemen didn't favour this class as pilot engines over the South Devon banks in March and April 1954 when 9023 was used on a short trial period for this purpose. Not really what you want on Hemerdon or Dainton coupled ahead of a King or a Castle running at high speed with a heavily loaded passenger express, particularly if it's blowing a gale and raining "cats and dogs"!
9005 was one of sixteen of the class stationed at Machynlleth or its substantial Aberystwyth sub-shed at this date."