There is a string below on good steamers.
Seems I read somewhere that the D&RG rewarded good steamers with round number plates. Hence the round number plates on 174, 223, 343, 346, 456, 454, etc.,. The practice must have stopped during World War I, or when motive power was pooled, perhaps. Some of the plates are more elaborate, like 454; some just have a nice border, like 456; and 223's is just round.
A couple of the 'good steamers' have survived, but alot didn't. Why? How did the 463 and 464 make it past the scrapper but not 454? Why did 168 survive instead of 174?
Or is the 'good steamer' some hulaballou, and it really recognized the hogger? Or, is there another explanation...?
Thoughts?