 The locos were originally fitted with dumb buffers, but these were changed for small round buffers during the 1930s, some also gaining vacuum brakes during this period; only hand and steam brakes were fitted when built.Locomotives operating at Tyne Dock were altered to take shunting poles on each corner of the loco, giving the ability to pull a wagon on an adjacent line.The LNER originally painted the Y7s in black with ¼inch vermillion lining; repaints after 1928 omitted this with locomotives in plain black.