during the construction of the d class, a number of changes were made. the first locomotives built featured low running plates with splashers over the driving wheels and a narrow cab. however, after 26 such examples were built the design was altered with high running plates mounted above the driving wheels and a more comfortable full-width pressed metal cab of canadian design, a feature incorporated at the request of victorian railways chief commissioner and former canadian pacific railway transportation manager thomas tait. these became hallmarks of all subsequent vr steam locomotive designs.