Mike wrote:

You might do better by adapting the design of one of the Serpollet steam cars built in France in the 1890's. They burned coke, fed automatically to the rear-mounted boiler, from a hopper.

Mike, you are quite correct, and this is precisely what I intend to do.
I intend to apply the "Argentinian solution" insofar as the use of the
coke is concerned, though I will still be using the Rabbit body, and,
on the trip out, I will fire with wood, as Tom Miller has mentioned was
done with the Argentinian Sentinel timber haulers. I need to drive
into town now, but perhaps before I do, I should mention that I have
been studying the drawings for the Serpollet engine and boiler.