How to Build or Find the PRR Signature Firebox

While the GN and PRR were by far the largest users of Belpaire fireboxes and also used them for a much longer time, it is incorrect to say that ONLY these American railroads had them. There were also these (and likely others):

Saint Lawrence and Adirondack

Illinois Central

Lake Shore and Michigan Southern

Flint and Pere Marquette

Duluth, Mississippi River and Northern

Louisville and Nashville

Oregon Railroad and Navigation

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy

Wisconsin Central

Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh

Indiana and Illinois Southern

Union Pacific

Monon

Peoria and Pekin Union

Louisville New Albany and Corydon

Toledo, Peoria and Western

Jacksonville Southeastern

Northern Pacific (Class Z 2-6-6-2)

I have added Belpaire fireboxes to two Mantua/Tyco steam engines: a 4-6-2 and an 0-6-0. For both, I built a dam around the top half of the existing firebox and poured in epoxy. I then did a lot of filing and filling. It worked quite nicely. I did add boiler banding and various appliances.

Ed

Belpaire boilers? Add B&O E-24 2-8-0’s which were copies of PRR H6’s; B&O A-2 4-4-2’s which were copies of PRR designs (both bought when B&O was controlled by PRR); Washington Terminal 0-6-0’s and 0-8-0’s (PRR copies); Long Island 4-6-0’s (also PRR copies); and Pittsburgh & West Virginia’s huge 2-6-6-4’s An awful lot of roads bought PRR locos with Belpaire boilers on the secondhand market, including Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt, Long Island, Central Indiana, Detroit Toledo & Ironton, Bellefonte Central, Interstate, Western Allegheny, Pittsburgh Chartiers & Youghiogheny, Lake Erie Franklin & Clarion, N&W, Cambria & Indiana, Lehigh & New England, and (SURPRISE!) Santa Fe.