Boiler backhead
The backhead of a steam locomotive is the end of its firebox facing inside the cab. Most of the locomotive’s controls used by the locomotive’s engineer and fireman are mounted on the backhead. All the controls needed to manage the firebox’s fuel intake, boiler’s steam pressure, the locomotive’s speed and direction, and a whole lot more are within easy reach of its crew.
Backhead Components
Gallery
Shay backhead showing the syphon protecting the pressure gauge.
View of the backhead of Frank Mann's 5001, rebuilt by Vance Nickerson in 2018.
Throttle handle of screw valve throttle on backhead of boiler.
The two valves marked "H" are Tri-cocks.
This fire door frame was fitted with 5-40 countersunk machine screws. Photo by Charlie Pipes.
Backhead for a 1 inch scale UP Challenger (oil fired).
Backhead view of a 1.5 inch scale Pacific. I install dry pipes on my boilers whether coal or oil firing for the turret to help with the atomizer getting as dry steam as possible. Never attach the sight glass to the turret. I'm not hesitant to drill and tap the boiler shell but I always use heavy wall tubing. Photo and text by Vance Nickerson.
