Early engines were merely simple boilers and cylinders mounted on flat cars. Their crews had no protection from the weather. Modern steam locomotives provide cabs for the crews, with windows and places to sit down. The steel-walled cabs of the K-28s are also insulated for cold weather and have protective curtains to keep out rain and snow during storms. The locomotive cab straddles the rear of the firebox, known as the backhead, where firebox access doors and all gauges, dials, and controls are mounted.
Quick facts
A box on wheels