COLBOURN'S ENGINE FOR BURNING ANTHRACITE COAL 1854

     This engine was designed and constructed by Zerah Colburn, Engineer to the New Jersey Locomotive Works at Paterson in 1854.

     Cyls 18"x24" six coupled wheels 4 ft. dia. The boiler 50" dia. had 91 iron tubes 3" dia. 15'6" long a length which permitted the firebox to be placed entirely behind the driving wheels and thus a clear width of 7'6" was obtained for the fire grate, the bars being 6 ft. long.

     The spreading of the firebox to a width greater than that of the gauge of the line by placing the firebox behind the wheels had been carried out in 1852, by Mr. Colbourn, in a number of tank engines for a contractor's line of 3'3" gauge, that of the permanent (the Great Western Railway of Canada) being 5'6".