Lionel 392E Cooper Boiler Pipe

Copper?

Brian, given his insistence on repeating "cooper" in the face of your correction, let's assume he means what he says.  Coopering is the almost lost art of making wooden barrels.  A cooper is a person who makes them.  It is a surprisingly complex mathematical undertaking, as the barrel is not only cylindrical but also tapers toward each end, and each wooden stave must be shaped accordingly.  Metal bands are placed around the barrel to withstand the pressure outward when the barrel is filled with liquid.

I have never heard of the term being applied to steam locomotive boilers, but there is a certain logic to it: a boiler is cylindrical and sometimes tapered, and there are bands on the outside to help withstand the internal pressures.  Not sure how we can help, but I'd be interested to see where this goes.

- david

I don't think English is his first language.

I can help him find a copper pipe, but if he really does mean "cooper" then I'm not sure I can do anything.