Captain Browne worked with Alexander Watson throughout the design and construction phases of the "BX". Watson purchased the "BX's" boiler, engines and other equipment from the Chicago Marine Ironworks Company, who were informed that the "BX's" construction site at Soda Creek was away from the railway at Ashcroft and therefore the equipment would have to be hauled by horse drawn freighters for that distance. Chicago Marine decided to build the boiler in sections, the heaviest piece was less than , so it was easily transported to the construction site. They also supplied two compound condensing engines for the "BX" which would use half the fuel of a single engine of similar power. These engines gave the "BX" an enormous advantage over the other sternwheelers that were on the river at this time, as it cut down on both the labor needed to load the wood and the cargo space required to carry it.It was later estimated that these engines saved the "BX" a sum equal to the amount of her construction, $54,531.33.