Can a car engine explode like a steam locomotive's boiler?

An internal combustion engine simply cannot EXPLODE in the same sense that the boiler of a steam engine, such as an old time steam locomotive ,can explode. Internal combustion engines, even the ones used in drag racing cars that have two thousand horsepower or more may fail catastrophically, and a few parts might fly thru the air and hit somebody, or the drive. read more

This design is known as a "fire-tube boiler." Those pipes give the hot gasses from the firebox a lot of surface area to heat the water inside the boiler. This type of boiler became very popular in the day of the steam locomotive because its more fuel efficient than the older type of boiler. read more