Do We Have It Backwards???

Bob, not sure I have this right. Somewhere I read that graphite use to be applied to the boilers. I've used Neolube in the past which is some form of liquid graphite and it turns everything a dark grey or flat black.

The color depends on when and which shop applied it:

Rusty

Graphite. The color may vary, but it's a real thing. Once upon a time, the older paints tended to chip after heat/cool cycles, and the smokebox was most prone to it (of course.) Years ago, one of the old TrainNet gang posted the how-to for graphiting a smokebox, and I wish I'd saved it. It was an interesting process. I think he mentioned that the color would darken with time and soot.

Modern paint doesn't come apart as easily, so it's possible to do smokebox and all.

I'm sure it depended on the RR.  Here's a builder's photo of SAL 2-10-0 #533, I see 3 distinct shades:

Time got it backwards in 1955...

...guess you were talking about something else, though.

The front end of SAL435 is caboose ugly with the crosspumps.  But I guess form follows function.

Took you long enough Dominic, thanks for your insight.

The smokebox was done with graphite and linseed oil. The color depended on who mixed it up on any given day. There was no "standard" color for this mixture. Go a little heavier on the graphite and it gets darker.

Thanks Rich!  I think I'll try using those 2 items just to see how it looks.

I think Jim Policastro painted some of his steamers a grayish color instead of black.  It made the details stand out and seems like the thing to do if I want the smokebox to be darker anyway.

Just how hot does the exterior of the boiler get anyway?  The only running steam engines I've been around were the 611 and 1218 and don't recall trying to touch the boilers (figured if the crew was wearing gloves it was for a reason!).

"don't recall trying to touch the boilers (figured if the crew was wearing gloves it was for a reason!)."

That wasn't the main reason they were wearing gloves. You wear gloves to protect your hands in general.

Big Jim posted:

"don't recall trying to touch the boilers (figured if the crew was wearing gloves it was for a reason!)."

That wasn't the main reason they were wearing gloves. You wear gloves to protect your hands in general.

You got that right. I was at the Altoona rail road museum and went to climb into a small steam porter steam locomotive and a sharp piece of steel took a bite out me.

Big Jim posted:

"don't recall trying to touch the boilers (figured if the crew was wearing gloves it was for a reason!)."

That wasn't the main reason they were wearing gloves. You wear gloves to protect your hands in general.

Something I have never learned   I've used my hands for everything they weren't intended for...I can eat stuff that's hotter than I can pick up.  I usually think of the gloves AFTER I do something stupid.

It would be nice if we could get a paint manufacturer to develop a "Steam Engine" paint set, that would cover all the basic colors without us having to guess at a mix or constantly search for the right colors.

I painted this engine gloss black this weekend, but got in a rush and had some alligatoring/crazing, so I'm going to strip it again and repaint, maybe to a lighter color (some sort of gray/black).