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If I am not mistaken, most all of the Lionel post war steam locos, that had separate pilot/cylinder castings, had them unpainted.  Here's one from a post war 224 loco. IMG_6694
My question is, what was the finish?  I do not believe they were blued, but I don't think they were bare, unfinished metal either--or were they?  I've been fooling with these things for over 50 years now and the question just hit me, so I thought I would ask.  Thanks!

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Last edited by MrAllied
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You can use a cold black oxide refinisher  like Creswel’s black oxide concentrate. Caswell’s black oxide refinishing system works perfectly to exactly duplicate the black finish Lionel used on die cast pilots, freight car side frames, and steel wheels and axles. You have to follow some specific steps when working with black oxide. It is an acid, but it’s a low, low, grade acid. So after the dipping process, you must neutralize, and treat the dipped parts. Caswell’s black oxide concentrate is available in small quantities, and is very inexpensive for the DIY crowd wanting to refresh blackened antique model railroad parts……I use Caswell’s system in the shop almost religiously for both automotive, and model railroading use. Somewhere in the archives of this forum, I did a before and after, and pretty’s sure I did some pilots, pilot trucks, etc,…if it can’t be found, and you guys would like a quick overview and tutorial, I’d be happy to do it, ….it literally takes only minutes to get professional results…..

Pat

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