Question about Steam Engine Backheads

Generally speaking, the cab back heads are black. Remember that during night time running, the crew MUST be able to see ahead clearly, and ANY light pollution on the cab would seriously affect their night vision. That is why the various gauges are so very dimly lit, on real steam locomotives.

Backhead of Western Maryland 734.  Note the two small tube lights used to illuminate the gauges, lower left, below the gauge, and far center right above the gauge.

Additional picture.

I reviewed my pictures, there does not appear to be any other light.  An open fire box door does make some light.

I understand about the illuminating, I was wondering about the actual color, so I can safely tell the customer that it should be black?

Looks black to me.  Cab interior in the first picture is green.  I also thought I saw green cab interiors at Steamtown. 

Cab of the Baldwin #26 0-6-0 being painted at Steamtown.

 

The back head should be black. However the cab interior may be be a whole different story, as some railroads used that Jade Green color, or a Suede Gray color, which are the same two "basic" cab interior colors that EMC/EMD started using for the diesel cabs in the late 1930s. 

On the locomotives I work on, the backheads match the rest of the jacketing.  Black jackets have black backheads.  Our recently restored 1897 Baldwin 4-4-0 was returned to it's factory appearance.  All blue boiler jacketing and same for the backhead sheet metal.  The cab interiors themselves on all three are painted dark green

Here are photos of the backhead of Reading & Northern 4-6-2 #425 after she returned to service this year

I did find it a bit odd (not in the bad way) that 425's jacketing on the backhead was blue.

since you seem to specialize in Reading RR, what would you suggest I paint the backhead of the Crusader?  all black or just where the firebox is?

I have no specific knowledge but I would guess the Crusaders had the same black backhead they had before they were streamlined.