Railroad Trivia.

But one of those things that never seem to get explained ...

Actually, silver (for oil tanks), and oxide brown/red and yellow (on wooden tanks)were very common.

Matte black is also the best radiator of heat. On a clear, cool night, a couple degree above freezing, a black shingle roof will often have frost all over it by morning. So northern climes black would be a liability in winter, especially since winter nights are much longer than summer nights.

IMO, black was used for much the same reason as oxide red: it's a cheap paint.

cheers, wolf k.

And if the car gets covered in grime or soot, you won't notice it.

Shrug.

I was recently given this information by a friend who (A) works full time in the BNSF shops and (B) does locomotive restoration and maintenance work for the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo, CA.

~Pete

Ah well, unless he has documentary evidence, I think he's just passing on some "lore". Just becasue someone works in an industry doesn't mean he's better informed on its history than an outsider who pokes around in dusty basements. ;-)

That being said, black paint for water tanks to preheat the water makes a lot of sense in the south and southwest.

cheers, wolf k.

As long as it's not too hot - injectors don't like hot water. Condensing locomotives divert the steam back into the cold water which heats it up, and they have to use feed pumps instead.

I always assumed engines with feed water heaters used similar pumps.

Bets?