Re: Green Boiler Jackets - and wide tires - on the D&RGW

hank Wrote:
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> also, ISTR reading somewhere that black became the
> preferred locomotive color in the USA at least
> partly as a result of early attempts to reduce
> payroll by getting rid of many of the wipers who
> used to clean engines after each run back in the
> Victorian age...
>
> Hank

Believable. I read a book on British locomotives, and one brand new one that was tricked out from the factory to haul the then new Queen Elisabeth on some special trip, still black, but lots of high gloss and polished metal. After the special trip, it was decided to keep the engine looking like that for a period. Time records revealed that 36 man-hours per night were required to maintain the engine in showroom condition.