To C&O people....

[AggroJones]

In every photo of C&O steam locomotives, they appear blue. Whats the deal? Are they painted dark blue or just black? Is this a mental illusion? [|)] Color pictures I've seen of machines like the Allegheny, J2, H-7, and Greenbier all look very much bluish. Am I the only one that sees this?

[ndbprr]

OH boy! Am I going to get in trouble. I can't say definitively but I don't think they were black. I think what you are seeing is a color shift in the 1950's film. Ektachrome had a blui***int and was used because it was "fast" at 64 ASA whereas Kodachrome was more red and had an ASA of 25. I shot a roll of kodachrome a few years ago and was amazed that I couldn't go much faster than 1/8 second at F8. The newer 200 and 400 ASA films haven't shown this tendency YET but we'll know in 30 or 40 years. SO while a couple of engines may have been blue I don't think any you mentioned were. Knowing railfans if I'm wrong somebody is going to tell me.

[Anonymous]

I think I am going to step up and lay by ignorant brain on the block. I suspect the blue may be from the steel itself. Some of antique firearms from the civil war era had blueish metal. Perhaps it is a property of steel.

Just a wild guess.

[locomutt]

Steam engines were black diesel engines were Enchantment
blue cabooses were red.
locomutt

[Anonymous]

I see ashy black, but I do see how they might appear bluish.