by chnhrr
In reviewing some of my digital collection I’ve notice that very early photos of the S units have a highly polished black finish. I have noticed similar finishes in early photographs of Pennsylvania and New Haven box cab electrics. I am assuming these were conventional factory finishes at the time. Was the finish a baked enamel finish with a wax or lacquer coating to enhance the sheen? I’ve included a photo from the Redden Collection that demonstrates the “oil can” effect often associated with a highly polished finish. Obviously this labor intensive finish was not repeated in the subsequent repainting of these locomotives.
