True color/appearance of the "Graphite, or Smokebox colors

[NW Modeling List]

I concur that shades of graphite can vary greatly. For example, N&W A
2-6-6-4 1218, when it was first restored in 1987 and as it appears
today at VMT, the smokebox front (as 1218 has a jacketed/lagged
smokebox) appears almost black. However, around 1989, the graphite mix
appeared to get lighter and around August 1991, 1218's smokebox front
appeared a bright silver color, which faded to a medium gray color by
November 1991 during the NS/Southern 25th anniversary excursion
celebration in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

While I'm not certain about N&W steam practices in the 1930's, I'm
merely trying to say that the graphite color can vary greatly even on
a single locomotive during the course of it's life.

Steven Ashley
Spartanburg, SC