Here's another neat view showing O-5-A 5626 nearing completion and posed outside the shop at West Burlington on April Fools Day 1940. Interesting to see the way new and overhauled locomotives were painted, a bit at a time. In this case the cab was attached to the rear of the boiler while still in primer, though the rest of the locomotive wears a coat of gloss black. The area where the numbers and initials would be placed on the cab sides was brush-painted black, then the decal letters and numbers were applied and a coat of varnish added to seal them. Once the varnish is completely dry they will be masked off and the cab spray-painted black, with a mineral red roof. Note that the tender is fully painted and the herald applied and varnished. At the moment the door is off the stoker engine compartment and the Standard BK stocker engine is visible. Cylinder head covers are not yet in place, the bell rope has not yet been strung back to the fireman's side of the cab, and there are other minor details to attend to, but in all likelihood the locomotive has been brought outside to be fired up for the first time. A coat of graphite and oil will first be applied to the smokebox and firebox and baked on by that first fire.
Note the painted plate on the side of the smokebox. I'd love to know what it says, but it is in all likelihood a Baldwin extra order plate, since Baldwin built and furnished the boilers of all the O-5-A's assembled at West Burlington. The plate will be removed before the smokebox is graphited. The railroad's own small rectangular builder's plate, showing the locomotive class, the location and date built and the cylinder dimensions, is in place, unpainted as yet, on the cylinder jacket. An image of such a plate is also attached.
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