Larry, some describe the smokebox as black but it appears a lighter shade than the rest of the boiler. I think they nailed it on this engine.
Pete
I can see no difference in the paint color on mine.
Neither can I, Greg. The right side where the filled the class light hole doesn't look as good as the left side, but that too can be fixed. I am going to put a PSC headlight on it.
If I shine a bright light at a sharp angle on the boiler front I can see two squares, more or less, indicating where it was patched. But without the strong light, I really can't see the patches. I'm happy with the way it looks.