I have a set of white metal loco irons in OO gauge, what I want to know is what colour would the irons have been. Any advice will be a great help.
You mean a jigger pick and ashpan riddling bars... I'd hazard a guess Mark and say most likely an all over rust colour with probably a touch of coal dust.
I can confirm rust and black. Normally they are black... but as you can imagine they go in the hot fire, they go outside - in all weathers.. so hot and cold - so an orange rust at the ends... and very often not straight!