J-2 Engine (Building 4200)

A J-2 engine sits in front of Building 4200, part of a display showcasing Marshall's propulsion legacy. I have been unable to identify this J-2's serial number (I could not find an engine ID plate on it), but its unusual additional hardware lead me to believe that this is a research and development engine.

I found its color unusual; since it had the additional hardware, I assumed that it must have been some sort of special R&D engine. On a later trip to Marshall, I met someone from the restoration team. The engine had been all but forgotten about and was covered in layers of, well layers of things of which a rocket engine should not covered. Once it was clean, it was to be painted. He told me that he was tired of looking at the white J-2 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, so he painted it black and grey.

Best to not judge a book by its cover ...