I am curious, I am aware of several firms who manufacture various items for the preservation community such as Stay Bolts, Whistles, Injectors, Super-heater element parts, Safety Valves etc. But I've never seen any firms who produce replica locomotive style steam pressure gauges.

So was curious if any firms have or does do these? also any other steam related items.

Cheers

Ian

Golden Spike NHS operates under regulation and requires modern code gauges - but the former technical people there had some old pressure gauge faces replicated to fit onto the modern gauges and it worked very well for them. You might need brass bezels as well..... not sure what your situation may be but you could try that idea out. Might start with firms that do custom plaques or metal etching......

I etched this plate for a client a few years ago.




Here is the original:

Sure, as usual, all it takes is money! This is a set I made from scratch and drove them with modern movements. About 12 hours-plus each, plus materials.

In actuality, there are lots of authentic locomotive gauges in existence that can be restored and returned to service, so unless it is something very specialized, that is no need to build one from scratch... yet.

This is a book you may want to invest in.

Neat!

Try finding Canadian Steam Gauges... all the guys that traded a bottle of whiskey to a roundhouse foreman for a trunkload 60 years ago think they can fund their grandchildrens' retirements with them!

Having always loved the brass gauges of yesterday I knew I needed one for my locomotive so I made one and then others were interested so I started making a hand full of them for live steam locomotives. My photography skills don't do them much justice as they are such beautiful jewelry up close.


https://www.modelgauge.com/products

As far as making full size ones, you would use the modern movement behind the gauges, and the faces are easy enough to make all you need to do is come up with the artwork and send it out for etching. The harder part would be the bezel. I collect the full size ones and I can't seem to figure out how they formed the sheet metal on those bezels. If you ever get the chance pull the bezel off off of one and then there is a return bend on them that I just can't figure out what the tooling must have looked like to form one of those bezels. Anyone know how they were made?

I suppose you could turn one on a lathe you only needed one of them. Online metals sells 7" dia Brass in 1ft lengths for $1,189, so it may be better to make a pattern and have something cast up than to try to work with Bar stock. Anyone know where to get gauges with old school bezels on them?

As far as bezels the better gauges had cast brass ones that threaded onto the back. I have one and sold another built like that. These two also had cast brass cases not cast iron or stamped steel.

I've got an Ashcroft gauge marked "Locomotive" with a small marking that says "McAvity" above the indicator center. I don't know anything about Canadian locomotives, but I am told that the "McAvity" indicated it was off a Canadian engine.

McAvity is a Canadian firm. They made gauges, fittings and all kinds of things.

I don't know if they're still in business, but last time I checked they were making McAvity brand fire hydrants, and I have seen some of them in Canada.