Flat or Gloss on Gauge Hands?

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Abram and Shawn:  The gauge faces and needles should be flat as you do
not want reflection from the gauge face to the back of the glass.
Reflected image off of the back of the glass can cause a 'ghost' image
and misreading of the gauge.  This is according to some old gauge
catalogs that I used to have.

 

In industrial practice, I have seen older gauges with both matte or
semi-gloss finishes especially with brushed bronze, brass or stainless
steel faces.  White faces are always flat white.  Lettering seems to go
either way with gloss or matte. Seems like the guideline got violated as
many times as it got followed.

 

G Rolih

Cincinnati

 

-----Original Message-----
From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 10:46 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: Flat or Gloss on Gauge Hands?

 

Abram,
I have one of those Ashcroft Gauges as well and mine is definately flat
black with flat black numbers and a what looks to be/was flat white
gauge face.....I'll take some pics once I get home this weekend....my
gauge is supposed to have came off of Y6b 2174 but I see no proof as to
what locomotive it came from....it was given to me by my grandfather.

Shawn

nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org wrote:

 There being no takers on the question of flat-vs.-gloss paint on gauge
hands, I'll offer up the following information, which comes from as good
a source as we're liable to find in the year 2006.

 

My friend, Sam Leach (presently a Train Dispatcher,) has worked around
steam (locomotive and stationary) for three decades.  For a number of
years he ran the steam power house at a large hos pital in our area, and
for three decades he has repaired, fired and run a number of steam
engines on short line railroads.

 

Sam reports that all paint on all gauges he has ever come in contact
with, whether in locomotive or stationary service, has been of flat
surface.  This includes the hands, the numerals on the gauge dial, and
the graduation marks.  Sam says he heard years ago from the veterans the
same story I heard, viz. that gloss paint was avoided as it might lead
to glare and a potential misreading of the gauge.

 

Until we get other information definitively related to N&W practices,
I'm moving my project ahead based on this report.

 

-- abram burnett

________________________________________
NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
To change your subscription go to
http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list

 

________________________________

Yahoo! Mail
Use Photomail
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/taglines/pmall2/*http:/photomail.mail.ya
hoo.com>  to share photos without annoying attachments.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20060211/e1d94c60/attachment-0001.html