Steam Gauge Collecting AN AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE
(Page 4 of 5)
March/April 1994
Barry L. David
What to look for?
RELATED CONTENT
If you're a collector who's just in it for the show, B
& B is your best bet. But don't be surprised if you pay
through the nose for your gauges. Of course, you'll tire
quickly of them and soon run out of room for display.
If you're into collecting for the nostalgia of a bygone era?
Or if you feel immensely drawn to the artful craftsmanship of the
previous century? Or if you spark to the thrill of discovery long
after the initial purchase, and that purchase is inexpensive enough
to allow you multiple buys in the same month or year (unlike the
purchase of an entire traction engine), than gauge hounding is
right for you!
The first thing to determine on a gauge is the type of dial. For
the collector, the dial is everything and a shiny case is just
window dressing. In the 1885 American Steam Gauge Company catalog,
the company makes this statement, 'All dials used on our gauges
are of brass, engraved and silvered, and figures filled with black
wax. We do not use painted or enameled dials'. Painted and
enameled dials became popular only in the early 1900s when the
individual craftsman began to be replaced by mass production.
After the type of dial, the second thing to look for is
what's on the dial. The gauge maker trademark (or company name)
will give you the best line on age. However, as discussed earlier,
the User Company Name is where the excitement is. It's easy to
see how the presence of a famous traction engine company name
(i.e., Minneapolis) can provide the greatest thrill.
In addition, the presence of patent or trademark registration
dates or even the makers date are all exciting finds. But remember,
the purchase is just the start. Many hours of research at your
local library will pass before you can determine the history behind
the user company on the dial. Most of these companies don't
exist anymore under the old name or even at all. So be prepared to
spend many enjoyable hours pouring over old records in order to
solve these mysteries.
Steam Junkies
The greatest side benefit to gauge collecting are the wonderful
people who enjoy steam. In a world that has grown obsessed with the
cutthroat tactics of modem business, it's nice to know there
are still kind and generous people willing to help.
Being on the young end (31 years old) of the age spectrum for
the usual steam collector, I've often felt like a green kid.
When looking back, I can remember some of my early questions that
seem pretty silly now. Fortunately though, I was never treated as
such. If I had been, I may have become discouraged long ago. I feel
like I've been taken under the wing of some of the really great
veteran collectors and allowed to carve out my own little niche
with gauge collecting.
Many times, these experienced steam enthusiasts have given me a
leg up, so to speak. A couple years ago, a retired steam fitter saw
my letter to the editor of IMA requesting information on old gauge
catalogs and sent me 5 old gauges he had lying around his workshop.
Bruce Cynar, Publisher of The Plumb Line, introduced himself to me
by sending me a wonderful old gauge off a Buffalo-Springfield Road
Roller (see picture 5). Old gauges are often very
geographical in nature. A traction engine gauge may be much more
common in the Plains States than it is in the Pacific Northwest
where I live. It made a superb addition to my collection.
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