Why do they call them "Steam Gauges?"

[Alamanach]

What!?

Perjorative: derisive, insulting.

Somehow I can't buy into this explanation. Could it be that some older technology (and it may well have been steam engines) had steam-powered gages that were similar in operation (not appearance) to the air-driven gages of our airplanes? I don't know, I'm just asking. I've seen "steam gages" used when referring to aircraft instruments, but I can't recall the tone of such usage ever being perjorative.

 

[enigma]

I don't know the exact history of "steam gauge" in it's aviation usage; but if you've ever been in the cab of a steam driven locomotive, you'll understand why we use the term.

I consider the term to refer to the entire cockpit display, not to the individual instrument.

Every town used to have a retired locomotive parked somewhere. Go check it out. Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry has one, as well as the Henry Ford Museum in DTW and the Smithsonian at DC.