"steam-actuated dials" - this article is trash. they are trying to say "steam gauges" but for some reason are up-complicating it and since they don't know the subject they made nonsense.
> Analog gauges, commonly called “steam gauges” because their faces resemble a steam pressure gauge
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/march/flig...
Contrast with "glass panels" or "glass cockpit" which just means "using a LCD" or similar (nevermind that the "steam gauges" also have a glass front)