What is this detail - steam? - part?

Looks like part of a steam locomotive cross head.

lubricator - - manufactured in the Pleistocene Era?

Looks like the valve piston rod guide with something hanging on the bottom.  Any view from rear?

If that's a lubricator, what is that big round thing on one end? Looks like the piston rod should fit right in that round part.

the "item" on the upper left corner of the casting looks like a lubricator, kinda, maybe. Don't see this casting showing up on a Kohs Challenger anytime soon!

OK, glad to see that it confuses others, too.

There is no detail on either end/rear/etc. None on top or bottom, really. You pretty much see it all from these right/left side views. The end of the "cylinder" is just flat/blank, and there are no indications of piping attachments anywhere.

"Lubricator" seems most likely in the general look, but I can't quite justify all the features with one, and could find no such lubricator (yet) in my steam loco cyclopedias: real, Kalmbach or Mainline Modeler/Hundman versions.

Anyway, thanks. Obscurity can be entertaining. At least I have 3 or 4 of them... 

I dunno, the upper left sort of looks like a side view of some water guages.....turned sideways.

Any chance of a view from the rear?  Top part is definitely the guide for the valve cylinder crosshead, don't know what is hanging below it.

Harmon - there are no details on any side except the 2 I scanned (these are scans of both sides, which are symmetrical). There are no "open spaces" which could act as guides.

I tried to find a poppet-valve (like on PRR T-1 or some C&O Hudsons) part match; not so far.

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PLCProf - it's much too large for an O-scale water gauge/glass, though I too see a superficial resemblance.

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Perhaps forever a mystery. I'll dive into my loco cyclopedias again.

What you have is a valve rod guide with a mechanical lubricator attached above it.  The modeler would have to drill out the round part for the valve rod. then attach the casting in a hole in the locos' cylinder casting.   Looks pre-WWII to me.

Joe

Look at it right side up.

Some of the compromises that have to be made by the die-maker can result in whatisit parts, for sure. A old sand-casting maybe?

To me it looks like a power reverse with the cylinder at one end, with maybe the bell-crank/lever pivot for the air valve on one side, bracket in the middle,and a lubricator on the other side. 

The missing items are the piston rod and slide/crosshead, which no doubt the modeler had to fabricate.

rrjjf and Big Jim have it right.  Valve piston rod guide, actually used on late steam. The Alleghenies used this style, among others.

I concur.  Allegheny, and maybe Kanawha - I will check.  Adams made a really nice Kanawha with exquisite sand castings.

Good eye! Found one with a much smaller lubricator on top: 

Bingo - I think that several of you have solved the problem. It always had a "lubricator" look about it, but seemed too big; my photos are indeed "upside-down", but it didn't look right either way, so...

I also couldn't find any photos that matched-ish it, either. It also needs more finishing, too, I suppose.

No matter; lubricator (and such) it is, so far as I'm concerned, until further notice.

Thanks.