[dustyshoes]

Yes, the dial is amber colored opaque plastic. An older technology plastic (no surprise), apparently quite brittle. It is mounted on the chassis and turns with the tuning knob. My first thought was that the string is part of a dial cord as well, but the dial turns just fine. I'm just setting up the bench, and the only light is an overhead bulb (bench in basement next to washing machine). I'll be adding a real bench light and that will make everything much easier.

The dial window, in the wooden case, has a solid amber colored plastic plate with a design on it. When the chassis is in the cabinet, the dial turns and is visible through a small hole in the plastic plate. This appears the same as the photos I've seen on line. Although, the protective glass you mentioned may have been there originally. That sounds easy enough to replace, if necessary.

Thanks for the replies.