I replaced the dial lights (which look to have been #40's, screw threads) with some bulbs I got at radio shack, 7.2V @225ma for flashlights. These are physically smaller, and thus are no longer too close to the plastic disc that holds the pointer. The old bulbs were the elongated shape, like #47's except for the screw base. These new bulbs make for more even distribution of light (still not that even, the top of the dial is still brighter than the bottom), and being 7.2V instead of 6.3V should make the bulbs last longer.
Posted a video of this
http://youtu.be/tZai3ijLzvwTasma Baby.