Most of the equipment on the control panels doesn't appear to be all that old. I see a lot of Westinghouse (ABB)type CO overcurrent relays, a lot of GE type HGA auxiliary relays and GE type SB-1 control switches. All still used by the hundreds by my company. That stuff should be working 50 years from now. The surface mount equipment is mostly obsolete now as is the slate and granite panels. The panels had to be really sturdy to prevent movement which could cause inadvertent tripping of electromechanical protective relays. As someone mentioned the wiring in the old substations and powerplants was a work of art with every wire as straight as an arrow and meticulously tied into flat "bundles". No solder was involved. Some of the wire probably does have asbestos in it, but so far we've ignored it.
