B757 HAS NOSE LIGHT DAMAGE DURING PUSHBACK.

Narrative

FO AND I WERE BUSY PREPARING THE ACFT FOR DEP. I LOOKED AT THE GUIDEMAN; WHO WAS GIVING ME A RELEASE THE BRAKES SIGNAL. AFTER CALLING RAMP FOR PUSH; I RELEASED THE BRAKES; AND WE BEGAN THE PUSHBACK. IT WAS NIGHT; AND IT WAS RAINING. RAMP WANTED US TO GO TAIL W FROM THE GATE; BUT WE HAD NO WAY OF TELLING THE GUIDEMAN TAIL W. WE TOLD RAMP THAT WE COULD NOT TALK TO THE GUIDEMAN; AS WE WERE USING HAND SIGNALS. THEY SAID 'STRAIGHT BACK' WAS OK. DURING THE PUSH; THE GUIDEMAN GAVE US THE CLRED TO START SIGNAL; AND I BEGAN TO START THE L ENG. ABOUT THIS TIME; THE ACFT STOPPED MOVING BACKWARDS. RAMP ADVISED THE FO THAT THEY DID NOT THINK WE WERE PUSHED BACK FAR ENOUGH TO CLR THE ACFT TAIL AT THE GATE NEXT TO US. ABOUT THIS TIME; THE GUIDEMAN GAVE ME THE 'SET BRAKES' SIGNAL. I DID NOT SET THE BRAKES RIGHT AWAY; AS WE WERE CLARIFYING WITH RAMP A PROPER STOP POINT. AT THIS POINT; I AM NOT SURE IF THE TOW BAR WAS BEING DISCONNECTED BY THE GND CREW WITH THE BRAKES UNSET; OR IF THE BRAKES WERE NOT FULLY SET AT THE STOP POINT. AFTER TURNING ON THE ENG ANTI-ICE ON THE OVERHEAD; I LOOKED FORWARD AND SAW THE ACFT MOVING SLOWLY FORWARD. I APPLIED THE BRAKES; AND THE ACFT STOPPED. THE GUIDEMAN SAW THAT THE TOW BAR HAD VERY GENTLY COME IN CONTACT WITH THE TAXI-LIGHT BRACKET. WE WERE PULLED BACK INTO THE GATE. MAINT REPAIRED THE BRACKET; AND WE DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.