36:
142:. His first job as a time inspector was when he was brought in by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railways in 1891 after a crash and was tasked with bringing their time inspection standards up to industry normals. Ball's career eventually led to his being the time inspector on more than half the United States' railways, leading to a far more uniform set of standards in the U.S.
169:
watch adjusted to at least three positions (pre-1895), later changed to five positions: Face up and face down (the positions a watch might commonly take when laid on a flat surface); then crown up, crown pointing left, and crown pointing right (the positions a watch might commonly take in a pocket).
121:
Regulations of the watches used by critical personnel on the railroads (engineer, conductor, switch yard controllers, etc.) were specified almost from the beginning of widespread railroad use in the 1850s and 1860s. These regulations became more widespread and more specific as time went on, with
122:
some watches that were "railroad standard" at an earlier time eventually becoming obsolete as technology improved. There was, however, no absolute, universal definition used across different railroad lines. Each company appointed one or more "time inspectors" (typically a
183:
lever used to set the time (no risk of inadvertently setting the watch to an erroneous time, when winding the watch with the stem) post 1908. Pendent set watches were grandfathered.
46:
211:
The minimum requirements were raised several times as watch-making technology progressed, and the watch companies produced newer, even more reliable models. By
113:, which relied on highly accurate timekeeping, was used to ensure that two trains could not be on the same stretch of track at the same time.
412:
309:
80:
251:
215:, many railroads required watches that were of a much higher grade than those made to comply with the original 1891 standard.
392:
127:
130:
held a meeting in 1887, which resulted a fairly standardized set of requirements, but not all railroads adopted them.
368:
154:
only
American-made watches and certain approved Swiss watches may be used (depending on availability of spare parts)
110:
58:
349:
62:
236:
232:
224:
322:
228:
192:
273:
240:
239:
and many of the other
American watch manufacturers all produced railroad-grade watches like the
293:
417:
422:
254:
was used to ensure accuracy of railroad chronometers and schedule
American rail transport.
372:
353:
186:
160:
minimum of 15 functional jewels in the movement (pre-1895), changed to 17 jewels post 1895
334:
150:
A typical railroad's requirements for a watch in the early 20th century might include:
177:
231:
were both used as early as the 1860s and 1870s as railroad standard watches. Later,
406:
173:
adjusted for severe temperature variance and isochronism (variance in spring tension)
17:
268:
263:
212:
139:
180:, Arabic numerals only post 1906, outer minute division, second dial, heavy hands,
247:
166:
maximum variation of 30 seconds (approximately 4 seconds daily) per weekly check
126:) who decided which watches were acceptable for use. In the United States, the
199:
123:
102:
365:
207:
anti-magnetic protection (after the advent of diesel-electric locomotives)
170:
Occasionally a sixth position, crown pointing down, would be included.
346:
106:
29:
157:
only open-faced dials, with the stem at 12 o'clock post 1908
397:
387:
105:
that once was crucial for safe and correct operation of
176:
indication of time with bold legible Roman numerals or
54:
333:National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors
292:National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors
198:single roller escapement (pre-1908), double roller
43:The examples and perspective in this article
8:
388:American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute
81:Learn how and when to remove this message
285:
27:Timepiece used in operation of trains
7:
323:"Watch, Railroad Model Pocket Watch"
321:National Museum of American History
25:
345:The Elgin Watch Collectors Site
138:One notable watch inspector was
109:in many countries. A system of
34:
252:United States Naval Observatory
393:Just What is a Railroad Watch?
1:
306:American Railway Association
128:American Railway Association
57:, discuss the issue on the
439:
413:Rail transport operations
111:timetable and train order
364:U.S. Naval Observatory
294:"Railroad Time Service"
99:railroad standard watch
310:"Historical Statement"
237:Illinois Watch Company
233:Hamilton Watch Company
225:Waltham Watch Company
18:Railroad chronometers
195:adjustment regulator
146:Typical requirements
95:railroad chronometer
63:create a new article
55:improve this article
45:may not represent a
229:Elgin Watch Company
398:Ball Watch Company
371:2017-12-19 at the
352:2010-08-19 at the
274:Railway signalling
241:Ball Watch Company
204:steel escape wheel
163:16 or 18-size only
335:"Waltham Watches"
101:is a specialized
91:
90:
83:
65:, as appropriate.
16:(Redirected from
430:
375:
362:
356:
343:
337:
331:
325:
319:
313:
302:
296:
290:
86:
79:
75:
72:
66:
38:
37:
30:
21:
438:
437:
433:
432:
431:
429:
428:
427:
403:
402:
384:
379:
378:
373:Wayback Machine
363:
359:
354:Wayback Machine
347:"Elgin Watches"
344:
340:
332:
328:
320:
316:
304:Google Books –
303:
299:
291:
287:
282:
260:
250:Service of the
221:
178:Arabic numerals
148:
136:
119:
87:
76:
70:
67:
52:
39:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
436:
434:
426:
425:
420:
415:
405:
404:
401:
400:
395:
390:
383:
382:External links
380:
377:
376:
357:
338:
326:
314:
297:
284:
283:
281:
278:
277:
276:
271:
266:
259:
256:
220:
217:
209:
208:
205:
202:
196:
190:
189:balance spring
184:
181:
174:
171:
167:
164:
161:
158:
155:
147:
144:
135:
132:
118:
115:
89:
88:
49:of the subject
47:worldwide view
42:
40:
33:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
435:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
410:
408:
399:
396:
394:
391:
389:
386:
385:
381:
374:
370:
367:
361:
358:
355:
351:
348:
342:
339:
336:
330:
327:
324:
318:
315:
311:
307:
301:
298:
295:
289:
286:
279:
275:
272:
270:
267:
265:
262:
261:
257:
255:
253:
249:
244:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
219:Manufacturers
218:
216:
214:
206:
203:
201:
197:
194:
191:
188:
185:
182:
179:
175:
172:
168:
165:
162:
159:
156:
153:
152:
151:
145:
143:
141:
133:
131:
129:
125:
116:
114:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
85:
82:
74:
64:
60:
56:
50:
48:
41:
32:
31:
19:
360:
341:
329:
317:
305:
300:
288:
269:Railway time
264:Pocket watch
245:
222:
213:World War II
210:
149:
140:Webb C. Ball
137:
134:Webb C. Ball
120:
98:
94:
92:
77:
68:
44:
248:Time Signal
407:Categories
280:References
200:escapement
193:micrometer
124:watchmaker
366:"History"
103:timepiece
59:talk page
418:Horology
369:Archived
350:Archived
258:See also
227:and the
117:Overview
71:May 2023
53:You may
423:Watches
187:Breguet
312:Page 8
107:trains
61:, or
246:The
223:The
97:or
409::
308:–
243:.
235:,
93:A
84:)
78:(
73:)
69:(
51:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.