Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-12
RAILROAD TIME.
The Care Taken to Keep the Watches
Of Employees in Perfect Order.

Nowhere is absolute accuracy OF
timepiece so vital as on a railroad.
Orders given and schedules arranged
may be rendered useless through vari-
alton of watches. Where so many
thousands of watches are in use 1t mas
been found necessary to adopt some
system whereby perfect uniformity
may be insured. All watches are ex-
amined at close intervals ana kept III
order by a staff of experts especially
engaged for the purpose. There is no
reason why a railroad mans watch
should keep inaccurate time. III costs
him nothing to have it regulated and
it is part of his duty to see that 1t is
in order.
The time by which the watches of an
entire railroad force are set is teie-
graphed from Washington. AT GER
tain time the operator at the faiirodu
headquarters receives the time, RECORDS
it at his own station and at the same
instant sends the Information 10 every
'train-order'' station along the line.
1t is the duty of the operator at the
train -order station to set the clock
right by Washington time. and from
this clock every employee attached to
that station must set his watch. AT
each station there is a clock that re-
cords standard time. At the larger
stations there is a CLOCK tnat records
the correct time TO second. If it
varies from the standard time, IA
notice is affixed 20 the clock stating the
exact variation. Upon returning from
a trip or before beginning the return
"trip after a run. the tralnmen must
compare their watches with this care
fully regulated clock. If it is found
that the watch has lost or gained dur
ing the trip, the timepiece must be
handed in to the timekeeping depart
ment. Here the railroad man receives
another watch for temporary use while
his own is being regulated. and the eX-
pert employed by the company over
hauls the condemned watch and re-
turns it later to the owner. With the
watch is given certificate showing
that the department has regulated it
and it is again a good railroad time
piece.
Besides the watches of the train
crews there are still the timepieces of
all the station employees, the signal
working along the tracks and in the
shops. to be looked after. For these
special force of experts is employed to
travel up and down the line, stopping
at all stations. To the expert come the
railroad men, watches in hand. From
constantly visiting the various points
the watch repairer knows the timepiece
as well as he knows the men. and
very short examination determines
whether or not the watch is ticking in
proper railroad time.
Part of the duty of the repairer is to
see that the station clocks and the
clocks in the signal towers along the
line are ticking according to railroad
time. If they are not doing their duty,
he halts in his progress long enough to
make them register time according to
the Washington standard.
The railroad company will not permit
the employee to carry any watch that
his fancy suggests. He must purchase
a watch that meets with the favor OF
the management. If a certain watch
comes again and again to the repair de-
partment and proves to be always be-
hind or ahead of the time. it is con-
demned finally and the railroad man
must provide himself with one to the
liking of the company or carry a watch
that the company will provide at his
expense.-The World Today.