The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-06
ACCURACY IN TIME PIECES.
Railroads Have Special Department to
Look After Watches of Employees.

Look After Watches of Employees.
Absolute accuracy in timepieces is no
where else so vital a matter as in the
operation of railroad trains. If watches
vary no schedule or time table is of
any value. Where so many thousands
of watches are in use it has been found
necessary to adopt some system where
by perfect uniformity may be insured.
All watches are examined at close in
terValS and kept in order by staff of
experts especially engaged for the pur-
pose. There is no reason why a rail-
road mans watch should keep mac
curate time. 1t costs him nothing to
have it regulated and it is part of his
duty to see that it is in order.
The time by which the watches of an
entire railroad force are set is tele-
graphed from Washington. At a GER
tain time the operator a. the railroad
headuarters receives the time, records
it at his own station and at the same
instant sends the information to every
trafn-order" station along the line. It
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 every station there is a clock that
record standard time. , AT the larger
stations there is a clock that records
the correct time to second. If it varies
from the standard time a notice is affix-
ed to the clock stating the exact vari-
before beginning the return trip after
run. the trainmen must compare their
watches with this carefully regulated
clock If it is found that the watch has
lost or gained during the trip the time
piece must be handed in to the time
keeping department.
Here the railroad man receives an
other watch for temporary use while
his own is being regulated, and the eX-
pert employed by the company over
hauls the condemned watch and returns
it later to the owner. With the watch
is given a certificate showing that the
department has regulated it and it is
again a good railroad timepiece.
Besides the watches of the train
crews, there are still the timepieces of
all the station employees. the signal
tower men the thousands of hands
working along the tracks and in the
shops. to be looked after
For these a 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 a short examination deter
mines whether or not the watch is tick
ing to proper railroad time.
Part of the duty of the repairer is to
see that the station rclocks 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 empIoye to carry any watch that his
fancy suggests. He must purchase a
watch that meets with the favor OF the
If a certain watch comes
again and again to the repair depart
ment and proves to be always behind
Or ahead of the time it is condemned
finally and the railroad man must pro-
vide himself with one to the liking of
the company or carry watch that the
company will provide at his expense.