The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-10-13
MUST CARRY GOOD WATCHES
Railroad Men Are Compelled to Use
Accurate Timepieces,

Railroad Men Are Compelled to Use
Accurate Timepieces.
1t may be news to many that the
watch Of the railroad man is as nee
essary in modern railroading as the
air brake. Without accurate time
keeping there would probably be more
accidents than if there were no air
brakes. The train dispatcher starts
train at a certain time: he halts it at
certain stations at certain times; be
side tracks it for period of varying
length; the watch of the conductor on
the side tracked train must agree with
the watch of the conductor on the ex-
press to which he had to give way;
each station master along the road
checks the time Of every train that
stops or flies past.
In order that there may be agree
ment among all these railroad men
there must obviously be not only time
pieces. but accurate timepieces. There
must also be some means Of inspect
ing the timepieces to see If they are
accurate and il they agree with some
standard. The railroad man is there
fore compelled to buy not simply an
ordinary watch Of reasonable value.
but particularly good watch. q time
piece which IL adjusted to heat. cold
and at least three positions. These
three positions are pendant up. as
carried in the pocket; dial up and dial
down. Such an instrument will not
vary more than thirty seconds a week.
which Is good deal more accurate
than many scientific instruments OF
precision used in laboratories. Even
human proneness to error IL consid-
cred in this matter Of choosing q good
railroad watch. for a lever set watch
is preferred to the pendant set watch
because there Is just the chance that
the stem of the pendant set may not
be pushed back after setting through
an oversight.
On one great line about 5000
watches. worth on an average Of $25
apiece "a low average,. are used. II
we take into consideration the number
of watches that are used on other
roads throughout the country 1t is
into hundreds Of thousands of dollars.
In order that the watch may be kept
up to a regular standard it must be
inspected regularly. There il not only
q general time inspector on most rail-
roads. but a staff Of local inspectors
who are placed along the road at con-
venient points and to whom the men
may resort when they wish to CON-
pare their time with the standard time
at that place. Once every two weeks
the railroad man submits his watch to
such an inspector. usually jeweler
or matchmaker by profession.
The inspector gives his expert opin-
ion on the condition of the timepiece.
If 1t needs cleaning he says so and
does it: II 1t is fast or slow he regu-
lates It. and not until It Is running
with sufficient accuracy is 1t allowed
to escape from his care. A watch's
record Is kept as If it were thief. So
far as repairing goes. the railroad man
is under no compulsion. He need not
hand over his watch to any particular
matchmaker or inspector for repair.
but he can give it to any matchmaker
in whom he has confidence. 1t must,
however. be submitted to the In
spector before 1t can be used in actual
service.
That no favoritism IL shown In the
matter Of watches Is evident In the
fact that no less than eight diff
ferent manufacturers supply railroad
watches.-Scientifc American