The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-11-30
MUST CARRY GOOD WATCHES
Railroad Men Are Compelled to Use
Accurate Timepieces.

Railroad Men Are Compelled to Use
Accurate Timepieees.
II may be news to many that tne
watch of the railroad man Is as nee
essary In modern railroading as the
air brake Without accurate time
keeping there would probably he more
accidents than Ii there were no ar
brakes. The train dispatcher starts
rain at a certain time: be halts II at
certain stations mt certain times; ne
side tracks it for Il period OF varying
length; the watch OF the conductor on
the side tracked train must agree Win
the watch Of the conductor on the ex
press to which hc had to give way;
each station master :!"H2 the roao
checks the time Of ever, tram tnaI
stops or flies past.
In order that there may be agree
ment among all these railroad H-sia
there must obviously be not only Tune
Dieces, but accurate timepieces. There
must also be some means OF inspect
ing the timepieces to see II they are
accurate and II 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. time
piece which is adjusted to heat. colo
and at least three positions. These
three positions are pendant UP. AS
carried in the pocket: dial up and dias
| down, Such an instrument will not
vary more than thirty seconds week.
| which is good deal more accurate
than many scientific instruments OF
| precision used in laboratories Even
human proneness to error is conSid-
cred in this matter of choosing good
railroad watch. for q 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 IA low average,. are used. Ii
we take into consideration the number
Of watches that are used on other
roads throughout the country 1t is
evident that the value must run u[
into hundreds of thousands of dollars
In order that the watch may be KEEP
up to regular standard it must be
inspected regularly There Is not only
general time Inspector on most rail
roads. but staff of local inspector:
who are placed along the road at con
yenient points and to whom the mel
may resort when they wish to com
pare their time with the standard TIM
at that place. Once every two week
the railroad man submits his watch Il
such an inspector. usually jewele
or matchmaker by profession.
The inspector gives his expert opir
ion OH the condition Of the tilnepiece
If it needs cleaning he says so an
does it: II It Is fast or slow he regu
lates it. and not until it is runnin
] with sufficient accuracy is 1t Above
!. to escape from his care. watch
record Is kept AZ II 1t were a thief $
I far as repairing goes, the railroad ma
8 is under no compulsion He need nc
: hand over his watch to any particua
i matchmaker or inspector for repai
+ but he can give 1t to any watchnlake
s in whom he has confidence. 1t mus
: however. be submitted to the il
Y spector before 1t can be used in actu;
service.
n That no favoritism is shown in tt
l. matter of watches is evident in I'll
q fact that no less than eight di
1t ferent manufacturers supply railroi
s. watchcs.-Scientifc American
it