Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1912-05-23
MUST CARRY GOOD WATCHES
Railroad Men Are Compelled to Use
Accurate Timepieces,

FNdltFOdS "Cti FNTS SOtFlJGliGC 70 SSC
Accurate Tinepisces,
1t may be news 70 many that the
watch Of the railroad man is as nee.
esSary in modern raiiroading as the
air brake. Without accurate time
Heeping there would probably he more
accidents than if tAere We're no air
arakes. The train dispatcher starts Il
rain at q certain time; he haltS II 1T
'ertain stations at certain times; he
side tracks it for Il period OF varying
iength 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 if they agree with some
standard The railroad man Is there.
fore compelled to buy not simply an
ordinary watch of reasonable value.
but a particularly good watch. time.
piece which is adjusted to heat. cold
and at least three positions. These
three positions are pendant up. us
carried in the pocket; dial up and dial
down. Such an instrument will not
-
which is a good deal more accurate
than many scientific Instruments OF
precision used in laboratories. Even
human proneneSS TO error is conS!d-
cred in this matter of choosing good
railroad watch. for 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 So
apiece "a low average,. are used. II
we take into consideration the numbe,
of watches that are used on other
roads throughout the country it is
evident that the value must run ur
into hundreds Of thousands of dollars
In order that the watch may be kept
up to a regular standard 1t must be
inspected regularly. There is not only
a 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 com.
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 jeweier
or matchmaker by profession.
The inspector gives his expert opin.
ion on the condition of the timepiece,
If it needs cleaning he says so and
does it: II II is fast or slow he regu.
lates it. and not until it is running
with sufficient accuracy is it allowed
to escape from his care. A watch's
record is kept as If it were thief Sc
far as repairing goes. the railroad man
Ia under no compulsion. He need not
hand over his watch to any particular
matchmaker or inspector for repair
but he can give ii TO any matchmaker
in whom he has confidence. 1t must
however. be submitted to the in
spector before it can be used in actual
service. 'r u ~
That no favoritism is shown in the
matter of watches is evident in the
fact that no less than" eight diff
ferent manufacturers supply railroad
watches.-Scientific American.