The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-12
This City Is the Center of
Watch Inspection System.
HI. S. Montgomery Regulates
Timepieces for Santa Fe.
HAS 2, 1913 CLOCKS IN HIS CARE
Employs 154 Assistants in the
Work of Regulation.
In Touch With 1896 Watches
Every "a Hours.

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Railway company, through H. S.
Montgomery of Topeka, general watch
inspector has developed the finest
and most complete system of in
spection and upkeep of clocks and
watches of American railroads. There
are 1888 clocks in use by the Santa
F'e and they are. all under the super
vision of the Topeka office. OF that
number, 123 huge clocks, valued at
$225 apiece, are located at terminal
points and every month a detailed re-
port of each OF these clocks is turned
In to Mr.. Montgomery.
The Santa Fe will not tolerate
clocks that are many seconds on
throughout the year. Many OF them
are Kept up to such an excellent stand
ard that they do not vary more than
very Few seconds in a single month.
A timepiece that will run five seconds
slow in "A hours gets immediate at
tention.
There are 142 inspectors all over
Montgomery. These are all expert
watch men. In addition to that sew
eral travelling inspectors are in the
service. The employees in the watch
and clock department total 154.
1t was in 1896 when the position of
general watch inspector was created
and given to Montgomery. AT that
time, 1T was a common sight to see a
locomotive engineer running on his
schedule with a dollar alarm clock
hung up on the side of his engine.
Amid the rush and tumble and vi
bration of the locomotive, the alarm
clock probably did not vary more than
five or ten minutes a day.
Today an engineer cannot get into
his cab to start on his run if his watch
varies more than six seconds in ~
hours.
The change is of great Importance
in, h c
always been the watchword of Presi-
dent Ripley and in the watch depart
ment it is carried down to seconds.
There is not a particle of doubt that
the decrease in train wrecks of recent
years is due in a large measure to the
correctness of the timepieces carried
by railroad men.
Little Watches Barred.
No watch carried by a switchman
yardman or other employee around
the railroad tracks or floating equip
ment can be under the regulation 16
size or above the IS size. The cute
looking little watches as thin as a dol
lar are. barred from actual use on the
railroads.
The average person probably does
not know that it takes a watch in
spector's certificate before a train OF
yardman can go to work. Take for
instance a man applying for a job in
Smith. Smith is looked over and the
yardmaster tells him he can go to
work. Then he is told to fork over
his watch, which is taken to the Of
flee of the nearest inspector. Before
Smith can draw his pay he has to
borrow a certified watch or wait until
his own comes out with a clean bill
of health. The chances are that the
watch will visit Topeka to be rated
and then sent back to the inspector
before Smith can go to work.
This may seem to many people to
be a too cautious measure in getting
Smith a job. Yet there is a good
chance that Smith, if he used a watch
that was not correct, might cause a
mishap, or at the least, a "bawling- up
of few freight cars or otherwise
cause trouble because it was 'off" SIS
seconds.
One of the finest clocks in the world
and the most expensive on the Santa
Fe system is in Mr.. Montgomery Of
flee in Topeka. 1t was specially built