Fun Fact Friday! Fact #3
Posted by Samantha Soltesz on July 08, 2011.
By the late 1800’s train conductors had to be aware of 50 different time zones to avoid collisions with other trains. After a train accident in 1893 a standard for the manufacture of railroad watches was introduced. All railroad watches had several standards to qualify for railroad use by train conductors. If the watch met all the qualifying standards, the watch was required to be inspected and certified by a local inspector. Here are the general standards to qualify:
Railroad Watch General Standards
· Of American manufacture in size 18 or 16
· Compensated for temperature
· Lever set
· Fitted with 17 or more jewels
· Adjusted for 5 positions
· Fitted with a patented regulator, double roller and the steel escape wheel
· Open face with winding stem at 12 O' clock position
· Black Arabic numerals, each minute delineated on a white face
· Must be timed to +/- 30 seconds per week
Samantha Soltesz
Pacific Bay Watch
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