Of time, trains and Western Union…history from a clock collector

[Jinglebob]

For many years, Western Union was known across the United States as “The Nation’s Time Keeper.” Before the 1880’s, time was relative to local communities, and “noon” was marked when the sun was directly overhead. Residents often referred to a clock on a prominent building, such as a courthouse, to set their clocks or watches. This system worked well when it took days to travel from one place to another. However, problems arose when railroads made it possible to travel long distances in a short amount of time.

The telegraph time service was especially important after the United States implemented a system of time zones in 1883. Local noon could be several minutes apart for cities at different ends of the same time zone. A nationwide standard of time was imperative for a large developing country, and “Western Union Time” helped fill the need.

The notion of using the telegraph to tell time began in 1877, when Western Union first received time signals via telegraph form the US. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.

Western Union hired a clockmaker to transmit U.S. Naval Observatory time on the hour over the company’s network. A system sent signals over the telegraph lines several minutes before each hour of the day, followed by a pause and finally a last “click” directly on the hour. Every hour, on the hour, minute hands on clocks across the nation would snap to “12”, ensuring accurate, standardized time everywhere.

Subscribers in thousands of locations could keep accurate time, and the service solved the problem of coordinating the arrival and departure of trains with neighboring towns. Into the 20th century, a range of enterprises from broadcasting to sporting events used Western Union Time Service to ensure accurate timekeeping.

The Western Union Telegraph Company rented tens of thousands of these clocks starting at $1.25 per month and 25 cents additional for a clock with a second hand.

The Naval Observatory agreed to telegraph “Standard Railway Time” to Western Union, which owned the Self-Winding Clock Company. These clocks would be commonplace in government offices, schools and other institutions for decades to come.

The original clocks required two 1 1/2 volt dry cells commonly known as “door bell” batteries. Every hour the clock was reset through the Western Union Telegraph line. Each clock weighed ten pounds.

 

[DWalt]

Accurate clocks were essential items for railroads to avoid collisions of two trains unexpectedly meeting on the same track because their timing was off. Train crews carried very accurate pocket watches called Railroad watches. They had to be tested and certified periodically. I was brought up in a railroad town and I very well remember a local jewelry store close to the N&W dormitory (where train crews could lay over between runs) that had a sign in the window which said something like "official watch inspection station." I doubt watches like that are needed today, but back then they were. Of course, most any quartz crystal watch (or even a cell phone) made today is probably far more precise than those old mechanical railroad watches were.

 

[amazingflapjack]

JFYI-the Naval Observatory is the VP's residence.

 

[susieqz]

great history lesson. thanks.
it's fun to learn new stuff.

 

[LostintheOzone]

Satellites are the new time standard.


Communications satellites have atomic clocks and broadcast the time to your cell phone.

 

[hardcase60]

This forum continues to astound me. I'm firmly convinced that there is nothing that can't be learned here if you hang around long enough. I recall that a railroad watch was a prized possession and were handed down for generations. I have my great grandfathers that sill keeps great time and that I wear on a fob when dressed for special occasions. What a neat thread. Thank you Jinglebob! hardcase60

 

[jessebogan]

Hardcase60 I concur completely. I came here to learn what I could about Smith and Wessons. I STAY here because I learn all sorts of things. I read great stories, and people I will likely never know in the flesh share little glimpses of their lives. When I was a youngin, my Dad used to take me to Pete Freschs' gun shop in Rockville. I would sit there and try to stay out of trouble, and listen to the old guys (and my old man... ) This forum is like that. It is a treat to me to be able to hang out here.

 

[soFlaNative]

Good stuff J-Bob, I learned something new today.
The clock in the cell phone is updated constantly from a signal from the network but what does the network sync to?
The search for a marine chronometer and the development of the fixed location for navigation is a story in of itself.

 

[Tom S.]

J Bob, great post! How did they handle the different time zones? Did Western Union send out signals based upon your location? I also wonder how they made the clocks self adjust?

EDIT: OK, did a bit of research and found way more than I wanted! In synopsis, it appears the clocks used a relay and coil to adjust the minute/second hand, and it generally worked only when the minute hand was within a few minutes of the hour. However there was a way to adjust for a greater time difference, such as for daylight saving changes. For more information than you ever wanted to know about these clocks, follow this LINK.

 

[loknload]

Great read into history, thanks for sharing this time!

 

[Roundtuit]

I worked for a railroad until 1989 and until about 1986 we would receive a telegraph transmission at noon ET used to set the standard clocks or to indicate how far it was off. Over 9 seconds it had to be reset.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[DWalt]

One of the most fascinating books you will ever read is entitled "Longitude." It's the story of John Harrison and his invention of the marine chronometer which revolutionized navigation and world trade, and also a tale of one man's superhuman endurance ultimately prevailing against massive stupidity and government bureaucracy.

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Longitude-Genius-Greatest-Scientific-Problem/dp/080271529X/ref=sr_1_1/145-3307308-0465931?ie=UTF8&qid=1501776036&sr=8-1&keywords=Longitude[/ame]

One of my prized possessions is a 1943 Hamilton 22 chronometer watch in a gimbal case. U. S. Navy ships carried several of these (for redundancy) in the days before satellite navigation became common. There was always one sailor assigned to safeguard them and wind them daily. Quite literally, without such a chronometer, a ship was lost.

 

[chief38]

I love old clocks! I inherited 4 of them when my dad passed 6 years ago. His Father (my Grandfather) was in the Clock Repair Business briefly (in the 1920's - 30's) and had a fair collection from that and earlier times. I split the collection with my Brother and Uncle, so I only have 5. They ALL work perfectly except for one that the guts are shot. I think I might have found a movement to repair that one but have just not had the time to try yet.

I have a Grandfather Clock (Howard Miller) that we bought in 1996 and it is scary accurate! It operates on three weights and it took me a month or so to dial in the accuracy when we first got it, but the only time it gets reset now is for Daylight Savings Time (+ or - 1 hour). The other clocks are accurate to about 2 minutes a month but since they are all around 100 years old that's accurate enough for me. If I want complete accuracy I look at my iPhone.

Thanks for posting!

 

[DWalt]

I had a modernistic Howard Miller tall case clock I bought for about $50 at an estate sale, gave it to my son as a wedding present back in 2000. The marriage later broke up, and I got it back several years ago. Sold it for my son for $500. I wish I had kept it, very good looking and a very soothing and soft chime. I cleaned and lubed the works and had to replace the pendulum suspension, no big deal (I found a new suspension spring on eBay). It took me several weeks to get it regulated properly, but it was dead-on for weeks afterward until I sold it.

 

[eveled]

I grew up near the factory that made a lot of those railroad watches in Waltham. Down th street from the Howard clock company and a few miles from the Chelsea clock company.

I've always loved old clocks and watches. But don't have very many.

 

[susieqz]

there is nothing as classy as a gentleman wearing a vest with a pocket watch with a nice fob.

 

[jrm53]

Two sundays ago we were visiting with our 83 year old cousin and I heard a noise in the living room and it was her Western Union clock winding itself I had forgotten she had it, it was from the Oklahoma City western union office and it has two batterys to wind it every so often. It had the 4 screws on the face like the one in the first poster showed. It was very nice in a large square wall cabinet and was very valuable and it keeps good time. Jeff

 

[Old_Cop]

I have a collection of pocket watches, mostly railroads. I started with my great-grandfather's model 1883 Watham and great-grandmother's Elgin, both hunter cases. The skill required to manufacture watches with the accuracy required for railroad service with the machinery available is impressive. Not too different from the hand fitting and finish required for S&W revolvers pre WWII.

 

[Jinglebob]

I worked for a railroad until 1989 and until about 1986 we would receive a telegraph transmission at noon ET used to set the standard clocks or to indicate how far it was off. Over 9 seconds it had to be reset.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

A clock like the one in your photo is one I have seen only once in person. It has the Montgomery dial.

Henry S. Montgomery was Santa Fe Railway’s general watch and clock inspector form 1896 to 1923. By 1906 he had perfected a dial with upright minutes, or seconds, from 1 to 60, printed on the outermost part of pocket watch and clock dials.

 

[DWalt]

I always wondered how they made all those tiny parts and screws used in watches back then with such precision.

Back to my Hamilton 22 Chronometer. When WWII began, no one in the USA was manufacturing marine chronometers, and virtually all of them were imported from England and Europe (mainly Switzerland). Of course, those sources halted supplies immediately, and Hamilton stepped up to the plate and started producing them. Their first one was the Model 21, basically much like an enlarged pocket watch. That sort of evolved into a purpose-built chronometer, the Hamilton 22, which was physically somewhat smaller and built on a different mechanism design. Both types were used during the war and afterward. The Hamilton 22 was made for both the Navy and the Army Air Forces (they also needed accurate watches) in two forms. One was mounted inside a hinged lid wooden case on gimbals, and the other was basically an enlarged pocket watch inside a metal case. I have read that Hamilton made around 30,000 Model 22s during WWII. There are usually several Hamilton 22s, and occasionally 21s, listed on eBay at somewhat shocking prices.