My, how times have changed. The Railroads were once ruled by Conductors with beautiful Pocket Watches, Time Pieces that kept the passengers heading towards a new destination. These Time Pieces were called
Railroad Watches, or more accurately,
Railroad Approved Watches.Take a look at the Watches from Amazon (great deals here) to see what I mean: Railroad Watches
!
Well, over the last hundred years, the Railroad Watch has been on a great destination of its own... A brand new modern Era!
You see, at one time, Pocket Watches or Wrist Watches (Most were Pocket Watches back then!) were used to keep the trains on time. They were used for years and years with pretty good accuracy. There were no real set standards to begin with, but the Railroads did try to make an effort to ensure that the Conductors had a reliable Time Piece. It was not easy because a lot of Watches were Grandfathered into the system. If they'd been using it for 20 years, they weren't about to stop now! But the Railroads did the best they could under the circumstances and tried to roll with advancements as they happened.
As traveling and trains increased at a rapid pace, so did the risks involved! In 1891 their luck ran out! In 1891 a Train crash in Kipton, Ohio changed things forever. Two Trains collided killing 11 people. That was a fatal moment in history, a turning point that ignited the Watch Industry and set the high standards that we still use Today.
The crash of 1891 was the result of a 4 minute error! 4 minutes difference was the small window in time that took 11 people's lives. Something had to be done, a change was needed. A commission was immediately established to make that change. Their goal was to set the guidelines and time standards across the trains and tracks. Little did they know, these standards would run for almost 100 years.
Once the standards were laid out, all the big Watch Companies set them into motion. Watch Companies like: Illinois Watch Co. Elgin Watch Co. Hamilton Watch Co. Waltham (Ball) Watch Co. and Hampden Watch Co.
So what was the goal of the Train Commission? Standards and Safety are next! Read on...
