If anyone cares now, a great number of terrible train wrecks and collisions way back then were found to be basically caused by INACCURATE WATCHES OF THE DAY. If a train was to be on a siding to allow another to pass was late due to an inaccurate watch, they collided on the single track BOTH were using.
The U.S. government,reacting to the carnage commissioned a Mr. BALL to set the rigid standards to be the LAW regarding the accuracy of pocket watches carried by trainmen.
Thus was born the AMERICAN POCKET WATCH, and the American train system entered a new era of saftey
Hundreds of thousands of these watches run AS NEW to this very day, thousands over one hundred years old. As a watchmaker, I’m proud each time I’m sitting as I put the final adjustments on “legal” railroad watch. Yes, “LEGAL” because it was AGAINST the law for an everyday pocket watch to be carried by a trainman.
Most of what we see now....TEN years are uncommon.
Thank you, I love FR for all the interesting information presented here!