Gold 1921 elgin bw raymond railroad grade 19 jewel pocket watch large 16s nice. Historical maps and published histories can then help you to identify what railroad lines ran through that area at the time. Railroad pocket watches archives the pocket watch guy. Railroad pocket watches collectible pocket watches. The hamilton 992b railroad pocket watch, hamilton railway special the hamilton grade 992b is a high quality antique mechanical pocket watch. Delving into the rich heritage of its long history, it presents the longines railroad pocket watch, a steel pocket watch inspired by the railroad models produced at the time of the railways expansion. Dealing in pocket watches for 20 years, mintz said he likes the style and the industrial history connected to the pocket watch and the fact they are older than most wrist watches. Their high value and prestige, coupled with, in many instances, lower production.
It was made from 1903 through the mid 1930swhen it was replaced by the 992e and later the allnew 992b. Researching old railroad records to find family members. Railroad grade pocket watches explained the vortic blog. And, contrary to common belief, there were many regulations in place before webb c. On april 19, 1891, a great train disaster occurred that would forever change timekeeping on the railroad. A pocket watch or pocketwatch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist they were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwatches became popular after world war i during which a transitional design, trench watches, were used by the military.
Railroads are the different lines of track each engine operates on. Railroad pocket watches o gauge railroading on line forum. But leversetting disappeared when watches moved to the wrist. Among the brand names of railroad grade watches celebrated among railroaders. A system of timetable and train order, which relied on highly accurate timekeeping, was used to ensure that two trains could not be on the same stretch of track at the same time. Beginning of a dialog window, including tabbed navigation to register an account or sign in to an existing account. These watches, generally made after 1900, often feature a pushlever setting, easytoread numbers, and a beautiful design. American history and world history can be found at historycental historys home on the web. These were amongst the highest grade watches made, perhaps being superseded in time keeping quality only by presentation watches and navigational chronometers. Great testimonies have actually been given for the encyclopedia of western railroad history book. This was one of the most popular 16 size 21 jewel railroad watches.
Mintz believes railroad watches are more popular than regular pocket watches. The longines railroad pocket watch longines media center. I wanted to replace my swiss army pocket watch, which died after 20 years of hard use and is no longer made. That is, until now, with the introduction of vortics railroad edition. The first railroad in california, the sacramento valley railroad, began hauling ore, food, goods and passengers between folsom and the river docks in sacramento in 1856. Shop forand learn aboutantique railroad pocket watches. A railroad grade pocket watch is simply a watch that was approved by a particular railroad organization for use by conductors on their rail. Railroad pocket watches by gadfly thu dec 06, 2012 6. All the great american watch companies including waltham, illinois, elgin, hamilton among them responded with railroad pocket watches that had this feature. More than a century ago already, the swiss watchmaking brand longines brought its name and experience to the adventure of the railroad. The list of approved wristwatches grew, and the number of pocket watches approved remained unchanged. Stop reading and start constructing your railroad empire in pocket trains. Railroad pocket watches had to be accurate to keep trains on time, and you can stay on time when you use an antique railroad pocket watch.
Hamilton grade 992b vintage railroadgrade pocket watch, 16 size, 21 jewels, chrome fully engraved case pmtime 4. Good pocket watches of high accuracy became badges of office for railroaders. Two trains, because of an engineers faulty timepiece, collided near cleveland, ohio with 9 casualties. Your subscription to the pocket list of railroad officials includes. Pocket watch chains meant for utility pocket watches like railroad watches, for the most part, dont make much of a statement. Having always been interested in trains, and in mechanical timepieces, this is a topic of considerable interest to me.
Original hamilton railroad yellow gold filled bar over crown 16 size pocket watch case with glass crystal. Research our special sections on diverse subjects ranging from presidential elections to naval history. Following the disaster, a commission was appointed to adopt a universal set of timekeeping standards by all railroads. Aside from the fact that there wasnt any way to keep accurate time thousands of years ago, there simply wasnt the need to do so. While millions of railroadquality watches were sold, the number was small in relation to the approximately 275 million pocket watches made in america. From there you need to dig into the history of the specific railroads to locate present owners and determine whether employee records still exist for. Manage and grow multiple railroads by hauling important cargo around the world. The romance of the railroad adds value to the railroad. Hamilton model 950 pocket watch national museum of. A quick reference cyclopedia of railroad information. Antique hamilton grade 992 16s 21j railroad pocket watchruns great. Keep the nostalgia of railroad travel alive with your own hamilton pocket watch.
The earliest railroads reinforced transportation patterns that had developed centuries before. A lesserknown longines tool watch, the rr280 pictured left provides a fascinating window into the world of railroad watches its development and evolution from late 19th century up until the mid20th. Seikos macvsog wristwatches in vietnam 19681972 duration. Pocket watches for sale antique and vintage railroad. A well maintained and adjusted watch kept in a fixed location at room temperature can reach accuracies normally only seen with quartz watches. The watch ticks for a while and then stops, needs servicing. Railroads were at the forefront of the effort to standardize timekeeping in the late 1800s, because when their engineers watches werent accurately synchronized, terrible locomotive collisions could result. The soothing, steady sway of motion rocks you to sleep as the train rushes down the tracks. From the creators of pocket planes comes pocket trains. Here is a image showcasing many different railroads.
This case would be great for 16 size hamilton 992bs, 950. Hamilton 992b railroad pocket watch, hamilton railway special. The railroad was incorporated in 1859, most of the financing for the project came from county government in san francisco, san mateo and santa clara counties following a threecounty election in 1861. First manufactured in 1893 for the railroad worker, its precision and accuracy exceeded the strict guidelines set for the industry.
Collecting railroad pocket watches few images are more iconic of the golden age of american railroading than that of the train conductor dutifully checking his pocket watch. A railroad chronometer or railroad standard watch is a specialized timepiece that once was crucial for safe and correct operation of trains in many countries. Precision was now needed in this enormous industry. A railroad employee bought the finest he could afford. Railroad pocket watches old pocket watches, railroad. Free download encyclopedia of western railroad history. Northern pacific railroad history smalley 1883 credit mobilier of america crawford 1880 report of chief engineer central pacific 1864. The romance of the railroad adds value to the railroad pocket watch. Immediate download and read free of charge encyclopedia of western railroad history book by clicking the web link above.
A quality timepiece was an inseparable component of the uniform. The hamilton watch company made this model 950 railroad conductors watch around 1918. Contact information for more than 20,000 officials in the freight railroad, rail transit and rail supply industries. The specific definition of railroad grade evolved quite a bit over the years. Learn about railroad pocket watches as conductor parker talks about their history and how they were essential to the railroad. From the creators of pocket planes and tiny tower comes pocket trains. Railroads were at the forefront of the effort to standardize timekeeping in the late 1800s.
Where natural interconnection among navigable rivers was lacking, gaps in trade were likely to develop, most notably at watersheds. During the middle ages most heavy or bulky items were carried by water wherever possible. Begin your search for a railroad working ancestor by identifying where he lived at the time of his railroad employment. The 16size watch has 23 jewels, motor barrel 1634902, and was adjustable to five positions.
This illinois hunter case pocket watch was special for a railroad company. Download pocket trains and enjoy it on your iphone, ipad, and ipod touch. As only one train can operate on a line of track, a train needs to own or buy purchased lines. Explore our complete time lines of major events in american history as well as world history. Collect parts to construct all the different train types from steamers to diesels, and complete daily events to unlock special trains beyond imagination. I thought the gotham was a less expensive quartz watch that had the look of a railroad time piece.
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