Does anyone own a station clock from either the Erie or the Lackawanna? Or does anyone have photos or other info that would indicate what types of clocks they used? I know that the B&O disposed of their remaining clocks back in the early 1980's. Sadly it appears the EL got rid the their predecessor's clocks long before that.

Thanks for any help.

Tim Stuy

Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society

A good place to look for people that might have EL clocks would be the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. I think guests can post questions on our message board system. Are you asking about clocks posted in public areas of the station or Standard Clocks? There were many common station clocks that were not Standard Clocks.

awalker1829@yahoo.com

I am looking for clocks that would have been in the public areas, not a clock found in say a dispatcher's office.

Do you have a link for the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors?

National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors is an excellent source of information on clocks and watches, both railroad time service and other. In the bi-monthly publication, there is a column dedicated solely to railroad watches and time service written by two of my associates, Kent Singer and Ed Uberall. There is also a good amount of information on railroad time service, watches and clocks available to members from the Association library. Here's the link to the site.

National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors
awalker1829@yahoo.com

Try this link: http://nawcc-mb.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=cfrm&s=2386079361

NAWCC Message Board
gbrewer@yahoo.com

It's hard to say --- you would really need to find someone who owns one. I've been in and out of the clock repair business for the past 15 years and I've never seen a clock with Erie or DL&W markings. Most of the station clocks that survive were saved by railroad employees when the weight driven clocks were replaced with electrics. Most of the stories go something like...my grandfather worked at 30th street station and this clock was in the back room and he asked if he could have it and they said sure, because they were just going to throw it away anyway --- I'm talking 1955 timeframe. Almost all the American clock companies made railroad grade clocks of some sort and the railroads would have more than one style and brand. In general, the E. Howard Company is regarded as the premier American railroad clock manufacturer. Next in line would probably be Seth Thomas. My guess is the Erie had both along the system.

dmk166@yahoo.com

I can add that the Norfolk & Western favored the Seth Thomas #2 model with the oak case. I have one in my collection that came from the N&W. If you look at some of the O. Winston Link photos, you will see these clocks in his interior photos. It seems they were used in stations, towers, and offices all over the system. I am not a clock collector, but I always wanted one that saw railroad service.

steamfan@crusoe.net

> I am looking for clocks that would have been
> in the public areas, not a clock found in
> say a dispatcher's office.

> Do you have a link for the National
> Association of Watch and Clock Collectors?

don't forget to check ebay.

LL675@aol.com

I have two of the Bradley Woodworks clocks and I absolutely love them. The first one is a reporduction of a Seth Thomas #2. It weighs more than the original I installed at the KRM because the reproduction doesn't use any venier. After getting the clock, I hung it, and after about a week of adjusting the pendulum, I can proudly say it only looses or gains about 3 seconds a week.

I also have the "Depot Clock" from Bradley, which is a reproduction of a Seth Thomas Drop Octagon clock used in public areas. Mine is a reproduction of the Southern Pacific Clock and it look good and keeps great time. Mark Bradley has done a great job with his reproduction railroad clocks. The works even sound like the originals that I've encountered. By the way, I am in no way compensated by Bradley Woodworks. My praise is well deserved, as I was a paying customer.

http://www.bradleywoodworks.com/

Bradley Woodworks
david.wilkins@bardstown.com

How system clock were saved depends on which system you look at. Most systems, as mentioned previously either gave the clocks away or turned a blind eye to employees who took them as they were made surplus. A notable exception was the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. They had official time service inspectors up until the 1980s. All clocks, from Standard Clocks to alarm clocks on railway business cars fell under his authority. They realized that the station and standard clocks had high value as collectibles and stored them under lock and key rather than immediately dispose of them. Clocks deemed to be surplus to the railway's needs were appraised by expert clock appraisers and sold at current market value to the public.

Another railroad that did not dispose of its clocks was the Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia. Being a state road, all property not needed by the leasee was returned to the State of Georgia. One such item was the master clock. It is an E. Howard and Company astronomical regulator purchased by the state road in the 1870s and languished in storage for many years until restored by the Atlanta Chapter 24 of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, my chapter. It ended its days at Hill Park Yard and is now displayed outside the Govenor's office at the Georgia State Capitol.

awalker1829@yahoo.com

I remember when the Santa Fe was selling clocks. I had a price list from them. I thought the prices a bit high, but there were some very nice closcks in it. I even mad a trip to the railway's offices in Temple, Texas to see a few. There, on one wall of the dispatcher's office, I saw two Seth Thomas, mercury compensated regulators each with cards on the front stating "this clock is" xxx "seconds" fast/slow. Beautiful, but way out of my price range.

Santa Fe had long advocated the Montgomery dial for railroad watches, and they had some clocks made up accordingly -- all seconds enumerated.

gbrewer@yahoo.com

There are indeed many beautiful railroad clocks and timepieces out there and yes, the good ones are expensive. Good railroad approved pocket watches now run on average about $800-1200 depending on the make, model and features. When Chapter 24 did the restoration on the Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia master clock, an appraisal of the clock was made. This clock is a six foot tall astronomical regulator with mercury pendulum (four glass jars). Estimated replacement cost of the clock was in the neighborhood of $250,000.00. Bought new in the 1870s from E. Howard and Company of Boston, it cost something like $1,200.00.

awalker1829@yahoo.com