Clocks, watches, and trains: The National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors meets in Chattanooga

The train, powered by Southern Railway 2-8-2 No. 4501, performed a photo run-by for guests.

The relationship between timekeeping and railroads is a strong and historic one. Until national timekeeping standards were adopted in second half of the nineteenth century, railroad schedules, even over short distances, were not well coordinated and difficult to follow. The lack of standardization caused accidents and unpredictable arrival and departure times. The situation only improved when, in the latter part of the nineteenth century, formal time zones were adopted, ensuring that the correct time was calibrated among the nation’s railroads. Railroad timekeeping is just one of the many areas studied by the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (NAWCC), which held its 2015 annual meeting from June 15-20 in Chattanooga.

A highlight of the meeting was a special train trip for the NAWCC operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) on June 17, on a round trip from Chattanooga to Lafayette, Georgia over Genesee & Wyoming’s Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway. The train was pulled by the museum’s Southern Railway 2-8-2 No. 4501, and consisted of nine cars, including ex-Seaboard Air Line Tavern Lounge No. 6604, which carried the drumhead for the special.

This special drumhead brought up the rear of the train.

Passengers aboard the trip consisted primarily of NAWCC members, and TVRM car hosts and dining car attendants staffed the train. Members of the press, including Trains, were also invited. During the afternoon return to Chattanooga, Wick Moorman, executive chairman of NS who recently stepped down as CEO, joined those on the train. Moorman was the keynote speaker for the NAWCC’s evening gathering on Wednesday.

On the southbound trip to Lafayette, the train stopped near Chickamauga Battlefield for a photo runby, a hallmark of the previous Southern Railway/NS steam programs, but which are no longer part of most TVRM trips nor those run as part of the NS 21^st Century Steam program. The location for the runby could not have been much better – a beautiful location with a commanding view of the track from the grounds of Oakwood Baptist Church.

A nice lunch was prepared for and served to the passengers by the capable TVRM dining car team, led by David Duncan. This experienced team of managers, cooks and dining car attendants has provided countless numbers of meals to passengers aboard TVRM’s array of train trips, special moves like this one, as well as through premium service available on some of Norfolk Southern’s steam excursions.

Another highlight of the trip was having Civil War re-enactor Jonathan Shields on board to discuss details of the Battle of Chickamauga, which occurred in November of 1863, and in which more than 34,000 troops were killed or injured. Dressed in authentic clothing and gear, Shields gave passengers insight into what it was like to live and survive as a confederate soldier in the nearby battlefields.

NAWCC Executive Director Steven Humphrey

In addition to NAWCC members, the organization’s Executive Director, Steven Humphrey, was on the train, and shared some information about the group. It was founded in 1943, and currently has about 14,500 members in the United States and around the world. There are 151 chapters of NAWCC, and some are geographic chapters while others are special interest chapters, such as those that focus on things like alarm clocks or tower/street clocks. “There is a real diversity of interests among our members,” Humphrey said. He added that the science of “horology,” which is the study of measuring time and making timepieces, is the more academic side of member activities. “Most members do not consider themselves horologists,” Humphrey pointed out. He also said that a common system of measuring time is the most successful example of world cooperation in history – everyone measures time in the same way, and shares the same time zone system.

Once the train arrived in Lafayette, TVRM’s GP30 No. 2594 was attached to the rear end of the train for the trip back to Chattanooga. Since Moorman’s keynote address to the group was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., there was not enough time to continue the trip further and turn the train. So, the GP30 pulled the train back, with a little help from No. 4501 on the other end, running in reverse.

After arrival in Chattanooga, there was just time to shower and change for the convention kickoff and keynote address. Just before the address, though, convention organizer Glen Kitts (who is a member of both TVRM and NAWCC) led Wick Moorman on a private tour of a wonderful exhibit of railroad timepieces, including station clocks, pocket watches and many others, entitled The Railroad Time Service. This exhibit supported the overall theme of the NAWCC’s convention.

NS Executive Chairman Wick Moorman

Moorman’s presentation, entitled “Time and the Railroad” focused on the history of railroad timekeeping, especially how timetables govern railroad operation, as well as a review of some beautiful antique clocks that reside in the Norfolk Southern headquarters building in Norfolk, Virginia. Moorman had a special treat for those in the audience – a pocket watch that had been presented to Samuel Spencer, the first president of Southern Railway. After his presentation, Moorman talked with NAWCC members for over an hour, giving them a look at Spencer’s watch and discussing other rail timekeeping issues.