12 WESTERNPENNSYLVANIA HISTORY I WINTER2005 Pennsylvania Station (formerly Pittsburgh Union Station) circa 1902, now the Pennsylvanian Apartments. The Eastern Time Zone ended at this station for more than 25 years; Central Time began to the left of the small building on the left. Collectiono KanKebus WESTERNPENNSYLVANIA HISTORY WINTER 2005 13 / apparent solar time, but nean solar day. The difference Rule 71 A Train of an inferior class, must it was not a more accu- between sidereal time and solar in all cases keep out of the way of a Train rate method of telling time is due to the Earth's orbit of a superior class. time than a sundial, around the sun; the Earth must Rule 73 When two Trains of the same just less random. The rotate slightly more each day for class meet on Single Track, the Train not having right of Track, must take disparity between me, the sun to reach the same point in the Sid- ing (except when it cannot enter without and apparent solar time ca sky, taking about four extra backing), and be clear of the Main Track by less than a second to more than a quarter minutes. But, except for rare uses such as before the leaving time of the opposing of an hour, depending on the time of year. sea navigation, accurate time still wasn't yet Train. At least these clocks could work at night or required in land-dwelling citizens' lives. Rule 79 A Passenger Train must not leave when the sun was otherwise not visible, a With the rapid expansion of railroads in a Station, expecting to meet, or be passed definite advantage. the mid-19th century, travel time over vast at the next Station, by a Train having If the sun's zenith is tracked over a year's distances was suddenly reduced. A trip from the right of Track, unless it has full time, it traces a figure-8 in the sky. Called the Pittsburgh to Cleveland that had taken days Scheduled time to make the meeting or analemma by scientists, this figure-8 is an now lasted only hours. Towns near Pitts- passing point. imaginary artifact of nature in relation to the burgh, such as Avalon or Sewickley, could be Rule 81 When two or more Passenger motion of the earth and sun, and results in reached in minutes. This increased speed in Trains of the same class are running in the discrepancy between mean solar and travel exacerbated time standardization the same direction, they must keep not apparent solar time because with apparent between locales; railroads not only wanted less than Fifteen minutes apart. solar time, noon changes slightly every day, better timekeeping for schedules, but needed The rules expected there would be prob- sometimes later and sometimes earlier, some- accurate time to prevent collisions. Speeds of lems with operations somewhere on the rail- times more and sometimes less. With a clock, 25 to 50 miles per hour, though slow by road but gave leeway for many possibilities; noon, or whatever time, was pretty much the today's standards, became a challenge for rai- for instance, after a train left a station, how same time every day, except for the fact that road engineers. If a train was traveling from could a conductor know if another train was clocks slowed down or sped up for many dif- Cleveland to Pittsburgh and another was 15 minutes in front of him? Or, given sched- ferent reasons. But, who had the right time? heading in the opposite direction, a few min- uled time to make the next station, what if an In the early era of our country, people lived utes difference between the timepieces of the engineer encountered a cow on the track? by the sun, and time didn't have the impor- opposing conductors could result in tragedy. Both the clarity tance that is placed on it today. Appointments and degree of success of these rules was expressed by were, "I'll see you in a few days" and not, "I'll Railroad Rules of Travel a question posed to the 1 representatives of the railroads at the 1885 meet you at 10 past one." Acknowledging this danger, railroads initiat- General Time Convention (later to become However, clocks accurate to within a ed measures to forestall accidents. Electro- the Association of American Railroads): second per day, called chronometers, were mechanical train signaling devices and radios "Whom do you hold responsible for rear-end devised in the mid-18th century for sea were not yet in common use - in fact, until collisions at stations, the train standing at the navigation. Seamen used time with charts about the Civil War, electricity was not much station, or the train approaching it?"3 and instruments to tell where they were and more than a scientific curiosity - so rail- Although these (and the numerous other) to predict what direction they needed to sail roads relied upon an employee timetable and rules informed railroaders what to do when to arrive at a specific location. Without accu- a book of rules. Using both together, it was trains were not on schedule, it was nearly rate time, they could end up hundreds of possible to find schedules showing the arrival impossible to anticipate every combination of miles from their intended destination. With and departure times for passenger and freight problems. In recognition of these shortcom- this more exact method of keeping time, trains at various stations and other points ings, railroads instituted more regulations, and by observing the stars, astronomers along the route. A rule book also included further complicating the situation. Even ascertained that the earth rotated once every instructions facilitating the safe operation of though many of these guidelines had been in 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09 seconds: a a line if a train wasn't progressing according effect for individual railroads for much of this sidereal or "star" day, not the 24 hours of the to plan. Here are some examples from 1874:2 14 WESTERNPENNSYLVANIA HISTORY I WINTER2005 period, they were only adopted by the Gener- south as New Orleans and west to the Two years after starting the Main Line, in al Time Convention after trains had been Missouri River. 1828, Pennsylvania granted a charter to the running for more than half a century. ' Under pressure from Philadelphia business Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) to build a It became clear that knowing the correct people, who were effectively bypassed by the line from Baltimore to Pittsburgh, which was time - and having all conductors, engineers, new water route, the Commonwealth of on its way to becoming the iron and glass and stations along the line agree - was a key Pennsylvania undertook in 1826, the con- manufacturing center of the United States. to the success of the rules. Conductors and struction of the Main Line of Public Works, a Once again, Philadelphians saw that their city engineers were issued watches or required to series of canals and railroads to compete with and port would be bypassed, so in 1846, have one and made responsible for their care the Erie Canal. Completed in 1834, its canal another charter was granted to build a rail- and correct setting with the standard clock into Pittsburgh was beset with many prob- road from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh connect- at each station.' These timepieces became lems, as described in the CentennialHistory of ing with Philadelphia via an existing line. an important part of a railroad's system the Pennsylvania Railroad Company An important part of this new document was that it rescinded the rights of the B&O of timekeeping. The route was unsatisfactory in many respects. The changes of conveyance charter to build through the state as long as The Rise of the Pennsylvania Railroad were annoying and time consuming, but the new charter met certain conditions. These Before train travel became the preferred worst of all the service had to be discon- included the receipt of payment for 10 per- method of transportation for goods and pas- tinued in the winter months, and the cent of the $3 million in stock that was sengers, the country looked to canals to con- canals were frequently damaged by required to be subscribed, and that 30 miles nect its waterways as a means of transport. In freshets in the spring, and their opera- of track be under contract within a year, tions were interrupted by low water in 1825, the Erie Canal opened between Lake before July 30, 1847, with 15 of those miles the summer.7 Erie and the Hudson River, offering a speedi- located on the Pittsburgh side of the moun- er connection between Pittsburgh and New The Erie Canal, on the other hand, had tains By 1852, an all-rail line had opened York compared to overland routes via the Great Lakes to cushion these effects. between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, called Philadelphia and the Allegheny Mountains. The Main Line also included the task of haul- the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).' The B&O Freight and passenger traffic could now cross ing boats over the Allegheny Mountains had only reached as far as Cumberland, New York state, then descend the Allegheny on rail cars, with the attendant danger of Maryland when the PRR charter went into River to Pittsburgh; even Andrew Carnegie this "portage railroad" that the ropes could effect; consequently, the B&O didn't reach first came to Pittsburgh on the Erie Canal.' break, sending cars and boats careening to Pittsburgh until it purchased the Pittsburgh Other waterways extended its impact as far the bottom.' & Connellsville Railroad in 1870.