Anyone interested in Gents Waiting Train Clocks?

Just in case anyone has an interest in the combination of waiting train and master clock combinations I have put on YouTube a short film of my set-up (finally) working.

The dial hands and mechanism came from the old IMI explosives factory in Birmingham and were all heading for the skip, the central glass of the dial had already been hammer out. With the exception of the worm all the mechanism, including the coils, pendulum and shafting are original and were cleaned up; the worm had to be made anew and was a very strange TPI. The Hipps toggle anvil is a bit worn and very occasionally get chaotic and stops the pendulum so I may have to do a bit of reverse engineering.

It was only recently that I managed to get a Master clock. A 12v caravan battery didn't run the whole set-up (for a reason I still haven't worked out, so that battery just runs the WT pendulum and a small 12v battery runs the master/WT circuit. It keeps very good time in my workshop although I tend to switch it off because it make me too aware that its rhythm marks my life being decremented!

See it at: **LINK**

Excellent video great quality and very clear explanation you should be on the telly

Many thanks Tony ...

I will have a look later tonight.

MichaelG

Here it is, thanks Tony

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 30/07/2014 20:54:05

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 30/07/2014 20:54:23

A fascinating video Tony. I have often wondered how such clocks were synchronised and your video and commentary describe the process very nicely! I'm embarrassed to admit that I had heared the term "waiting train clock" before but always assumed it refered to some station timepiece that told the waiting time until the next train arrived!! Watching the video, it suddenly clicked that the phrase refers to the fact that the slave clock gear train runs fast and then has to wait for an impulse from the master clock before it can continue for the next 30 second period. A simple and elegant solution!

Regards, Martin.

Interesting video thanks .

.

Just watched it ... Excellent job, thanks.

MichaelG.

Marvellous, thank you.

Tony

It looks like a variant of the Sychronome. Very nice that you've got an example larger than life slave rather than a copy of the clock face in the master

You are right about it counting down your life, my father made one about 60 years ago and its been in their house going 'ker-clunk' every 30 seconds ever since.

**LINK**

For those interested a detailed and informative read on the subject

Pete

Now I've had a scan though the document I've provided a link to it appears Gents, Sychronome, ECS and Westerand all had similar products

Pete