Search our collection

Railway timepieces

Running to a timetable has meant that railways have always needed timepieces for their staff and passengers. Investigate objects ranging from the earliest guards’ watches to large station clocks, from watches inspired by railways to the commemorative clocks and watches awarded to staff on retirement.

Clear all filters
Image
Category
On Display
Object type
Maker
Place of origin
Date
Freestanding clock, London Tilbury & Southend Railway, London Midland & Scottish Railway Clock No 13630, from Gravesend Pier, installed c1884, later moved to Tilbury and finally to Barking, withdrawn 1961, square tower with seats round base, painted yellow and green.

Gravesend clock, London, Tilbury & Southend Railway

1884
Clock, plastic, Porterbrook, created by Image Logo UK Limited, with U.T.S. German made quartz battery movement, diameter 273mm.

Porterbrook clock

Wall clock, LMS, 12" Dial Longcase weight-driven. Glazed (poor condition). Dial has second hand. Dial marked "John Agar Bolton". LMS No 10222. 19"x66"

Wall clock

Guards fob watch, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, silver case, 1/5 second stopwatch sweep hand with tachymeter conversion, 1850-1910, The James Royston Collection of Railway Memorabilia.

Fob watch, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway

Ten clocks from Great Western Railway works, recovered from British Rail Engineering Ltd. Swindon

Ten clocks, Great Western Railway - from Swindon

Clock, face, mechanism and bezel only, 20" dial, by Russells Ltd, 18 Church St, Liverpool, reputedly ex Liverpool (Lime Street) Station, London & North Western Railway.

Clock, face, mechanism and bezel only

Clock, British Rail (Western Region), electric wall clock, No. 5677, 5 1/2'' face.

Electric wall clock - British Rail (w)

Clock, Great Western Railway, wall clock, No. 0509, 3 1/2'' face.

Wall clock - Great Western Railway

Clock movement, for turret clock, pendulum, with auto-wind, from London St Pancras Station, by E J Dent, London, c1872

Clock movement for turret clock

1872
Pocket watch, London Midland & Scottish Railway, Gold Roman face "Richardson Goole". Inscribed "Presented to M W Rudd by his fellow workmen. Goole Loco LMS 1937".

Pocket watch, London Midland & Scottish Railway

1937
Clock, Pullman Car Co. As mounted in carriages 24 hr face (13-24 in red). From Pullman Car "Olive" by H. Williamson Ltd, London.

Clock, from Pullman car "Olive"

Clock, Great Western Railway, wall clock, No. 0.252, 3 1/2'' face.

Wall clock - Great Western Railway

Wall Clock, Great Western Railway, Roman face, ornate wooden case with glass panel revealing pendulum. " Regulator" from `O' Shop, Swindon Works. 5'6"x18".

Wall clock, Great Western Railway

Clock mechanism and weights from original clock at Edge Hill Station, Liverpool & Manchester Railway, opened 1836, no maker's name.

Clock mechanism and weights from original clock at Edge Hill Station

1836
Pocket watch, South Eastern & Chaltham Railway, Guard's white metal pocket watch made by Waltham, USA. Roman face. Marked onback SECR No 977. Puchased from SR Co by A. Lockwood on his retirement. 2 1/4" diam.

Pocket watch, South Eastern & Chatham Railway

Pocket watch, Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, silver, roman face with company name. On reverse " L & BR 202". '391' stamped on silver inside. Overall: 83 mm x 17 mm x 57 mm.

Pocket watch, Lynton & Barnstaple Railway

Stop watch, Japan Railways, Shinkansen driver's, with cord. Engraved on the back 'JR Tohkai Kantetsu Hei 2 60'. Manufactured by Seiko 851378 7011-0010.

Shinkansen driver's stopwatch, Japan Railways

Watch, gold presentation, by Waltham, USA. presented to Tom Hudston, Station Master, Apperley Bridge Station, Midland Railway, by his regular passengers on leaving this post, November 1924.

Gold watch by Waltham, USA, presented to Tom Hudston

1924
Promotional clock, quartz, British Rail, InterCity, engraved with swallow logo, issued on the sleeper service. From the personal collection of Dr John Prideaux, who was general manager of InterCity from 1986 to 1994.

InterCity quartz clock issued on the sleeper service

Wristwatch, BR, "Smiths de Luxe 16 Jewels, shockproof". Arabic numerals 12,3,6 & 9, others just lines. Gold watch on black leather strap. "British Railways. J.H. Hart. In appreciation of 45 years service. 1 1/4" diam.

Wrist watch, British Railways - presented to J H Hart for 45 years service

Wrist Watch, BR(SR), (ROllex) "Tudor". Gold, Arabic face, leather strap. Inscribed: "BR Southern Region. F. Lovis. In appreciation of 45 years service". 1 1/2" diam.

Wrist Watch

Ladies wristwatch, BR, Ladies gold wristwatch by Tudor, inscribed on reverse "British Railways Miss M. Bridge. In appreciation of 40 years of service". Arabic facet, inset second hand

Ladies wrist watch, British Railways - presented to Miss M Bridge for 40 years service

Grandfather Clock, North Eastern Railway, by Humphrey of Barnard Castle from Lartington Station

Grandfather Clock, North Eastern Railway

c.1861
Clock, from booking office at Andover Junction

Clock, from booking office at Andover Junction

Station clock, North Eastern Railway, Wall-mounted, marked No 724.

Station clock, North Eastern Railway

Watch chain, white metal, made up of 1 long link and 4 small round links alternately. 11" long

Watch chain

Wall Clock (long-cased), Roman face, wooden case (painted pale blue)

Long cased wall clock

Clocking-in clock, Great Eastern Railway, clocking-in clock from Rope and Sheet Factory, Gidea Park, consists of large dial with pegged numbers.

Clocking-in clock - Great Eastern Railway

Clock, Network South East electromechanical digital flap clock from Platform 8, London Bridge Station, about 1988.

Network South East Flap Clock

circa 1988
Wall Clock, Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway, No 1056, made by Fairer, c1850, withdrawn in 1962, formerly used at Shrub Hill Station, Worcester.

Wall clock, Oxford Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway

1850
Watch, South Indian Railway No 823, by T Wordley, 84 Cannon Street, London, formerly the property of Bert Harding, engine foreman, Southern Railway, resident of Redhill, Surrey.

Watch, South Indian Railway No 823

Clock, British Railways (Western Region), wall-mounted, 3' diameter face, No. BR(W) 5831, from GWR Running Shed, Reading, pendulum escapement by Thwaites, England, c.1930

Wall mounted clock - British Railways, Western Region

1930
Clock key, small brass clock key from Ashford Works. 1 1/2"x1 1/4"

Clock key, small brass clock key from Ashford Works

Clock, from the day compartment of railway carriage, London & North Western Railway, Queen Victoria's Saloon, built Wolverton Works, 1869, consisting of clock case, clock face, fitting padding trim and wadding.

Clock from Queen Victoria's Saloon

1869
Gold watch, awarded to Wilfred Cyril Smith for 45 years' service, British Rail (Southern Region) by Smiths, England.

Gold watch

Wall Clock, NER, Roman face. Circular with wooden case. No.753. Removed from Pickering Station in 1955. 13"x13"x7"

Wall clock, North Eastern Railway - Pickering Station

Wrist watch, BR (BTC), "Tudor" Gold, Arabic face with gold flexible strap. Engraved " British Transport Commission D W Aldred. In Appreciation of 45 years service". 1 1/4" diam.

Wrist watch, British Rail (British Transport Commission)

Station clock, "Edward Glasgow Pulsynetic". White, metal frame, Roman face.

Station clock

Timepiece case, YN & BR/Y & NMR/LNR. Inscribed on back: "York, Newcastle & Berwick", " York & North Midland" and "Leeds Northern Railways", "No 10 N.D". Brass, glass and wood. Overall: 62 mm x 87 mm x 25 mm.

Timepiece case

Pocket watch, no railway markings, owned by Fred Clark who was killed in an accident whilst working on the railway, Retford, 1st October 1932, Swiss movement, chrome case with white dial, second hand.

Pocket watch

Station clock, British Railways (Eastern Region), "BR(E) 9677". 2-faced, Roman numerals, Ex Grantham Station.

Grantham clock, British Railways (Eastern Region)

1948-1981
Clock, Great Western Railway, wall clock, No. 0.199, 3 1/2'' face.

Wall clock - Great Western Railway

Clock, wall mounted, 10" dial, slave clock for 'Pulsynetic' master, c. 1960, ex Rail House, Crewe, removed 1994.

Clock, wall mounted

1960
Clock, quartz electric with simulated revolving pendulum, by Tempora, West Germany, 1982 presentation for 35 years service on BR to Walter Duddington, nephew of Driver Joe Duddington of The 'Mallard' record - breaking run, 1938.

Clock, presented to Walter Duddington for 35 years service

1982
Alarm clock `The Survivor - Atlanta', Dyna-Disc quartz with `logo-motion' of steam train travelling round dial, USA, 1990

Alarm clock, `The Survivor - Atlanta'

Pocket watch, gold presentation, British Rail (North Eastern Region), 45 year's service, M Allen, by Vertex, England.

presentation pocket watch

Pocket watch, quartz, presentation, railway employee style, commemorating Japanese locomotive `Yoshitsune' (1880), in wooden box, by Seiko, Japan, 1990

Pocket watch, commemorationg Japanese locomotive `Yoshitsune'

1990
Clock, London & North Eastern Railway, mantle clock No.12380.

London & North Eastern Railway No. 12380

Wall clock (long-cased), North Eastern Railway, "B. Railton, Barnard Castle". Wooden case, Roman face.

Long cased wall clock, North Eastern Railway

Clock, suspended type, double-faced, BR(M), No 22739, ex Chester No 2 Signal box, Roman faces with 24 hour Arabic numerals added later

Double faced clock, BR(M)