Victorian

The measurement of time

The coming of the railways made a big difference to accurate timekeeping across the country. If trains were to run to time (and without accidents) then 12 o'clock in Birmingham had to be at the same moment as 12 o'clock in London!

Timekeeping led to concern about the length of the working day, and the government stepped in to regulate hours for workers.

Experiments continued. Before the end of the nineteenth century electric clocks had appeared.

What other use were station clocks put to, apart from telling the time? (The one in the picture is on Victorian Snowhill Station, Birmingham)

Click the picture for an answer.