posted
I'm still trying to get my internal circadian clock re-aligned now that we're back to Standard Time. I've never liked the hassle of readjusting time in the spring and fall. Why not daylight savings time, for everyone, year round?
Twice a year, I have to adjust the time on my oven, 2 microwaves, 4 bedside clocks, 2 wall clocks, phone, car, lawn irrigation system box, and heating thermostat box. I can't remember if my electric toothbrush has a clock needing adjustment.
I see the province of Alberta was, or is, considering having year-round time the same as Canadian central time. That would mean 1 hr ahead of BC during summer and 2 hrs ahead in winter. I think it would be a little confusing for people on the VIA Canadian, but I like the idea.
I like to have an extra hour of sunlight at night. More light for late afternoon commuters and possibly fewer traffic accidents.
Speaking of time, I didn't realize 10 states have more than one time zone. If a passenger train schedule has stops in differing time zones, within a state, is such noted on the timetable?
The state of Idaho has 2 time zones. The northern portion is on Pacific Time while the southern portion is on Mountain Time.
So, if you're on a train, do you always know what time it is?
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
The time in the timetable is local time whatever it is. Commonly employee timetables will state specifically what applies where, but the public timetable may or may not. Just assume that the time given for a given point is whatever you would be looking at if it were local. There are some foreign places where this does not apply. I have heard that the entire Russian system runs on Moscow time, even all the way to Vladivostok (Spelling I did not look up) which is 8? or more timezones different.
The concept of timezones began with the railroads in the US.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Richard, we both must accept that time changes are harder on us than "younger folk" are with same.
I think we both must accept that the "schoolkids walking to school" is a stronger lobby than the farmer's " the cows snd chickens all get up at the same time, and could care less what someone's clock says" (actual Indiana rural legislator's words).
I hear you, and even as one who goes to Europe each year, but can do without a visit to my loved Niece in Australia, just accept that time change.
Finally, I have a 1950's kitchen clock, a thermostat clock, a Bose radio clock, my auto's clock, and an office clock, that need manual reset.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I read where roosters don't really crow at dawn. Their internal circadian rhythm tells them when to crow, not when the sun comes up. Not sure what time hens cluck, but I don't think hens or roosters really care whether it's Daylight or Standard Time.
I have an atomic wall clock in my den. It's a "Howard Miller" atomic clock, which is suppose to be a quality brand. However, I've only had it for 2 years and it has just gone berserk. It no longer communicates with Boulder CO and the time displayed is way off the mark.
George: When I was up in Canada, this past summer, I bought a book on the development of Canada's passenger train system. The book maintains that the true developer of North American time zones was Sanford Fleming. He worked for the CP railroad where he was a surveyor and map maker. He also designed a Canadian postage stamp.
However, credit for the time zones is also given to American Charles Dowd, of Saratoga Springs, NY.
Anyway, we had time zones for North America in November of 1883.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
It was the railroads that forced the creation of standard time across the world. Prior to the railroads local time was usually kept by the church and it didn't matter if when it was noon in Alphaville it would be 12:15 just a few miles away in Omegatown. But once the railroads started connecting Alphaville and Omegatown it was necessary to have towns along the railroad line all observing the same time standard.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yukon: I think you got it with Fleming. Apparantly from some things I read quite a few years ago there were several people trying to take credit for it and one the two guys you mentioned said to the effect, what's their point, I never made a nickel off the concept.
Vincent, I had heard it as courthouse clock, but that only worked if you were in the county seat. Be interesting to know if in other towns which had more than one church, which would usually be the case in the US where we had no Established Church (such as the Church of England in England) which one was the designated time keeper if more than one of these churches had a clock.
By the way, to bring it to trains, where my father worked for many years was a few blocks north of Memphis Central Station and the whistling of the southbound City of New Orleans for the riverfront street crossings as it approached the station to hit its scheduled 5:05 arrival time was their quitting whistle. Think of that level of schedule compliance.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I did a little more research on the history of "local time" versus "standard time". Most communities would coordinate their designated local official clock to show noon when the sun was highest in the sky. But that practice wasn't workable for the railroads and their timetables. If the train leaves Spokane at noon and the trip to Seattle takes 10 hours what time would the train arrive in Seattle? The answer wouldn't be 10pm if both Spokane and Seattle are keeping "local time". According to one article I saw on the internet, in 1903, Detroit was one of the last communities in America to abandon "local time" for "standard time". Detroiters had to adjust their clocks by 28 minutes to fall in line with the rest of the nation.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
For many years all time zones were based on high noon at Greenwich Observatory in London. Just one more example of "The sun never sets on the British Empire."
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
| IP: Logged |
From wiki Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. GMT was formerly used as the international civil time standard, now superseded in that function by Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Today GMT is considered equivalent to UTC for UK civil purposes (but this is not formalised) and for navigation is considered equivalent to UT1 (the modern form of mean solar time at 0° longitude); these two meanings can differ by up to 0.9 s. Consequently, the term GMT should not be used for precise purposes.
https://www.timeanddate.com/time/gmt-utc-time.html Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is often interchanged or confused with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). But GMT is a time zone and UTC is a time standard. Illustration image
Although GMT and UTC share the same current time in practice, there is a basic difference between the two:
GMT is a time zone officially used in some European and African countries. The time can be displayed using both the 24-hour format (0 - 24) or the 12-hour format (1 - 12 am/pm).
UTC is not a time zone, but a time standard that is the basis for civil time and time zones worldwide. This means that no country or territory officially uses UTC as a local time.
UTC, GMT and Daylight Saving Time
Neither UTC nor GMT ever change for Daylight Saving Time (DST). However, some of the countries that use GMT switch to different time zones during their DST period.
For example, the United Kingdom is not on GMT all year, it uses British Summer Time (BST), which is one hour ahead of GMT, during the summer months.
Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
| IP: Logged |
"In July 1853 several rail lines stretching 298 miles from Buffalo to Albany were consolidated as the New York Central Railroad. The New York Central officials adopted a single operating time, the "Standard of Time" given by the "clock in [the] Depot at Albany." Some of the western railroads used Chicago time, others used St. Louis time. The Union Pacific operated on at least six different time standards, based on sun time at Omaha, Jefferson City, St. Joseph, Denver, Laramie and Salt Lake City. When it was noon in Chicago it was 11:50 in St. Louis and 11:27 in Omaha. Where different railroads connected each railroad used its own time standard to govern the arrival and departure of trains."
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Imagine the poor Russians having to deal with seven time zones--from its border with Poland on the Baltic Sea to within 2 or 3 miles of an Alaskan island. (You really can see Russia from Alaska.)
Any of us around here who have served, be it a hitch or career, have worked with Zulu time.
So what if I wake up at 0001z or at 6AM, it would render much less confusion. The time is simply a measurement. On that same note, back in the later '70's, I was "good to go" with metric (again remember; I've "been in") weights and measures; the only one I have to "stop and scratch" about is Farenheit to Centigrade - beyond knowing to 20C is 70F.
With the new website, Amtrak is simply recognizing that 80% of the LD train riders and 99% of the Corridors only care of when they leave Ehh, when they arrive at Bee, and how long is the trip's duration. On those points, the latest website does just fine.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Related to this topic was how as a kid growing up in Greenwich, CT, I would pick up an Atlas and look at the maps. Mr. Hammond always identified his with, as example, "Longitude West of Greenwich". I remember saying "Mommy, if this map were in New York, would it say West of New York?"
May I expand with a mini-rant? On aircraft used on overseas flights, airlines have a route map as part of their IFE. While I think the details of the flight are about the same as those of the trip are at the new Amtrak website, to see when your flight X's the Prime Meridian (Greenwich, UK), Equator, and Date Line, would be a nice "touch". Wouldn't it also be nice if on a domestic flight where IFE is becoming rare, a passenger could be able to download the Flight Plan on to a map showing the various waypoints?
OK, in view of two recent flights, on which most all the shades were drawn, gotta say all passengers other than me could have cared less. But to me, it reminded me of travel on military aircraft.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
And then steps for the one above: 98.6-32=66.8, 66.6*5=333, 333/9=37.0 37.0*9=333, 333/5=66.6, 66.6+32=98.6
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by PullmanCo: Took me forever.
1.8 degrees F = 1 degree C.
I find that a lot faster than the formula I learned in grade school.
Guess I should have started with that. You done good. Yep. Celcius (What was wrong with continuing to call it Centigrade?) Centi = 100, as in that is why a penny is called one cent, or a quarter 25 cents, etc., so 100 degrees between freezing and boiling. Farenheit, 32 freezing, 212 boiling, so 180 degrees between freezing and boiling.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
