Mystery solved: Western Railway traces roots of unique clock from the 1890s

The heritage clock is prominently located at the Lower Parel workshop

The Western Railway (WR) has looked back in time to trace the roots of one of its oldest functional tower clocks in its Lower Parel workshop and found that it is possibly the only one of its size from the late 19th century. The clock was manufactured in 1889 by UK-based Gillet and Johnston company. WR officials said the clock has been ticking since the day it was installed.

"We have maintained all of these heritage assets with utmost care. The clock needs to be wound once a week, and then it runs on its own," said Ravinder Bhakar, WR's chief public relations officer.

Rarity and novelty
WR officials said a functional tower clock like this one cannot be found anywhere else in Mumbai division. It has markings of the old Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI), which is now called Western Railway. It was made in the manufacturing base at Union Road, Croydon, England, where timepieces were being made from 1844. It was closed in 1957 and demolished in 1997. Around 14,000 tower clocks were made there from 1844 to 1954.

The timepiece functions on its own energy. Pics/Atul Kamble

The timepiece, which is one metre in diameter, is functional on its own energy, bound by brass weights to avoid corrosion and operated by mechanical pulleys. The brass wire weighs 5 kg, whereas the pulley is 29 kg. The metal spring stores energy required for running the clock. The mechanism is compact, robust and simple and requires no maintenance.

Workshop employees said that such a rare functional clock working on mechanical principles is a novelty for the present generation. They sometimes get schoolchildren there to show them how it functions. Officials added that the heritage clock is prominently located on one of the oldest tower sheds at the Lower Parel workshop.

Playing an old tune
The heritage clock also has an old bell, which was manufactured at the same factory in 1890. Back then, the firm had successfully revived an old technique for tuning bells by shaving the interior to bring the bell's natural harmonic series in tune. The cast number of the bell is 122, and with a diameter of 425 mm and height of 430 mm, it weighs 57 kg.

This bell is similar in construction to first quarter, second quarter and hour bells in the mechanical engineering buildings of the Imperial College in Knightsbridge, Middlesex and London. Below the clock and the bell is a rare fire alarm system, also operated mechanically, which sets off an alarm in case of a blaze. The tower clock, iron bell and mechanical fire alarm also make it a complete set of functional 19th-century equipment.

1889 - Year the clock was manufactured in the UK

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