The Great Kipton Train Wreck

April 19, 1891 was the date of the horrific train crash at the Kipton Depot. On that day a fast-moving mail train heading east collided with a passenger train heading west. The passenger train was scheduled to stop to let the mail train pass, but tragically, the passenger train conductor’s watch had stopped, and was four minutes off. Eight people lost their lives.

As a result, Webb C. Ball, a well-known watch maker was enlisted to investigate. He established watch performance and inspection standards which were adopted by the railroad industry. His attention to accuracy and promptness led to the saying, “Get on the Ball.”