Mods,if this is in the wrong section, please move it to where ever it needs to go. It crosses a few interest lines.....

Recently I acquired a railroad watch chain from Chris Abell and took it a local jeweler to replace a few really worn through links in order to use it.

The man is a true pocket watch collector from years back, and loved the chain. As we went through the chain checking links, I noticed (and commented about) one of the main links half way down the chain that wasn't welded. I asked if that should be closed.

He said, 'Oh no, you don't want to do that. That's the safety link.' Huh?

He explained that working chains such as those made by Simmons and their competitors had such a link midway down the chain in case the chain was ever hung on a piece of equipment, that link would give first rather than the watch being jerked out of the watch pocket of the railroader (or workman of what ever industry that used such a chain). Dress chains usually didn't have such a link.

He said it was where the old saying 'a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link' came from. These railroad chains were more than strong enough for daily use, but built to 'give their lives' in order to save the watch should they get tangled in equipment.

Ok. Good story. He fixed up my chain and I came home and pulled out my Simmons railroad vest chain to check it. Sure enough, IT has an unwelded link about midway down the main chain.

So, of my two data points I can take, both come back positive.

I then thought back to the story Mitch has told several times of sliding the entire length of a railroad passenger car on his stomach during a train wreck, and how his Simmons chain was completely destroyed, and yet his 992B was still unscathed in his pocket.

Did the safety link do it's job in that situation? Apparently so.

So, has anyone else heard of this before?

Regards! Mark

Never heard that before but it makes a lot of good sense.

The generic term is a "breakaway link."

We use them in the necklaces that hold our ID badges at work.

That way if my badge gets caught in a piece of machinery, the breakaway will just let go and I won't be pulled into the machine and seriously injured or killed.

Thanks Ed!

Like David said, it makes good sense. It seems that anything railroad related was a 'system' when it came to being used in the industry where other dress chains were just that...for use and dress.

Regards! Mark

Great to know. I will take a look at the chains I have also to confirm. Thanks.

I think a clip-on tie will work the same way in a fight........

That's what they taught at the Florida Highway Patrol Academy back in the 80's when I was making video training tapes for them, Steve.

Regards! Mark