At the LA regional I picked up 18s Columbus #230309. The dial has a blue locomotive on it and is marked Columbus Railway King over the seconds bit. The movement is a two tone model marked adjusted. safety pinion and Columbus Watch Co., Railway KIng, Columbus Ohio. I see 5 plate jewels, but I think it is 16 jewels. I don't have much data on Columbus. Who is the expert on this company. I will post picures on the photo gallery later this week.

But I have owned those watches. That sounds like the right dial. I think they were made in 16-25 jewels. I once owned a 25K Railway King.

Jerry,
Railway King movements with serial numbers under about 250,000, with an upper center wheel jewel and not marked as to jewel count, are indeed 16 jewel watches. The dial you describe also seems correct. These watches were made before the major reorganization in 1894 that changed the company name to the "New Columbus Watch Co.". After serial number 371,000, marked 17 jewel Railway King movements started to appear. It is not known for certain if there were any unmarked 17 jewel Railway Kings made between S/N 250,000 and 371,000, but we have not been able to confirm any reported examples, and my personal belief is that all of the unmarked movements with upper center wheel jewels contain only 16 jewels.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC 49688
IHC Member 34
The Escapement