Veritas
-18 size, 23 jewel, grade 214
-Serial # 16022743, circa 1912
-CDN dial & fortune GF case

movement

movement 2

My Grandfather started work with the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario RR (T&NO) in 1921 and spent 42 years with the railroad which was owned and operated by the Province of Ontario, Canada.

The T&NO received Royal Assent in March 1902 and started construction and started construction in May 1902 from North Bay to Cochrane Ontario some 250 miles north. North Bay Ontario is 220 miles north of Toronto.
The construction opened up Northern Ontario to development and settlement and was credited for a massive silver deposit discovery at Cobalt and gold at Kirkland Lake.
In 1921 the T&NO began construction from Cochrane to Moosonee on the shore of James Bay and completed in 1932.
In 1946 the name was changed to Ontario Northland Railway (ONR) and my Grandfather retired as a Conductor from the ONR circa 1963. I had more than a few rides as a child in the Engine and caboose.

Regards
Rick

Very nice, I am on the lookout for one from 1900-05 in that condition.

Hi Lorne, my Aunt has the watch and I think recently had it in for servicing. If I remember correctly she still has my Granddad's Conductors uniform also.

If I see a Veritas with your requirements around here will let you know

I saw a very nice 992B, 1947 but the case back was an Emperor base metal and case serial #'s did not match. Too bad.

Rick

A wonderful story and a great piece of historical significance. The watch with the story and the history is priceless IMHO.

regards,
bb

Found this picture of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario "Porcupine Express" ~ 1906. This is about that same type train I took from Le Pas to Churchill (Hudson's Bay) via Thompson, Manitoba in 1958 while studying JackPine with a forestry PhD candidate. One set of rails, never moving over 20 MPH for fear of breaking the rails (all on semi-melted permafrost). If we had to stop for fixing things everybody was expected to get out and help. The most "colorful" moment was stopping at a native settlement where there was a wedding and they had opened their kegs of "moose juice" (made with anything that fermented, from raisins to blueberries) to "cereberate" the occasion. It took us a day to get the locomotive crew back in shape to continue the trip! The only "vehicle" in the settlement was a Bombardier tracked snow truck which they used all year around to fetch firewood and move around their cabins.

Thanks Buster, a condensed history to be sure but it's nice to link a watch with it's work history.

David, if that is the "Porcupine Express" it is most likely the run from Timmins Ontario, west of Cochrane. Timmins is another gold mining town.

Thanks for sharing that history. Always great to hear personal stories especially of the old railways.

Rick,

Thanks for sharing this great family story and an outstanding example of a great watch!

Very cool, Rick, all around. Have you any way to find out whether your grandfather used that same Veritas for his entire time of his job tenure?

kh

Hi Ken, unfortunately I do not know when he acquired the watch but according to my Aunt she remembers that watch as a child. Remembering my Granddad the watch being a required piece of equipment so to speak, it would always be in good working order, so it was probably the only watch.
As an aside, Granddad was a "by the book" guy. Working through the depression years etc. you were glad you had a job, and if there was a procedure you " by God followed the procedure".
Railroad guys will get this. My Granddad's nickname was "fusee Ben". It did not matter if it was 30 below zero in winter if a fusee was required then whomever was tasked to dispatch the fusee, it was done now and as required.
This from relatives who worked with him on the ONR, sometimes not so fond memories re: 30 below zero.

Regards
Rick

That is one really nice Elgin Rick! Ken was thinking the same thing as me, I would think he did run the rails with that same watch his whole career.I bet there's a lot of service marks in that case back!Looks to be in nice shape, well taken care of.Thanks for showing it!....Ted.

If that road was like the N&W 'back in the day', if the watch met all the time requirements, most inspectors grandfathered them in and they were carried an employee's entire career.

My great grandfather carried his 18s Elgin 21j watch he acquired when hiring onto the N&W before WW1, and retired with it in his pocket in 1957 after working as an engine inspector with over 50 years service.....same watch all 50 years too.

I also own a Veritas not too many numbers separate from yours, Rick, and with the exact same dial. They're great time keepers and carry watches! I carry mine as a vest watch quite often.

Regard! Mark

Hi Rick.
My wife asked me to add to this conversation. Her father Cliff Schubert probably worked with your grandfather. He started as a fireman and later was an engineer with the ONR out of Cochrane making the run to Moosenee and Timmins. He was the one who fired the last steam engine #701 for the ONR. It is now located in Englehart Ontario. I wish I had his watch, but alas all I have are some pictures.

Hello Dave, small world. I am related to the Shuberts from New Liskeard from Jim and Violet (Violet was my Great Aunt). I was born in Englehart and have seen #701.
Dad was a young lawyer in 1950 when I came along and in 1955 family moved to North Bay.

My Aunt Ruby has the Veritas and it will go to her Grandson. I will try to fill in some history, however thin, regarding the watch and Granddad for him.

Regards
Rick