How railroads inspired the creation of time zones

[DrQ]

How railroads inspired the creation of time zones​

How railroads inspired the creation of time zones

The invention of railroads ushered in a new era of land travel, and forever changed the way humans perceive time.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bts.gov/explore-topics-and-geography/geography/geospatial-portal/history-time-zones-and-daylight-saving

Before the establishment of time zones in 1883, there were more than 144 local times in North America.1 The resulting time differences between adjacent towns and cities were not critical when it took days to travel from place to place.​

 

[Passepartout]

It didn't work everywhere. Russia has 12 time zones across it's territory. China is all one time zone.

 

[Superchief]

Those areas that don't switch to daylight savings time always screw up train scheduling even today. I travel through Indiana and Arizona by train a few times each year and arrival times can be confusing. I make a point to never travel during the changeover to/from DST.

 

[DrQ]

It didn't work everywhere. Russia has 12 time zones across it's territory. China is all one time zone.

I like the time zones that are different by 30 minutes.

Those areas that don't switch to daylight savings time always screw up train scheduling even today. I travel through Indiana and Arizona

I went to college in Indiana and the television programming would change by an hour on the changeover. The evening news would swap between 10 PM and 11 PM.

 

[clifffaith]

When they moved the time change to be after Halloween and earlier in the spring, my old kitchen TV couldn’t cope. That TV had a built in VCR and I would record shows from the night before and watch them during lunch or while preparing dinner. The TV insisted on making the time change before Halloween and later in spring. I had to go through all sorts of mental manipulations to record anything. “The time now is X, the TV thinks it is Y, the show starts at Z”. I messed up about half the time. Several times we even got the manual out and attempted to reprogram the TV, but it was a stubborn SOB!

 

[Cornell]

I like the time zones that are different by 30 minutes.


I went to college in Indiana and the television programming would change Lby an hour on the changeover. The evening news would swap between 10 PM and 11 PM.

LOL Same. Some months our favorite TV shows were on eastern time; the other months, central time.

Currently I live very close to the time zone (eastern vs central) border in Indiana and it's SUPER confusing. I'm also very close to the Michigan border. They are on eastern time, but I'm on central time in Indiana.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

I like the time zones that are different by 30 minutes.

Yes. The most easterly time zone in Canada is Newfoundland Time, 30 minutes ahead of Atlantic Time and 1h30m ahead of Eastern Time. As the saying goes, "half an hour earlier in Newfoundland".

 

[pedro47]

Yes. The most easterly time zone in Canada is Newfoundland Time, 30 minutes ahead of Atlantic Time and 1h30m ahead of Eastern Time. As the saying goes, "half an hour earlier in Newfoundland".

Wow! That is interesting.

 

[Brett]

It didn't work everywhere. Russia has 12 time zones across it's territory. China is all one time zone.

It would seem easier if everyone was on one single time zone (my time zone) - - maybe a little weird for those Alaskans having to eat breakfast at 2:00 PM