The "No Reason to be Late" Story

The new clock outside the station

It was an ordinary day.  Just passed the Lancaster Train Station on my way into the city of Lancaster and caught a glimpse of something new as I passed.  Wasn't sure what it was, but thought I would stop on my return trip to check it out.  I lived for most of my childhood less than a block away from the Lancaster Train Station and have many fond memories of the place.  Whenever I get a chance I take my grandson to visit, sit on the benches of one of the two platforms and watch the trains come and go.  Well, on my way out of the city I passed my old homestead and found a place to park.  Headed over to the station and there, in front of the place, was a brand new clock.  Carries the same design as the station and has a curved "LANCASTER, PA" arched around the top of it.  And to top that off, the station has a brand new clock with golden Roman numerals on the face of it.  Couple months ago in the local paper was an article about a local jeweler who was going to donate a few clocks to the station to upgrade the old clocks that were there.  His name is Ryan Miller and he also had many fond memories of the train station and riding the rails with his father Brent.  His father, founder of the Brent L.Miller Jewelers,  died in 2006.  Ryan remembered when he and his brother and sister would travel on alternating trips with their dad to New York to buy diamonds.  It was always a great time so he is donating the clocks to the train station in memory of his dad.  Plans call for clocks on each of the platforms as well as in the concourse and one on a post in the front of the station.  The one that caught my eye was the one in the front of the station.  Stands on a tall post and is slightly more than three feet in diameter.  Love the face with the large hands and the Roman numerals.  I remember when the photo of what they were going to look like was in the paper and someone wrote a letter to the editor  saying that the #4 shouldn't be IIII as in the photo, but it is made that way instead of IV to balance the clock face.  I walked into station and walked the wide steps to the main lobby and saw two more on either wall of the lobby.  Talked with a Red Cap (station worker who wears a red hat) about the new edition.  He was proud of the clocks, but said they are on Atomic Time determined by a satellite and he can't change the time on them.  I questioned him why he would want to change them and he said, "To make sure the passengers don't miss their train."  Seems he would set the old clocks to run five minutes ahead to make the passengers hustle to the platform so they were not late.  He did say that they are expecting the clocks on the platforms and one in the seating area, but they haven't been installed as of yet.  Waiting for the painting to be finished in the seating area before the installation.  The old station is starting to resemble how I remembered it when I was a child.  Has been in ill-repair for years, but with the new clocks and the paint job it will be as it was in the 50s.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The Lancaster Train Station as it appeared on April 27, 1929 when it was dedicated.  Notice the clock at the top of the station.

The same clock, only refurbished and with new gold numbers.

The new clock next to the snack bar.

The old clock at the same location.