Throughout the ages, the way to measure time was usually by the movement of sun - daily, monthly and annually. Right up to the 19th century the majority of people didn't need a more precise measurement of time in their daily lives. It was the spread of railways that made an exact universal measure of time important. Until the coming of the railways, towns just a few miles apart would set their clocks to a different time according to their local sundial. ... http://www.squidoo.com/local-time-and-railway-time Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:24:52 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:48:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/local-time-and-railway-time/squidcast/247032-railways-and-the-time Until the coming of the railways, there was little need for most people to know the exact time and so places operated on 'local time'. Trying to run a railway timetable when places can't agree on the time is difficult so the railroad companies had to find another way of doing things. Time was never same again! Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:01:37 -0600