The Railroad Museum of New England (RMNE) recently acquired a 1926 Seth Thomas Register No. 2 clock and is hosting a reception to celebrate the “homecoming” at the Thomaston Railroad Station on Saturday, January 13th, from 3:30pm-5:30pm.  The public is invited.

   The Number 2 Regulator is an historic clock that was produced in Thomaston for 90 years, starting from before the Civil War.  What makes it meaningful to the Museum is that this type of clock was the standard for railroad stations throughout America.  A countless number of Seth Thomas clocks were built and shipped from the Thomaston Station to the rest of the country and the world.  This acquisition will help the Museum to educate visitors about the importance of trains, standard time, and clocks to the history of our society and economy.

   The Museum had been searching for this type of clock when John Springer, a volunteer and retired Amtrak locomotive engineer, found one while on a fishing trip in Montana last August.  Springer was visiting the family of a recently deceased friend, Ron Losee, M.D., when he discovered that Dr. Losee had possessed a Seth Thomas Register Number 2 clock that was built in Thomaston in 1926.   The family generously donated the clock to the museum “In memory of Ron Losee, M.D. friend of John Springer.”

   The American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol assisted the RMNE and arranged for a volunteer, Mel Brown, to clean and tune up the mechanism.  Patrick Hunt of Collinsville Restoration refinished the mahogany woodwork back to its original sheen.  The clock is now mounted on the west wall of the Thomaston Station.

   The RMNE is a not-for-profit, all volunteer, educational and historical organization that dates back to January 1968. The mission of the RMNE is to tell the story of the region’s rich railroad heritage through its educational exhibits and operation of the Naugatuck Railroad.  The museum concept is more than artifacts.  It is also a story of the region and the development of society around the railroad. The museum is located at the landmark Thomaston Station, on 242 East Main Street in Thomaston, Connecticut. The RMNE owns and operates the Naugatuck Railroad.

   For scheduled trains, birthday parties, and corporate events, contact the RMNE to find out how the Thomaston Station and the Naugatuck Railroad can offer you a unique experience.

   More information about the Railroad Museum of New England can be found at: www.rmne.org.