P.O. ENGINEERING DEPT.
MISCELLANEOUS
ENGINEERING INSTRUCTIONS
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE G.P.O. MASTER CLOCKS
(Any comments concerning the accuracy of this section, especially additional information,
documents, dates or anything else would be greatly appreciated.)
Initially, the National Telephone Company, and
its rival and ultimate successor the G.P.O. kept
time by using mechanical clocks. These had to be
wound and corrected, taking up time in a building
containing a considerable number of clocks.
Magneta Impulse Silent Electric
Generator Type 12
Figure 1 Figure 2
MAGNETA IMPULSE GENERATOR - With the
increasing popularity of the Master clocks that
were being installed in factories, schools and
other large institutions, the G.P.O. took an interest
in the idea of installing such systems in all of
their their larger buildings, wether telegraph,
telephone or postal.
HISTORY
Before about 1910, the G.P.O. began to install
their first type of system. This used a weight
driven Master clock. Once every minute, the
movement actuated a trip gear, which in turn,
operated an impulse generator. This system was
manufactured by Magneta of Switzerland to a
design by Martin Fischer, shown in Figure 1
This original one minute impulse system carried
on in service for many years. It is mentioned in
the Engineering Instruction B 1381, issue 1 of
08/10/1938 which explains that the system is now
obsolete, but continuing to give satisfactory
service. It mentions that the system should only
be replaced with a Type 36 (Also known as a
Clock No. 36.) when either the capacity of the
Magneta impulse generator is exceeded or if the
system fails to give satisfactory service. It seems
that these first type systems were still being
maintained due to the paragraph that stated,
“Recovered 1-minute dials should be packed
carefully and returned to the Stores Dept. For use
on other installations.”
The Magneta impulse generators had a maximum
number of clocks that they could power, whereas
a design by George Bennett Bowell, of the Silent
Electric Clock Company Ltd, 192 Goswell Road,
London, using the Hipp Toggle system could be
extended by adding relays to drive an almost
unlimited number of secondary dials. This fact,
along with the additional facility of driving 1
second dials, probably led to the Silent Electric
system being favoured.
Somewhere around 1910-1920 the G.P.O.
switched to installing the Hipp Toggle system.
This system initially comprised of two types of
Master clock, using Relays No. 90A to distribute
the pulses to the slave clock circuits. There were
also slave clocks Nos. 30 & 32 for synchronising
the Master clocks and the seconds indicating
Clocks No. 28 (Figure 3) respectively, But these
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are not dealt with in this article (click here for an
article about Synchronisation).
Seconds indicating Clock No. 28
Figure 3
Type 12 Movement Type 16 Type 16 Movement
Figure 4 Figure 5
TYPE 12 CLOCK - This clock has a one second
pendulum which can be seen in Figure 2. When
the natural decay of the pendulum reaches a pre-
determined point, the Hipp Toggle operates,
closing a pair of electrical contacts, which then
sends a pulse to the electromagnets, these give
the pendulum a pull to the right, thus increasing
the pendulum's swing, from which point, it starts
to decay, and the cycle repeats.
The electrical connexions to the Type 12 (and
also the early marks of the Type 36) clock are via
the terminal blocks which are fixed directly to the
main casting as shown in Figure 4.
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MISCELLANEOUS
HISTORY
The clock has a count wheel to provide a pulse
every thirty seconds, to drive various types of 30
second dials. There are two sets of contact
springs, one either side of the pendulum, which
are connected together to produce a pulse every
second, which provides the facility to drive the
seconds indicating Clocks. No. 28 (See Figure 3).
All the contact sets are of the one hole fixing
type, having a ‘Make before Break’ action,
utilising a 2000 Ω resistor as a spark quench
circuit.
For transporting the clock, there are wooden
blocks that lock the pendulum rod in a secure
position on the left side of the clock case.
Type 24 Type 24 Movement
Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8
TYPE 16 CLOCK - This clock has a half second
pendulum, and produces a 30 second pulse via a
count wheel, to run 30 second slave dials only
(Figures 5 & 6).
TYPE 24 CLOCK - This is not actually a Master
clock, although its movement shares the same
general appearance as a Type 16 as can be seen in
Figures 7 & 8.
The purpose of this clock was to change over the
telegraph lines, in readiness to receive the
synchronising time pulse at 10 o’clock am. The
count wheel drives a spindle and some reduction
P.O. ENGINEERING DEPT.
ENGINEERING INSTRUCTIONS
gearing that connected the incoming line to all
the local clock synchronisers for a period of 180
seconds, spanning the 10:00am epoch. It was
later replaced by a Type 30, which ran as a 30
second slave clock from a Type 36.
Types 12, 16 & 24 each contained synchronising
equipment, which upon receiving the daily 10:00
am time pulse, would reset the count wheels on
the clocks, thus keeping them correct to within
3-4 seconds a day.
By now, Silent Electric had the monopoly of
supplying electric clocks to the G. P. O. and most
new installations contained the standard Type 12
whilst a few postal buildings used the Type 16.
In 1917 Joseph Molden took over the Magneta
company, and later; in the early 1920’s, he also
acquired (amongst others) the Silent Electric
Clock Company, adopting their system, whilst
dropping their name in favour of the Magneta
brand, thus confusion ensued, with two different
clock systems, both bearing the same name.
Type 36 Type 46
Figure 9 Figure 10
Around 1925, the Type 12 design was modified,
becoming the Type 36. At the same time, Types
12, 16 & 24 became obsolescent. The type 16
was later reincarnated of sorts, as the Type 46 as
per Figure 10, which provided pulses every 1
second, once every 6 seconds from the count
MISCELLANEOUS
HISTORY
wheel, and also a repeated six second period,
containing a pulse for each of the first three
seconds, then a three second gap.
TYPE 36, MARKS 1, 2 & 3 (EARLY TYPES) -
Referring to Figure 9, the most noticeable change
between the Type 12 and the new Type 36, was
the provision of a second count wheel which
supplied a pulse every six seconds (tenth of a
minute). This was provided to supply Clocks No.
38, which were used for the timing of calls in
trunk exchanges. These showed the hours,
minutes, and tenths of a minute. Also there were
Clocks No. 44, which were used in the timing of
telephone calls. These displayed from zero to 9.9
minutes. A lever reset the mechanism to zero.
By this time, the G.P.O.’s logistics practice had
changed and other companies such as Gent’s,
English Clock Systems (A division of Smith’s),
Gillet & Johnston and Synchronome were
contracted to manufacture the Type 36, 46, and
other parts of the system, in addition to Magneta.
In 1939 the Magneta Company was purchased by
the British Vacuum Cleaning and Engineering
Company Limited (B.V.C.) The result of this
being that the company’s manufacturing was
moved to the Goblin Works, Leatherhead, Surrey.
The design evolved over time, and with each
major revision the mark number was increased.
This can all be seen on Diagram GMT 32 which
is dated 22nd May 1935, with an amendment
from Jan. 1936 stating that the advance/retard key
had been added. The odd thing about the
advance/retard key, is the fact that the advance
contacts were connected to the six second pulse,
and would have meant a wait of 12 minutes and
24 seconds to advance the slave clocks one hour.
There is also a note that states,
Variations in the assembly of the connection
plates occur in earlier types of this clock.
There is another intriguing point shown on this
diagram. The main battery and earth connections
are marked ‘To diag. G.M.T. 26, 34 or 35’’ as
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expected, but the 30 second slave terminal is
marked ‘To relays controlling ½ min. Secondary
dials.’ which suggests that either the G.M.T. units
were not running the clock circuits at this time, or
an update of the note had been missed if the
G.M.T. reference had been added later. As can be
seen on the diagram itself, this is the third issue
‘C’, and the differences between it and the
original issue are not always clear.
TYPE 36, MARK 4 - In 1938, Diagram GMT 39
was drawn, heralding the introduction of the
Mark 4 clock. The two main changes between
this and the earlier models concerned the
connexions to the clock and also the springsets.
The practice of screwing terminal blocks to the
main casting was abandoned in favour of
positioning them on a wooden strip, screwed to
the clock case, above the main casting as seen in
Figure 11.
Clock No. 36 Mark 4-6 terminal positions.
Figure 11
The spring sets (contacts) were amended to a two
hole type, which were now of a simple ‘make’
action which enabled a standard spark quench
circuit to be used.
TYPE 36, MARK 5 - In May 1955, Diagram GMT
39 became GMT 39/0 with the introduction of
diagram GMT 39/1, which shows the new Mark
5. In this version, the connexion to the advance
key changes from the six second to the one
second pulse, which allowed the slave clocks to
be advanced one hour in two minutes and 4
seconds as opposed to 12 minutes and 24 seconds
previously.
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MISCELLANEOUS
HISTORY
By now, competition from the telephone had led
to a decline in the telegraph service, and this;
coupled with competition from the BBC’s Time
pips; had led to the discontinuing of the G.P.O.
Time Service. The synchronising equipment was
no longer provided, allowing the use of a smaller
30 second count wheel assembly, which became a
mirror image of the 6 second one, as shown in
Figure 12.
Mark 6 Mechanism
Figure 12
TYPE 36, MARK 6 - Barely a year later in May
1956, Diagram GMT 39/2 appeared, introducing
the Mark 6.
There were three changes introduced with this
model. The first was the change from wood to
metal for the pendulum transit blocks, seen in
Figure 12, the second being the positioning of the
wiring which had either been on; or clipped to;
the main casting. This was updated to the new
specification PR 479 B which states that:-
‘The wiring should not touch or cross the face of
the casting.’
The third was a change in the wiring itself. The
previous use of cloth covered wire of various
P.O. ENGINEERING DEPT. MISCELLANEOUS
ENGINEERING INSTRUCTIONS HISTORY

colour combinations, was dropped in favour of a proved very accurate indeed. Some exchange
simpler version, using just P.V.C. covered wire in units used the new clock along with a Clock No.
three colours. Red was used for the +ve earth 36 for backup, as can be seen from the Key 289B
connections, Black for -ve battery connections, changeover switch shown in Figure 14.
all other wiring being green. The Clock Unit,
GMT 34 also had the same change to its
specification as regards to wire colouring, as can
be seen in specification PR 489 A.

TYPE 36, MARK 6, FINAL DESIGNS - The design

remained unchanged for many years until about
1980, when many of the older rules and
regulations were amended, and cost became an
important factor. There were at least two major
changes between the beginning of this period and
the end of production, as shown in Figure 13.

Firstly, the manufacturer was allowed to provide

the clock in their own design of casing, and Key 289 B
secondly, some time after that, most of the Figure 14
working parts were changed from brass to steel.
Although production of the 36’s tailed off in the
early 1980’s, the factories division still had some
of them coming through to be upgraded,
refurbished or repaired. The last one that I know
of had a refurbish date of 1988, but it had to be
one of the last, as within a few short years, most
of them had been decommissioned and removed.

Gent’s C7 Final type movement Gent’s 36

Figure 13

The clocks carried on in service although their

numbers started to diminish with the advent of
the electronic TXE exchange units which started
to use the Clock Electronic 1A. In a return to
earlier times, synchronisation was provided with
these clocks by connecting them to a dedicated
Speaking Clock line, which corrected the clocks
every ten seconds, and where the slave clocks Saved from destruction!
had been changed over to the new Masters, they Figure 15

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ENGINEERING INSTRUCTIONS HISTORY

But the story does not end there, as there are now
a new and enthusiastic group of owners (or
should I use the term ‘Caretakers’) of these relics
from our communications heritage, with many of
these Master clocks and indeed, whole systems,
being saved from the scrap heap (Figure 15).

Such is the quality and ‘over engineering’ with

which G.P.O. items were made, that the majority
of them will continue to run reliably for a good
many years to come!

All over the country and even beyond, the

clicking of the Hipp toggle can still be heard in
museums, renovated or recreated exchange units
looked after by dedicated individuals or groups,
others who decided that ‘one would look nice
hanging on the wall’, clock collectors, the list
goes on (Figure 16).

Many people, groups and organisations are

interested in keeping these and other Master
clock systems running, and a visit to the links
page is recommended for those who wish to
know more. There is even a yahoo group
dedicated to Master clock systems listed there
(Synchronome), where you can ask questions,
debate the age of something, or maybe answer Still in service and providing enjoyment!
someone else’s query. Figure 16

END

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