[CBQ] Train orders

["Rupert & Maureen" <gamlenz@ihug.co.nz>]

The Burlington purchased its first typewriter in 1898 for making waybills in the freight office.  The report in 1899 noted that "it was several months before the clerks were able to make as good time on the machines as with the pen, but it is said that the experiment is now a success".

Brings back memories of typing multi-copy legal documents and then finding that one sheet of carbon paper was upside down! It was wonderful when the first photocopier arrived.

Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ

----- Original Message -----

From: John D. Mitchell, Jr.

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2012 4:12 AM

Subject: Re: [CBQ] Newberry Archives

Another reason that "flimsy" was used was that, it made it easier to make several carbon copys. I still have a train order "tin" that operators used to make train orders in the days before they were typed. It is piece of sheet metal the size of a train order. The operator clipped the train order forms to it with carbon papers. There would be a sheet of carbon paper on top and operator used a stylus to write out the order. Many operators were still using them in the fifties.

 

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