Here is something from my Great Northern RY train order collection. Lady Sunshine might enjoy? Boxcab E50
boxcab Gee, you can read it clearly. Ever stop and think, what if dispatchers and station masters wrote like doctors?
Marty- I understand what you are saying. In olden times, they had to write clearly. Or their rules examiner would call them in, and really read them a riot act. I've even seen them berated for not changing carbons often enough. This deteriorated in later years. You can clearly follow it as time passed. By the 1970's, there were some people copying orders that I doubt could even spell their own name. In decades long past, they used to hold contests for operators/telegraphers. To see who had the best penmanship. Some of those older orders are beautiful! I've a close friend here in town, who was a GN agent/operator. Everyone in the region knew his handwriting. Bold, fluid. No doubt what you were looking at! I am lucky to have examples of his orders in my collection. Boxcab E50
Neat find I found a Seaboard Air Line form similar to this that was dated on my birthday (more recent than this GN example ) Harold
I have thousands of train orders. It's fun to read some. I find those dated on my birthday, and wonder what I was back doing then. My wedding anniversary, etc. On those from RR's I remember, such as the GN, it's fun to picture the places I was able to explore, and hold a piece of history from there in my hand. For instance, I have brought my GN binder along, and paused at various places to read what was happening there on a day decades ago. Then looked up to see- GAG, RETCH- a hiking trail. Boxcab E50
