A bit more about that Montreal West tower. It's no lomger active and the city bought it and turned it into a museum about local history. It used to be a CPR block tower.
Was there also a depot nearby the tower? I have orders copied as Montreal West and Montreal West Tower. Sometimes that indicated two separate but close offices. Other times it was either a name change, or sloppy dispatching/operator copying.
Oh, that is sweet! It brings that old tower alive again, just seeing those hand-written forms... There is a small passenger depot just east of it, across Westminster Ave., that now serves as the commuter station. I know, from reading about the history of the area (thanks to the City of Montreal West), that a passenger depot was opened in the town around 1905. Judging from the architecture of that building, it could be the one:
If you ever happen upon someone who has an employee timetable collection, that might show whether both were open offices. My curiosity is peaked quite high right now! It would be great to know, and have it in my collection notes!
It is amazing. But at the time when Mr. Duclos (I assume that's the name of the one who wrote the orders - it is pretty legible) learned how to write, it was important to be able to write legibly. With a real pen. On real paper. No touch screens or keyboards or other virtual e-stuff back then! My own handwriting is atrocious when I don't deliberately take care. Some say it's the handwriting of my initials... MD...
You should see some of the other orders in my collection. All kinds of no-no stuff and unreadable scrawls by the late 1970's. Especially getting bad on PRR, PC, CR, ATK. Plus red ink, green ink and.... ugh. Really sloppy. Older orders there are some really beautiful "hands" to be found. They even used to have contests. It was a thing of pride, even for the busiest offices. Take a look in the Tour pages on my web site.
I've seen some of my own examples, usually written in haste while on a moving vehicle. A few hours later and even I couldn't figure it out...
Spent an hour just north of Spartanburg yesterday at Beaumont, SC. Nice spot. This is Train 237, up from the Port of Charleston, SC.
Back when railroad companies were family, many employees injured on the job were kept on the payroll as a gatekeeper, or similar position, instead of being terminated on disability and sent to pasture.
