But the ability to produce formal document on the train
is nothing new. Long before the laptop was invented, from February 1910 businessmen
on the London and North Western Railway’s (LNWR) “City-to-City” express had facility
to have their important and urgent documents typed.[1]
![]() |
The typist's compartment on the "City-to-City". |
Presumably in an attempt to entice to their services businessmen
who were eager to save time at work, the LNWR took the innovative step of
providing Britain’s first ever on-train typist service on the “City-to-City”. Situated
in a compartment specially fitted up with a desk and chairs, the shorthand typist
was available to take dictation of letters at any time on the journey.[4] On the
inaugural run of the express the work was supervised by Miss Tarrant of the Euston
typing room; while on subsequent journeys a Miss Boswell took over.[5] It would,
however, seem that there was some initial objection to this service in the press
. In the ‘Woman’s Gossip’ section of the Cheltenham
Looker-On it was stated that while 5 or 6 hour journeys for passengers was ‘tiring
in itself’, the ‘girl’ doing the typing was expected to be at her post five
days a week to ‘do office work all the time.’ In its estimation this would be
too much work for the ‘girl and exclaimed that ‘the doctors talk of the growth
and spread of nervous habits among the people, but who can wonder at it?’[6]
![]() |
The first letter from the "City-to-City" express. |
--------
[1] Evening
Telegraph, Wednesday 2 February 1910, p.4
[2] Wolmar, Christian, Fire and Steam: A new history of the Railways in Britain, (London, 2007), p.188
[3] The Railway Times, 22 January 1910, p.122
[4] The Railway Times, 22 January 1910, p.122
[5] Aberdeen Journal, Thursday 03 February 1910, p.6
[6] Cheltenham Looker-On, Saturday 29 January 1910, p.16
[7] Evening Telegraph, Wednesday 2 February 1910, p.4
[8] Tamworth Herald, Saturday 16 April 1910, p.6
[2] Wolmar, Christian, Fire and Steam: A new history of the Railways in Britain, (London, 2007), p.188
[3] The Railway Times, 22 January 1910, p.122
[4] The Railway Times, 22 January 1910, p.122
[5] Aberdeen Journal, Thursday 03 February 1910, p.6
[6] Cheltenham Looker-On, Saturday 29 January 1910, p.16
[7] Evening Telegraph, Wednesday 2 February 1910, p.4
[8] Tamworth Herald, Saturday 16 April 1910, p.6
IIRC, the First World War killed that one ... but it run successfully up until that point.
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