RPO Cars

[cnwfan51]

Does anyone know how the mail catcher was chaged form one direction to the other Its one of the wonders of the world

[Bob-Fryml]

Every RPO catcher arm I've seen seems to be a one piece casting.  Two "bushings" that are held by castings that are bolted or rivited to the car body and car frame both hold the arm in place and allowed it to swivel outward to catch a mail bag.

The catcher arm could be slid horizontally (and parallel to the plane of the car side) in such a way that it could be removed.  Upon removing the arm it was just a matter for the RPO clerk to rotate the arm's orientation 180-degrees and slip it back into the bushings.  

[wjstix]

Wasn't there a hook mechanism on each side of the car, each facing the other way from the other...so one would always be pointing "forward"??

[rogruth]

But the mail bag hangers at each station stayed in the same place,so the hook need to change for the return trip.

[Randy Stahl]

But the mail bag hangers at each station stayed in the same place,so the hook need to change for the return trip.

Your assuming that the RPO's weren't turned with the rest of the train. I would think that you would always want to run an RPO forward, makes getting around alot easier.

[J. Edgar]

 RPO's were realy post offices' on wheels.....not to be stupid sounding but they were just that..... government USPS offices' on wheels staffed by government employees built to government specs and standards ...i would think that they (the government) told the RR's what to build and where to put it making it as standard as possible...the 2 ive been in ....1 in Altoona and 1 in Belleville OH ..had a case (sorting table) on each side and a hook on each side but these were both full car RPO's...as far as turning i was always under the assumtion that headend cars if not the whole consist would be turned if possible/ needed....