I remember seeing #4 fly through somewhere near Perryville, Md. in the early hours of the morning in 1973. It had two RPOs on it then if I recall.
https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/mail-by-rail.pdf
Here's what one of the Pennsy RPOs looked that I came across in Cresson, Pa. in 1998.
Have Fun!
Ed
mlehman Sheldon, Yeah, knew it was a bit more complex. Realistically, most was gone PDQ. The ending of mail contracts was a big impetus behind the founding of Amtrak, because the loss of the mail made even those passenger routes that produced income (if not profit) loss centers. I think it may have seemed like a slow decline if you were along the NE Corridor, but beyond that RPOs were gone pretty quickly. That last contract on the NEC hung on for a few years longer, but even it was not the end of RPO service, oddly enough. Wikipedia says the last RPO contract was actually for a boat route, which hung on a year longer.
Sheldon,
Yeah, knew it was a bit more complex. Realistically, most was gone PDQ. The ending of mail contracts was a big impetus behind the founding of Amtrak, because the loss of the mail made even those passenger routes that produced income (if not profit) loss centers. I think it may have seemed like a slow decline if you were along the NE Corridor, but beyond that RPOs were gone pretty quickly. That last contract on the NEC hung on for a few years longer, but even it was not the end of RPO service, oddly enough. Wikipedia says the last RPO contract was actually for a boat route, which hung on a year longer.
Yes, most of the routes were gone by '71 or '72, especially in the west and mid west.
Throughout the history of passenger rail travel in the US, the RPO service was a major source of revenue that kept passenger service barely in the black. The end of the RPO service was the end of private passenger service, and everybody know it.
Sheldon
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
mlehman IIRC, RPO service ended in 1967. After that, the post office still used RRs to ship mail, but it's what used to be called storage mail (as opposed to that which was actively handled and sorted on RPOs.) This could be in a dedicated rail car, but like much other traffic, is now usually in a semi or container that is handled as intermodal traffic. It also used to be the case that postal traffic was handled on passenger trains, because that was the fastest way to get between two points. Now, lots of high priority traffic means that the post office can get stuff where it needs expeditiously without needing to rely on our somewhat constrained passenger system.
IIRC, RPO service ended in 1967. After that, the post office still used RRs to ship mail, but it's what used to be called storage mail (as opposed to that which was actively handled and sorted on RPOs.) This could be in a dedicated rail car, but like much other traffic, is now usually in a semi or container that is handled as intermodal traffic.
It also used to be the case that postal traffic was handled on passenger trains, because that was the fastest way to get between two points. Now, lots of high priority traffic means that the post office can get stuff where it needs expeditiously without needing to rely on our somewhat constrained passenger system.
The Post Office canceled all future RPO contracts in 1967, but then slowly phased out the the various routes as they restructured their sorting and distribution system.
That took a decade, the last RPO route between Washington, DC and New York City made its last run sorting and post marking mail on September 30, 1978.
Today railroads only move bulk mail, no different than a truck or plane.
Back in the 90's when I owned My own trucks, I was leased to CSX Intermodal for 10yrs. People would be amazed, even prior posters, how much mail went by rail, per say...but was actually trucked, by CSX's leased Intermodal fleet. Mainly UPS, USPS mail that had missed the cut-off time for the trains departure...no matter where the destination in the US. Both UPS, USPS had priority contracts with CSX, as they do with some other Railroads, like the UP. CSX even paid to convert to of My tractors fifth wheels to slide all the way back to the rear axle so I could pull UPS doubles, to Baltimore, Jersey City, St Paul MN, Jacksonville Fl, were the main destinations thst I went.......and always..beat the train. Plain fact is...it was cheaper to ship by truck and faster...but the volume was limited and the extra pay they would have to the drivers needed. UPS drivers are union, so they would lose money in doing so. Any type of Trucking company's equipment and was priority shipping and missed the cut-off time for the train was sent by truck...Schneider, JB Hunt equipment, I have pulled many times...passed quite a few other trucks on the Interstate and listening to the CB radio chatter, about when did those outfits change their trucks to run over 65mph....speed limit was 70mph in TN and when a guy doing 72 is passed by a JB Hunt trailer...He's got to wonder! LOL, LOL.
CSX still has their leased Intermodal fleet, but way smaller and they only go under a 100mile destinations.
There were other Railroads that had truck service in the 50's up until the mid 80's...Pennsylvania Truck Lines was one of them, based in Chicago...but again they were union drivers...#705 to be exact and the railroads stopped that service...probably to save money......the name of the game. I know two drivers from the truckline that We worked for went there in 1983 and drove for them local after our truckline closed it doors in 82'. I already was on My own by then hauling pig's (intermodal) in the city. Started out with the 73' Diamond Reo, that is in My Avatar.
Take Care!
Frank
Stuck in a snowstorm in PA, due to a wreck on a bridge, with a third class bulk USPS mail load from Jersey City..1994.
I learned a long time ago (I actually joined in December 2001) not to refer to United States Postal Service as USPS on the forum because everybody will think you meant UPS.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
Yes,USPS is a very large shipper and even Amtrak waits on a USPS trailer train.
The reason is simple..USPS wants their trailers including their contract trailers on time.
There's been several articles and columns in Trains Magazine covering USPS and the railroaders.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Just curious. I know there are still semi's and other vehicles hauling mail and of course transport by air. But I was just wondering if they still use railroad for transport?
wdcrvr