Kind of humorous....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYTkqkqU1Gg
CMStPnPKind of humorous.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYTkqkqU1Gg
While it was filmed and titled as a 'flag stop'. At the end with people walking into the 'field' with what appear to be mail sacks makes me wonder if this wasn't a 'mail stop'. The RPO looked to be outfitted to pick up on the fly, and dropping mail off on the fly is just pitching the sacks out of the RPO. What I didn't see was the appratus that gets used for 'high speed' mail pick up.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
My vote is for "flag stop"......time was that is how it was done. Had mail been worked at this stop, I'd expect the RPO doors to still be open.
I expect those bags being carried off at the end of the film may have been "faux-suitcases", or shopping bags, rather than mail bags.
AA
agentatascadero My vote is for "flag stop"......time was that is how it was done. Had mail been worked at this stop, I'd expect the RPO doors to still be open. I expect those bags being carried off at the end of the film may have been "faux-suitcases", or shopping bags, rather than mail bags. AA
Handled more than enough mail bags during my career to know mail bags when I see them.
I handled a lot one year on a Xmas break job. Looks like mostly empty mail bags and sacks to me.
charlie hebdoI handled a lot one year on a Xmas break job. Looks like mostly empty mail bags and sacks to me.
Considering the era and the 'small' nature of the location. The mail sacks may be loaded - 10 or 20 letters or so. The opening scene of 'Ma' flagging the train - she has a mail sack in the crook of her left arm. The era of junk mail had yet to originate and it was also the days before credit cards - people weren't getting monthly bills by mail. Totally different ways of doing business than what we are accustomed to today.
I spent from just after Christmas until April 1 in Florida this year - had a neighbor collect my mail as the Post Office will only hold mail for 30 days. The amount of mail that I recieved during that period of time would have filled a normal sized mail bag.
OK, so an update if it helps. It looks like the train is local headed Southbound to Green Bay, WI and it is probably 85-120 miles South of it's Origin of Ashland, WI which I believe was the terminus of the Flambeau 400 as well. Man, those tracks were in crappy shape back then.....wonder what timekeeping the Flambeau 400 did on that line.
CMStPnPOK, so an update if it helps. It looks like the train is local headed Southbound to Green Bay, WI and it is probably 85-120 miles South of it's Origin of Ashland, WI which I believe was the terminus of the Flambeau 400 as well. Man, those tracks were in crappy shape back then.....wonder what timekeeping the Flambeau 400 did on that line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flambeau_400
BaltACD
Wow, that Flambeau 400 train is not going that fast for 1963. I'll bet it took 6-8 hours to cover Green Bay to Ashland, WI. I read somewhere it was seasonal as well and only ran on weekends.
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