https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DefYYPw1tNI
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It was a very long disance for some crews. From what little i have. I had a great uncle who worked from Bristol, Va to Washington DC. usually on train # 42 and train #41 back. It was different south of Bristol as the Memphis trains changed both RPO crews and mail cars at Chattanooga. The CHA - MEM RPO car had much smaller capacity. RPO crews had to come on duty early at CHA to work in the mail cars. That also included the locals than ran from CHA to MEM< BHM< ATL. The train to New Orleans Changed RPO crews at Birminham.
As far as I can tell both SOU and the West point , L&N routes ATL - NOL was one crew district.
I cannot imagine what it was like during heavy mail times at Christmas with hours late trains on the routes.
It was probably distance based, just like the train crew.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
My understanding is the same as Sheldon's. US Post Office employees.
I don't have any idea what their work routine was. But I'm guessing they worked several hours in one direction, were replaced, then worked the next RPO heading back to their home terminal. But that's just a guess, and I too would be interested in knowing how it worked.
They were federal post office employees, and their job description in the RPO service required they carry a side arm, generally a .38
Sheldon
From what I've read, they were considered Federal employees, and I believe there were cards in RPOs, some of which survive in museum cars, noting that interference with them or their business was a Federal offense.
Here's an amusing page I hadn't seen before:
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research-articles/the-railway-mail-service-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-railway-post-office-clerk/rpo
I would guess that they are railroad employees but have taken the post office exam. When I was in the navy, the ship's postal clerk was in the navy but had to take the post office exam so make of that what you will. Here's a story about him. I was walking by the ship's post office and he asked me for a cigarette. I said that I didn't smoke. He said, "Neither do I" and showed me a pile of cigarettes on the counter. He asked everyone that walked by for a smoke, just for amusement. Didn't have enough to do, obviously.
Another thing- When the ship would be tied up in, say, Barcelona occasionally American tourists came aboard to mail packages home. They paid the same rate as they would at home and whatever they sent was not subject to customs. I sent a box of Cuban cigars home that way with no problem at all.
About switching out, I really don't know.
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