wjstixIt did briefly mention Wells Fargo, but only as a bank that had stagecoaches to transport its gold and cash.
I was a bit confused when they said UPS trucks were brown because they copied Pullman passenger cars - which I think were "Pullman green"?
The initial consolidation of express into the "Railway Express Agency" was, if I remember correctly, related to Federal Control in WWI and the aftermath.
Overmod wjstix It did briefly mention Wells Fargo, but only as a bank that had stagecoaches to transport its gold and cash. That is pretty funny. Even the original service expansion (after that famous quote by Harnden in the early 1840s about express service to the Rockies) was in secure transport of high-value express. In fact Wells and Fargo were initially involved in American Express, and only when that company decided not to prioritize service between the developed eastern and midwestern United States and gold-rush California did they set up their own company -- which was involved in "banking" to the extent of securely transporting gold dust, nuggets, etc. from the West Coast, but which by 1866 had acquired by far the latgest fleet of stagecoaches and stage lines anywhere in the world. I was a bit confused when they said UPS trucks were brown because they copied Pullman passenger cars - which I think were "Pullman green"? I'd be confused too, because I think it was USPS trucks that used to be dark olive or Pullman green. (So were REA's but I think it's already been noted that REA or other railroad express "lines" got little if any mention...) The initial consolidation of express into the "Railway Express Agency" was, if I remember correctly, related to Federal Control in WWI and the aftermath.
wjstix It did briefly mention Wells Fargo, but only as a bank that had stagecoaches to transport its gold and cash.
That is pretty funny. Even the original service expansion (after that famous quote by Harnden in the early 1840s about express service to the Rockies) was in secure transport of high-value express. In fact Wells and Fargo were initially involved in American Express, and only when that company decided not to prioritize service between the developed eastern and midwestern United States and gold-rush California did they set up their own company -- which was involved in "banking" to the extent of securely transporting gold dust, nuggets, etc. from the West Coast, but which by 1866 had acquired by far the latgest fleet of stagecoaches and stage lines anywhere in the world.
I'd be confused too, because I think it was USPS trucks that used to be dark olive or Pullman green. (So were REA's but I think it's already been noted that REA or other railroad express "lines" got little if any mention...)
And nowadays Wells Fargo has gone on to be involved in identity theft cases.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/phony-bank-accounts-resurface-wells-fargo-twist-rcna98005
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I can remember catalog prices with notation/ Prices slightly higher Denver and west. What was that?
blue streak 1 I can remember catalog prices with notation/ Prices slightly higher Denver and west. What was that?
Probably dates to time when most manufacturing was done in the east, thus reflecting higher shipping costs...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
One should just be happy that the History Channel actually had programming that had the appearance of history. Even if most of the current HC documentaries are sometimes a bit "loose" with the actual facts and history.
Jeff
OvermodThe initial consolidation of express into the "Railway Express Agency" was, if I remember correctly, related to Federal Control in WWI and the aftermath.
REA was created by the Federal Government prior or during WWI from four private express companies. It was a nationalization that was never undone after the war. Also, I believe the railroads pulled the financial support plug on it as well later towards the end as they did not see that it was profitable and I think that happened in the 1950's or before. So it really ceased to have railroad sponsorship before most of the mass abandonments of passenger trains.
1917-when the Federal Gov't took over the railroads, it also took over the 4 express companies-Wells Fargo, Adams, American Express, and Southern Express. They were combined into American Railway Express.
1925-ARE turned over to ownership by the various railroads..renamed Railway Express Agency.
1959-REA recvd permission to use any mode of transportation to move packages-rail shipment decreases.
1960-REA renamed itself to "REA Express". The various member RRs began to pull out of REA during the 60s-by the early 70s the companies management buys all of REA.
1975-REA shuts down-due to a recession and labor troubles.UPS picks up many of the REA routes.
azrail1975-REA shuts down-due to a recession and labor troubles.UPS picks up many of the REA routes.
I noticed that timeline is somewhat selectively edited and you neglected to mention the part about railroads starting to lose interest as far back as the 1940's-1950's because REA traffic was considered dead end traffic. Perhaps that was an oversight or deemed not relevant to your response.
However, I believe the quoted part above is a management statement but I don't have time to look it up. What is relevant to 1975 and missing from your timeline is how long they had been losing money up until that point. I believe wikipedia states "hand over fist" for years. So in my view, thats more management than Unions and a very important factor. While it is true that management may have approached Unions for a cut of some kind towards the end. It's really their choice to say yes or no based on past management of the company. Given the financial performance of the company prior to 1975 and apparent lack of any successful action previous to address that issue. If I were in a union for REA I would have voted no to any cuts more than likely. So I do not understand at all the earlier post that unions did in the company. Why would I? Status quo seems to be OK with management.
Also on the wikipedia timeline, it just seems to me to be slightly biased in the fact it seems to point to the fact that the company was victimized by changing times and that the Feds rejected their agreement with the airlines. Going to have to take issue with that. The company could have declared bankruptcy a long time before 1975 and filed a decent reorganization plan. They neglected to do so. Sorry if that sounds harsh but to me reading their history it just did not seem like they were all that aggressive to survive.
Also, will point out REA single handedly lost one of the most important prototypes of the developing computer age, with an early Microsoft OS? Lost while shipping via REA.
In comparison, Milwaukee Road management blamed it's bankruptcy on a severe winter as well as a recession at the time. While that might have pushed it over the brink and was an immediate issue, most know really it was railroad management.
CMStPnP azrail 1975-REA shuts down-due to a recession and labor troubles.UPS picks up many of the REA routes. I noticed that timeline is somewhat selectively edited and you neglected to mention the part about railroads starting to lose interest as far back as the 1940's-1950's because REA traffic was considered dead end traffic. Perhaps that was an oversight or deemed not relevant to your response. However, I believe the quoted part above is a management statement but I don't have time to look it up. What is relevant to 1975 and missing from your timeline is how long they had been losing money up until that point. I believe wikipedia states "hand over fist" for years. So in my view, thats more management than Unions and a very important factor. While it is true that management may have approached Unions for a cut of some kind towards the end. It's really their choice to say yes or no based on past management of the company. Given the financial performance of the company prior to 1975 and apparent lack of any successful action previous to address that issue. If I were in a union for REA I would have voted no to any cuts more than likely. So I do not understand at all the earlier post that unions did in the company. Why would I? Status quo seems to be OK with management. Also on the wikipedia timeline, it just seems to me to be slightly biased in the fact it seems to point to the fact that the company was victimized by changing times and that the Feds rejected their agreement with the airlines. Going to have to take issue with that. The company could have declared bankruptcy a long time before 1975 and filed a decent reorganization plan. They neglected to do so. Sorry if that sounds harsh but to me reading their history it just did not seem like they were all that aggressive to survive. Also, will point out REA single handedly lost one of the most important prototypes of the developing computer age, with an early Microsoft OS? Lost while shipping via REA. In comparison, Milwaukee Road management blamed it's bankruptcy on a severe winter as well as a recession at the time. While that might have pushed it over the brink and was an immediate issue, most know really it was railroad management.
azrail 1975-REA shuts down-due to a recession and labor troubles.UPS picks up many of the REA routes.
Thanks for the rest of the story.
Cotton Belt MP104Usually when one rises to the level (of incompetence) “over their head”, either color them gone OR if they are a relative (adopted or blood kin), another job is created and there is a lateral reassignment, NOT up the ladder.
Can't forget Peter's "percussive sublimation." Better known a "getting kicked upstairs..."
CMStPnP Also, will point out REA single handedly lost one of the most important prototypes of the developing computer age, with an early Microsoft OS? Lost while shipping via REA.
It was the prototype Altair 8800 from MITS that was being shipped to Popular Electronics. The article in the January 1975 issue of PopTronics had a brief mention of the first prototype going awol on REA just before REA went out of business.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen did not even start writing the BASIC interpreter for the 8800 until after the Popular Electronics issue hit the news stands. FWIW, there were a few -um- interesting legal maneuvers over the agreement between MITS and what was to become MS in regards to that BASIC interpreter. FWIW, what became MS-DOS was product of Seattle Computer Products.
54light15I have no recollection of how my father was notified that the package was there.
In a small town, the station agent would call the person to tell them their parcel was in. In a big city, an REA delivery van or truck would deliver it just like UPS does today.
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