Railway Post Office Factoids

In last week’s Enjoy section we presented a story about Celebrate The Century Express, a special train that continues to travel across the country on an 18-month tour to celebrate the release of the United State Postal Service’s largest and most comprehensive stamp program ever developed as well as a salute to a form of postal service now deemed part of the past, the Railway Post Office (RPO). Following are additional tidbits of information concerning RPO cars.

*RPO cars were used to deliver mail across the United States for more than 100 years.

*RPOs were first operated in England in 1838, where they continue to operate today.

*An act of Congress on July 7, 1838, designated all railroads in the country as “postal roads.” On August 28, 1864, the first permanent US RPO routes were established between Chicago, Ill., and Clinton, Iowa. The first RPO car in the US made its inaugural run along the Chicago-Clinton route.

*Approximately 30,000 postal workers served in the Railway Mail Service.

*RPO clerks were responsible for not only sorting and distributing mail during a train’s route but for protecting the mail from damage and dangers, including wrecks and train robberies.

*RPOs had working areas, a lavatory, closet, steam cooker and water cooler. Clerks distributed and exchanged mail between towns through which the train traveled.

*RPO cars had 15 feet, 30 feet or 60 feet of distribution space. In the full 60-foot RPO cars (like the one on Celebrate the Century Express), up to 14 clerks could work at a time.

*Trains did not always stop at every station, but clerks had to exchange mail pouches nevertheless. With hook in hand, a clerk would nab a mail pouch as the train sped by.

*The Washington, D.C.-New York City line was the last RPO route in use, ceasing operations on June 30, 1977.

*While they were in operation, the RPO train cars served as the core of US mail distribution and transportation.

*RPOs operated on passenger trains, mixed trains, interurban trains, streetcars and even boats.

*RPOs traveled routes ranging from eight miles to 1,131 miles.

*The Postal Service operated more than 10,000 RPO cars between 1864 and 1977.

*The bodies of RPO cars were initially made of wood. After 1912, they were made of steel. Kerosene lamps were used for lighting.

*Typically the RPO car was close behind the locomotive although in later years railroads were required to place mail storage cars, when available, between the locomotive and RPO.

*RPO clerks were the highest paid workers for the USPS. They held the toughest jobs and once selected for their position, clerks were required to take a sorting-scheme exam every six months with a score of at least 97 percent the passing grade. The exams required the knowledge of distribution for as many as 1,000 post offices.

*Between 1937 and 1941, all of the Federal Reserve Bank’s gold was transported to the newly established depository at Fort Knox, Ky. Every ounce of the more than 10,000 tons was shipped as registered mail and transported under the jurisdiction of Railway Mail Service.

*During World War II, nearly $50 billion Liberty Bonds issued by the government passed through RPOs to all parts of the United States without a single loss.

*The famous Hope blue diamond was once sent by New York jeweler Harry Winston to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., via regular mail in 1957. It traveled in an RPO car. It cost Mr Winston $153.25 to ship the diamond, most of which was its insurance.