Mail Trains - Are You Into Them?

BarstowRick May 1, 2020

  1. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    I remember when you posted this video. That's what got me started with mine.
     
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  2. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Here's a Great Northern model of a Fast Mail Train.
    It took me a while to find it. Actually it was hard to find.



    I'm wanting to build a Great Northern Mail Train right along with my others.
     
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  3. dti406

    dti406 TrainBoard Member

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    This is a mail and express train I ran on the club layout recently. A pair of FP7's with RPO, several express reefers, combine and coach.

    [​IMG]

    Rick Jesionowski
     
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  4. jamcool

    jamcool TrainBoard Member

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    It was mail and express that kept most of the passenger trains running. When the Post Office pulled the RPO and mail contracts from the passenger trains in 1968...most of the RR operated passenger trains went away..leading up to Amtrak in 1971
     
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  5. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    Might we be able to interest you in a B-unit?

    [​IMG]
     
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  6. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Now is called a “high speed” freight, but in former times would have been a mail train (italian mail is thinking on it)
    https://www.trainboard.com/highball...igh-speed-freight-trains.116661/#post-1074130
    Give me sone time and will post a local mail train on my layout.
    Before check this video from 1992

    at minute 13 a postal train (first two cars are a technical move to another deposit normally after maintenance)
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2020
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  7. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    I do appreciate the European trains and the idea of mail trains strikes me as a practical solution. Keep them coming.

    For you Southern Pacific Fans. An O scale, two track rendition of a Mail Train.
    Here's another one for SP Wolf. (y)



    Don't blink you'll miss it.
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2020
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  8. SLSF Freak

    SLSF Freak Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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  9. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    Mail train in the Penn Central era, with ex-PRR GG1s and ex-NYC Flexi-Vans:

    [​IMG]
     
  10. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    I decided to make a new video replacing many of the fobie cars with more prototype ones. I think I was going a little to fast for you to read the lettering on the cars. Oh well..........


    Edit:Between all the new "protections" installed on Youtube and the latest Firefox updates it is almost impossible to post any videos anymore. Jeeeese this is getting to be a hassle.
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2020
  11. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    I like baggage and mail cars.

    I collect them kinda. It's not like I'm on a mission, but I always tend to get models of them from all over the world because I like the general shape of them.
     
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  12. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Mike, I don't know much about the east coast and Amtrak. What I do know is you could send express packages via Amtrak from coast to coast for a while. The switch moves and constant stops began to back fire on Amtrak and on the long haul trains it was discontinued. All because a CFO decided it was costing to much money. Go figure.

    Yep, when that over stuffed giant stepped into the picture to compliment the horn...ruined it for me too.
     
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  13. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    You Tube is bent on destroying itself. That said I did get a glimpse of your Santa Fe Mail Train and saw a New York Central Baggage, Pennsylvania Baggage and several other foreign box cars in consist.

    Nicely done, Russell Straw.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2020
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  14. Ike the BN Freak

    Ike the BN Freak TrainBoard Member

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    Lots of the traffic on BNSF Z trains is "mail," as in parcels from UPS and FedEx. Mail, as in letters is typically shipped by air these days, however some parcels may take a ride on the rails. UPS and FedEx planes handle a lot of first class and priority mail for the USPS, and in turn USPS does a lot of delivers to residential address for those two. However, on the Z trains, the containers/trailers are sorted before loaded onto the train and shipped to a destination where they are sorted again.
     
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  15. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    For those of us who are Santa Fe Rail Fans. You might appreciate this video.



    Look at the variety of foreign cars in the consist. By foreign I mean equipment from other railroads. Today, some call it pool cars but I don't remember the Rails back then calling them such. It was simply foreign cars or foreign train equipment.

    Point 353, I really like those Penn Central GE's on the front of that mail train. Then I checked out the equipment he was pulling. Interesting to say the least.
     
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  16. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    Here's a twist on the mail train theme - a freight train with several intermodal flatcars in the consist carrying postal delivery vans:

    [​IMG]

    The vans appear to be made by Dodge, such as the one in this photo:

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks again guys. Some great videos.
     
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  18. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    John Acosta sent me a link to one of his favorite Santa Fe Mail Trains.



    Now turn around and look directly behind you to see the Santa Fe Fast Mail, passing by the Camera.



    We are hoping John's Gulf & Pacific Model Railroad will eventually be featured in Model Railroader.

    So, stay tuned.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2020
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  19. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    On a visit to Sacramento, Ca., the California Railroad Museum, (IMSMC). My dad and I bumped into a Docent of the Museum, who had worked for the SP RPO routes. If you didn't follow that the Southern Pacific, Railroad Post Office circuits. The two of them got to talking and I felt a little left out. Dad an REA agent talking to a Unites States Railroad Post Office Clerk. I knew I was going to be in for a treat, as was the two of them. Wish I could remember the gentleman's name but it escapes me. My notes are buried in a box due to a recent move.

    If you care at all about the people who worked the rails. The ones that made it happen. You'll appreciate this next video.

    Great bunch of guys.



    Now you can have some idea of what happens and the activity in the RPO cars.
     
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  20. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    You do wonder if knowing that your fellow RPO employees were armed helped ensure that everyone was a team player?

    Did anyone have the opportunity to walk through Southern RPO #36 went it came to town as part of the USPS Celebrate the Century Express?
    http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3098722
    http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3098723
     
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