Through the generosity of retired Southern Railway general counsel Jim Bistline, NCTM has received Southern RPO 36, most recently part of the touring consist of the U.S. Postal Service's Celebrate the Century Express.

The car should be on display inside the roundhouse by Jan. 20 when the museum begins an exhibit on mail transportation. It will come out periodically for off-site road trips.

A twin to the car already in the collection, SR 49, will go into covered storage and will be used for on-site demonstrations during special events.

Wrinnbo@aol.com

> Through the generosity of retired Southern
> Railway general counsel Jim Bistline, NCTM
> has received Southern RPO 36, most recently
> part of the touring consist of the U.S.
> Postal Service's Celebrate the Century
> Express.

> The car should be on display inside the
> roundhouse by Jan. 20 when the museum begins
> an exhibit on mail transportation. It will
> come out periodically for off-site road
> trips.

> A twin to the car already in the collection,
> SR 49, will go into covered storage and will
> be used for on-site demonstrations during
> special events.

Sounds good Jim. Nice gesture on the part of Mr. Bistline. Now all you need is the trackside set-up, and you can pick-up mail on the fly for your railfest events in the future, which would be very educational as well.
Steamingly,
Greg Scholl

Videos

Sales@gregschollvideo.com

> Sounds good Jim. Nice gesture on the part of
> Mr. Bistline. Now all you need is the
> trackside set-up, and you can pick-up mail
> on the fly for your railfest events in the
> future, which would be very educational as
> well.
> Steamingly,
> Greg Scholl

actually, greg, there is a mail hook just south of the barber junction depot visitor's center where we can do just that; it's been unused for the last 4 1/2 years becuase the 49 was on display in the roundhouse, so now we can have some "catching mail on the fly" demos for special events like rail days;

Wrinnbo@aol.com

> actually, greg, there is a mail hook just
> south of the barber junction depot visitor's
> center where we can do just that; it's been
> unused for the last 4 1/2 years becuase the
> 49 was on display in the roundhouse, so now
> we can have some "catching mail on the
> fly" demos for special events like rail
> days;

Jim: IF, as part of your demenstration of "picking up mail on the fly" also includes the usual "other" part; tossing the bagged mail out onto the platform, make sure you keep your "audience" well back! The old time mail clerks had a "knack" which may not still be there for museum volunteers!

midlandblb@cs.com

The old time
> mail clerks had a "knack" which
> may not still be there for museum
> volunteers!

The old timers didn't always get it right either. My father was a country veterinarian in Virden, Illinois (25 miles south of Springfield on the GM&O, now UP with Amtrak trackage rights)during the 50's and early 60's.

Most of the farmers there paid their bills to him once a month. He would send the statements out on the first of each month, and most of them paid up within about five days. One particular month, he only received about 5% response to his bills. After a week he called the post office. The postmaster responded, "Gee Doc, that must have been the bag that went under the train." My father was not amused.

kevingillespie@usa.net

Wonderful news and a fine addition to your collection.

Should you decide you have one RPO too many, I think I can find a home for the other.......

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

> Through the generosity of retired Southern
> Railway general counsel Jim Bistline, NCTM
> has received Southern RPO 36, most recently
> part of the touring consist of the U.S.
> Postal Service's Celebrate the Century
> Express.

> The car should be on display inside the
> roundhouse by Jan. 20 when the museum begins
> an exhibit on mail transportation. It will
> come out periodically for off-site road
> trips.

> A twin to the car already in the collection,
> SR 49, will go into covered storage and will
> be used for on-site demonstrations during
> special events.

While I congratulate the donation of Car 36 to a museum that can take good care of it, I regret its removal from display here in Gaithersburg, Maryland at the ex-B&O Station. Through the courtesy of Mr. Bistline, the car was open at least once each year for "Olde Towne Days" and was staffed by retired Railway Mail Service clerks who served as a living display of this once vital part of our mail service. A mail crane had been in position beside the car to demonstrate catching mail "on the fly". The exhibit has given thousands of people over the years a view of a long-gone craft in railroads and postal history, and I personally got to meet and talk with some very fine ex-RPO clerks.


JMFouchard@aol.com