by bill haithcoat
OK---here is the background my question. Back in the "old days" before Amtrak some passenger trains were really heavy on mail. (these would ly not usually be the train names which have been picked up by Amtrak) There were trains, all around the country, that had, maybe 2 or 3 or 4 passenger carrying cars but maybe 10,12, 15, etc mail and baggage cars.
So, I know what an RPO(railway post office) car looked like. And I know that checked baggage could be taken care of with one car, even half a car sometimes.
So, what the heck was in those other mail cars?
How did it differ from freight?? I guess freight was grain, coal, automobiles, appliances,, etc.
I know there were refrigerator cars, at least in freight but maybe some passnger trains had them? I guess that was food products?
I know caskets traveled in baggage cars, but I guess they could be taken in some of the other cars also. But what was in all those MANY 10 or 15 or more "mail cars" that quite a few trains carried? Was that all bulk large packages or something? What?
So, I know what an RPO(railway post office) car looked like. And I know that checked baggage could be taken care of with one car, even half a car sometimes.
So, what the heck was in those other mail cars?
How did it differ from freight?? I guess freight was grain, coal, automobiles, appliances,, etc.
I know there were refrigerator cars, at least in freight but maybe some passnger trains had them? I guess that was food products?
I know caskets traveled in baggage cars, but I guess they could be taken in some of the other cars also. But what was in all those MANY 10 or 15 or more "mail cars" that quite a few trains carried? Was that all bulk large packages or something? What?