N&W trains that trains typically carried M1 Railway Post Office cars

[NW Mailing List]

On Sat, Dec 16, 2017
​,​
at 8:38 AM,
​Frank
 wrote:

The more difficult aspect is the year and route segment.  Attached as an
> example are pages from a Third Division Railway Mail Service Schedule #514,
> effective April 4, 1946.  In the second scan attached, please read down the
> "Space Authorizations" column for "R.P.O."  Any entry for 60' are the
> segments and trains for which a Class M1 RPO car were assigned.  It is
> notable that for some trains, a 30-feet car was used between Norfolk and
> Lynchburg, then a 60-feet car continued in the train between Lynchburg and
> Bluefield.  These space assignments changed during earlier and later years.
>

​OK, so an operating question. When a train arrived in Lynchburg and the
RPO car changed size (for example, the Norfolk train going to Bluefield),
what was the process to change to the 60-foot car? There had to be physical
switching, I assume, to swap out the cars. But what about the contents? Did
the Norfolk crew have everything bagged or contained to move to the new
car? Was it all moved onto baggage carts for the switch? Or was there a
place/way to spot the cars next to each other for a direct transfer? When
in the station stop did this happen and what was the typical timeframe to
move? Was the Bluefield car "pre-loaded"​ with anything going west from
Lynchburg or was that something the incoming crew had to deal with, too?

Bruce in Blacksburg
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