Opinion & Answer XI: Postal Trains

 

Thomas and Friends Mail Train

For this edition of Opinion & Answers, we turn to one of two interesting trains that ran along the railways of the world with some parts discounting them and some kept going through to having diesels run the mail trains service in 2015 according to research that was done. For this edition of Postal Train Services, we are sticking to the United States's RPO (Rail Post Office). 

In the United States, the Railway Mail Service was trial run in 1869 by the Chicago & North Western Railway at the request of George B Armstrong who oversaw the Chicago Post Office and then was officially inaugurated in 1869 after the experiment was successful. Started in 1869 the United States was split into six operating divisions with each having its own division superintendent who then  report to George B Armstrong was then appointed the 1st general superintendent of the postal railway service. Then two years into his appointed position, Armstrong resign and the postal railway service was then handed to his successor and 2nd general superintendent Geroge Brangs who wanted faster service of the postal trains and not speedy passengers. 

Feel free to click on the map image above to see my map creation of the US's Rail mail service divisions in 1950. The link below is what I used for this Opinion & Answer research. Overall I found this to be an interesting bit of history that some forget/ miss reading about in World History research. 

Link for further Information => Railway Mail Service (Wiki)