Museum Commemorates Rail Mail’s End 40 Years Ago

The New York and Washington Railway Post Office crew gathers on a train before departing on its final run. The final trip was June 30, 1977.

USPS stopped sorting mail aboard trains in 1977, but one Railway Post Office (RPO) made an encore run this month. To commemorate the final run of the last RPO, the Minnesota Transportation Museum transported mail in a train car that once served as a Railway Post Office.

Northern Pacific No. 1102 was built in 1914, and during its heyday transported postal employees and U.S. Mail. The car returned to its former postal glory May 6 … (click to read more)