Railway Post Office (RPO) clerks processed mail on moving train cars. It was hard and dangerous work. Railway mail cars were often placed directly behind the engine, putting clerks in danger during wrecks. Companies used wooden mail cars that were not as safe as metal cars, but were cheaper. These cars often turned into death traps after a wreck, filled with scalding water from steam engines or set ablaze when oil lamps and wood stoves tipped over or exploded on impact.
Video Duration:
2 min 32 sec
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Smithsonian "postal museum" "National Postal Museum" stamps philately post office history