Streetcar Railway Post Office Then and Now

The streetcar railway post office was a unique system that allowed people to send and receive mail while on the move. It was a convenient service that catered to the needs of travelers.

The first streetcar railway post office was introduced in 1884 on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. It was a simple concept that combined the postal service with the streetcar system.

Mail was sorted and processed on the streetcar itself, allowing passengers to send and receive mail quickly and efficiently. This service was particularly useful for businesspeople who needed to stay connected while on the move.

The streetcar railway post office was a precursor to the modern-day mail sorting machines and automated postal systems we use today.

Mainline Railway Post Offices were in use in the United States from 1862 to 1978, with the final year being operated by boat instead of on rails.

Streetcar R.P.O.s were also used for mail handling in 15 cities, including Baltimore, Boston, and New York City.

These operations represented an improvement in mail handling over what came before and moved a lot of mail.

In many places, it was possible to deposit a letter into a mail slot on a streetcar or cable car and have it delivered across town within a short number of hours.

The era of the streetcar R.P.O. was relatively brief, covering 1893 to 1929.

The rolling stock, routes, operations, and cancellation markings of the various American street railway post office systems are covered in detail.

Streetcar R.P.O.s were a convenient and efficient way to send mail, especially in cities where streetcars were a common mode of transportation.

Streetcar railway post offices were used in 15 cities across the United States from 1893 to 1929.

These post offices on wheels moved a lot of mail, often delivering letters across town within a short number of hours.

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Chicago, Illinois was a hub for Railway Post Offices (R.P.O.s) in the early 20th century. One of the earliest R.P.O. routes in the city was CHI. COTTAGE GROVE AVE. R.P.O., which started in September 1903 and used cable cars until 21 October 1906.

The CHI. & MIL. AVE. R.P.O. route, which operated from February 1906, also used cable cars until 19 August 1906. This route was a significant one, as it connected the city to the surrounding areas.

The CHI. & N. CLARK ST. R.P.O. route had two different variations, with the first one appearing in November 1902 and the second one in June 1906. The first variation had a circular date stamp with "2" at the bottom and "RMS" in the oval killer, while the second one had a circular date stamp with "3" at the bottom and "RMS" in the oval killer.

Here are the different R.P.O. routes in Chicago, Illinois, listed for reference:

American Streetcar R.P.O.s were used in 15 cities across the United States, including Baltimore, Boston, and New York City, from 1893 to 1929.

These streetcar R.P.O.s represented an improvement in mail handling over what came before, and they moved a lot of mail. It was possible to deposit a letter into a mail slot on a streetcar or cable car and have it delivered across town within a short number of hours.

The era of streetcar R.P.O.s was relatively brief, but it was a significant development in the history of mail handling.

In many places, streetcar R.P.O.s were used in conjunction with mainline Railway Post Offices, which were in use in the United States from 1862 to 1978, with the final year being operated by boat instead of on rails.