First Class U.S. Mail was sorted by clerks aboard a fleet of cars which once numbered over 4,000. Here you will enter their secluded world, hemmed in by stanchions stacked with parcels, rows of hanging pouches and, above, boxes lining both sides. Ride the "Chief" and "Fast Mail" in the closing days of RPOs on the SANTA FE - and observe a rare miscue as one bag is dropped on the ballast.

Here, too, is a training film which explains some of the intricacies of this demanding job. A tribute to OWNEY, the CELEBRATE THE CENTURY EXPRESS, and an RPO demonstration at ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM form other portions of this survey. You will watch colorful mail cars of several dozen lines parade by from the 40s to the eve of AMTRAK.

You will enjoy this glimpse into a rarely photographed world, long since replaced by large regional centers which revolve around zip codes. Share it with your trustworthy mail carrier and your local postmaster - they will value this look back into how the mail was once handled on the rails.