Nostalgia & History > ?? about a Mail Sorting Bin

I had a person here in town call me the other day and he thinks he might have a mail sorting bin and it might be out of a RPO RR car. I don't know and need some help in IDing it. In the upper left hand corner is a small metal tag that has US PO DEPT w 14500 below that. On across the top board it says SCF Des Moines (Z which could stand for ZIP code) and the the number 502 which I seen several of the zip codes starting with 502. A couple towns are Raesnor 50232, Roland 50236. I'm sure this came from Iowa but is it out of a RR RPO car is the question.
Names of town across the top row of slots is, New Providence, Patterson, Randall, Rippey, St. Anthony, Searsboro, Spring Hill, Swan, Valeria.
This sorting bin was laying on its side on the floor and I rotated the pic. so it would be easier to view. NO, it's not floating in mid air.
The owner of the building where this came from had a electrical shop there and sold out to go back to Iowa to help his son in the electrical business.
Any info on this would be greatly appreciated and thanking you in advance. upkpfan

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Marv, what you have is an old wooden post office letter sorting case. This is the standard before they started making them out of metal. I'm pretty sure that it didn't come out of an RPO car as those cases were built into the cars and not free standing like the one you have shown with four legs. You are correct about the zipcode as Des Moines IA is 503 so the case had to come from either Des Moines or a small office just outside Des Moines. It is definately an antique and a rare find today.

Larry

Very interesting..took me awhile to figure out it was laying on it's side!
Thought you had taught it to jump!
Man...am I old.
Thanks for sharing.
Todd Montgomery
Eugene OR

My 39 years in the Postal Service would support that this case most
probably came from a small post office and not an RPO. Many of these
wooden cases were made from solid oak and they are a rare find
these days. Man, I wish I had a nickel for every letter I have shoved
into one of these things.

462pacific Wrote:
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> My 39 years in the Postal Service would support
> that this case most
> probably came from a small post office and not an
> RPO. Many of these
> wooden cases were made from solid oak and they
> are a rare find
> these days. Man, I wish I had a nickel for every
> letter I have shoved
> into one of these things.

My six and a half years in the Postal Service agrees
with all of the above. And if I had a nickle for every
letter and flat I put in their metal descendants, I wouldn't
be worried about my Social Security.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion,IA

Thank you all for your answers and I agree also with all of you as I didn't think it came out of a RPO, but on the other hand you never know. That little tag in upper left hand corner is what made me think it wasn't RR. The legs on it looked to be oak and the whole thing is in pretty good shape. Just needs a good cleaning up and refinishing. I've asked the museum here if they are interested in it and they would really be if it was RR but they can put it in another building. He will have to ask the board about it. upkpfan

My sister used to live in Roland, IA in the mid 70s. Whoever had tracks through there hadn't used them in quite a while.