Nostalgia & History > USPS trucks for the Lone Star

May 1976
I may have posted these before.
Getting ready for the daily departure to Chicago at Houston is #16.
Almost every day a postal truck or two from the downtown post office near the station loads mail onto the Lone Star.
Three trucks though was the most I had seen.

Gary


 

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Interesting to see esp the larger rig.  Probably 3rd class, parcel post?  Wonder if they had tubs to tie down.  Doubt they handled individual sacks at that time.

Bob

Thanks for the great look back, Gary!

texchief1

I was employed by Amtrak during this era and, YES, they had rolling tubs or hampers to tie down.  But they also handled bags of mail too.  I remember being quite bolstered to see the amount of mail carried and thought it was a very positive step to gain revenue for the train.  Unfortunately, the mail contract did not help make the Lone Star immune to congressional budget cuts.

robj Wrote:
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> Interesting to see esp the larger rig.  Probably
> 3rd class, parcel post?  Wonder if they had tubs
> to tie down.  Doubt they handled individual sacks
> at that time.
>
> Bob

robj Wrote:
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> Interesting to see esp the larger rig.

The yard tractor on the trailer is interesting but the IH fan in me appreciates the old "Cargostar" A series cabover, short wheelbase straight trucks.  That rear axle is WAY up there!

Andy

Still think getting outta the mail business was a mistake.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

Drknow Wrote:
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> Still think getting outta the mail business was a
> mistake.
>
> Regards
>
> Posted from iPhone


Wasn't the railroads idea. LBJ's Postmaster was the one who did the deed.

I actually hope someone who reads this post can tell me when they cancelled mail hauled on the Lone Star after 1976.  

It started during my time of work there and came with lots of minor problems that I fear added up.  For example, spotting the train so that the vertical train shed supports did not block access of the trucks to the baggage car doors was a problem, as well as, the mail trucks blocking the Amtrak baggage agent's access, as well as, the trucks damaging the baggage car, as well as, the mail trucks being late - even delaying the departure.

I heard that given all the "problems" and small revenue earned the mail contract floundered and was dropped.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/24 05:53 by Hou74-76.

Amtrak and a partner (UPS, FedEx) need to get back into this business in a big way.

AndyBrown Wrote:
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> robj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Interesting to see esp the larger rig.
>
> The yard tractor on the trailer is interesting but
> the IH fan in me appreciates the old "Cargostar" A
> series cabover, short wheelbase straight trucks. 
> That rear axle is WAY up there!
>
> Andy

I love those trucks, I think I had a Matchbox version as a kid.  It looks really familiar for some reason.

Nathan