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Nostalgia & History > When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back.Date: 02/04/25 05:57 When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: bandob Amtrak carried mail until October, 2004. Here's three looks back on the Northeast Corridor. Mail train 13 may have had a rider coach at times, but often the conductor rode in the cab.
1) February 1993. 2) November 1993. 3) August 1997. B&O Bill ![]() ![]() ![]() Date: 02/04/25 06:20 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: texchief1 Nice set, Bill! Conductor had a tough job on these.
texchief1 Date: 02/04/25 06:58 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: SPDRGWfan Did it get too expensive to haul mail by rail?
Date: 02/04/25 08:12 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: MaryMcPherson SPDRGWfan Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Did it get too expensive to haul mail by rail? The mail & express service ended under David Gunn, who noted that the schedules were being altered to better serve what was essentially freight customers at the expense of passengers. He made the call that Amtrak should concentrate on moving people, which was it's reason for being in the first place. Mary McPherson Dongola, IL Diverging Clear Productions Date: 02/04/25 08:14 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: dan amtrak abandoned express was one factor
Date: 02/04/25 08:27 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: refarkas Fascinating photos.
Bob Date: 02/04/25 09:15 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: tomstp Railroads raised hell at express being hauled by AMTRK since it was competition which they were not supposed to have.
Date: 02/04/25 11:15 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: ClubCar tomstp Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Railroads raised hell at express being hauled by > AMTRAK since it was competition which they were not > supposed to have. Thus the Federal Government stopped subsidizing themselves (US Mail and Amtrak all owned by our government) and now much of this mail goes by private trucks, thus our tax money once again wasted. What a dumb idea. John in White Marsh, Maryland Date: 02/05/25 03:40 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: cabsignaldrop That would have been a sweet gig for the conductor! Hard to believe that the megalopolis of Boston-New York-Washington can't support some kind of mail and express service.
Posted from Android Date: 02/05/25 08:20 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: ProAmtrak The Fast Mail, surprised they didn't have a counterpart heading the other way! One thing though guys, Amtrak was fine just doing the MHCs and was making good money off of it. when Ed Ellis put that article in Trains and Amtrak hired him on it, that's when it went all downhill, I don't miss no. 4 pulling out on time and having to back up to another track just to get the M and E Cars which at times took forver just to do a brake test on!
Date: 02/05/25 13:26 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: BoilingMan Very interesting. What sort of rider cars did it sometimes pull? Only Amfleet, or other types too? Do you have any photos of it with a rider car?
Thanks for posting! SR Date: 02/05/25 20:28 Re: When Amtrak carried the mail, three looks back. Author: Mgoldman I remember these - great set!
Don’t think I ever got a pic on the NEC but I remember long trains running through Altoona. Congrats on IOTD - I may otherwise have missed it and I still can’t figure out which forum it’s posted on lol. With regards to a conductor having a hard time – is that a joke or were there some responsibilities I am otherwise not aware of? /Mitch texchief1 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Nice set, Bill! Conductor had a tough job on > these. > > texchief1 Posted from iPhone |