Who staffed RPO cars?

I was always under the impression that they were Post Office employees.

A propos to nothing, prior to the 1970 reorganization, the Post Office Department was cabinet level. After the reorg, the US Postal Service as it currently appears was formed. It receives no money from the Federal Gov't. Its money all comes from sales of postage and collectible stamps and other items. Despite its dot com website, the PO is non-profit.

Jay working there

No impression; is was UP Post Office employees (at least in the US).

And I believe all RPO postal workers were required to wear a side arm (pistol, usually in a belt holster) while on duty.

To expand, were the employees in baggage and express cars RR employees, or were they employees of Railway Express Agency, Adams Express, etc.? I am reminded of the baggage clerk in the movie train being robbed by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid not wanting to give up Mr. Harriman's safe. On the PRR at least many baggage cars had a star painted on the side indicating a toilet for these folks. Did these clerks ride in the baggage cars, or as now on AMTRAK, only move into the cars at stops when the contents were to be handled? Gary Q

In keeping with PO practice all mail had to be backstamped by each PO that received it in tranfer. So every mail bag that was received by the RPO was opened, sorted and backstamped for delivery to the next PO along the route. Consequently the PO employees were kept quite busy all along the trip and stayed in the cars. In addition any mail from the mail box at the station was cancelled and sorted as well as any mail collected on the train. These all got a face cancel with the time, date and number of the RPO.

Bob

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 15:31:54 UTC, "Geezer" wrote: 2000

I don't know about the REA (or its predecessors) but the baggage clerks were railroad employees.