The Old Dominion Chapter NRHS is restoring Sou RPO #71 and we are nearing the point of painting. Eventually this car will be fully displayed at our museum in Richmond, VA.

1.) Were RPO's painted in Pullman Green as the other passenger cars (most of the time)?

2.) Does any person have a story about this car, or any other info?

3.) Does someone have a picture of this car in service?

4.) Does anyone know some history of this car?

All information is appreciated and thanks for any help. If anyone would like any additional info about our project, fell free to contact the chapter or me. Jim Wells

-- James Wells (jewells@hsc.vcu.edu), August 08, 1998

Answers

1) Southern's bagagge-mail cars would be painted in Southern's standard passenger car color - Pullman green. Exception would be a few full postal cars assigned to the Crescent Ltd. from late 1929 into the early thirties that received the Crescent's two-tone scheme. Your car, no. 71, had only a 15' postal compartment, so it would not have ever had the two-tone scheme. My impression is that the standard passenger car color changed slightly in the sixties, but I have not been able to verify this. Does anyone else have this impression?

4) No. 71 was built in 1928 by Bethlehem Steel Co. as part of the nos. 68-74 series of baggage-mail cars with 15' RPO compartments. These cars typically would be used on branchline and secondary trains, where the Railway Mail Service only needed a small postal compartment.

-- Jack Wyatt (cjwyatt@wavegate.com), August 08, 1998.