Philo, IL: Hung Mail Bag and Wabash Depot Wreck

Gary Sams -> Follow the Flag Wabash Railroad
Philo, Illinois Wabash Cannonball 7-19-61 Glen Brewer photo

Note the mail bag hung on the crane. One of the head-end cars must be an RPO (Railway Post Office) But I could not spot a hook pole swung out from any of the cars. Maybe they do it when they are closer to the hanger. The hook and crane allowed mail to be piced up without slowing down the train. For mail being received by the town, they just shoved the bag out the door onto the ground. Thus towns that were too small for depots and passenger service could have mail service. Although it looks like Philo had a depot on the left of this picture. Maybe it was a flag stop for passengers.

USPS, ca. 1929

The mail was sorted in the car during transit. This is the caption for this picture:

From the 1870s to the 1950s, railroads were the primary mode of mail transportation in the United States. To speed delivery, clerks rode in the cars, sorting mail en route. In 1921, due to a rash of train robberies following World War I, Postmaster General Will H. Hays armed railway mail clerks, ordering them to shoot to kill to protect the mail. In 1921 and again in 1926, U.S. Marines were also assigned to guard mail trains.

USPS, 1910s

The USPS site has 13 additional photos concerning RPO operations.

Glen Brewer shared
An ignominious end for Philo, Illinois's ancient depot. http://RailroadGloryDays.com/wabash
[The web site has several more photos of the wreck.]
Glen Brewer shared
Railroad Glory Days posted
An ignominious end for Philo, Illinois's ancient depot. http://RailroadGloryDays.com/wabash
Glen Brewer shared

Richard Fiedler: The Gibson City and Lodge Illinois depots met the same fate due to derailments.

Bob Kalal commented on Glenn's second share
Philo, Illinois Wabash wreck No 3 10-3-62 looking east

Bob Kalal commented on Glenn's second share
Philo, Illinois Wabash wreck No 3 10-3-62
Railroad Glory Days posted
Both my parents grew up in tiny Philo, Illinois, and I still have family living there. Naturally, having grown up as a railroad enthusiast, I was familiar with the small scale, Wabash station operations there. But one day that all came to a crashing end -- see the full story, "Finis for Philo" here: http://RailroadGloryDays.com/wabash
Glen Brewer shared