Williamsport & Philadelphia Pa Railway Post Office Postmarker Reading Rpo Rms Po For Sale

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Reading Railway Post Office postmarker - Williamsport & Philadelphia RPO plus a new DVD showing

MEN AND MAIL IN TRANSIT and MAIL IN MOTION

This WILLIAMSPORT & PHILADELPHIA RPO postmarking handstamp is in very good collection, as shown. The first photo is a mirror image to facilitate easy viewing.

This Railway Post Office route ran the length of the Reading, shown in a map below. Although many letters were sorted, few were postmarked aboard the train. These were deposited in the "traveling letter box" which was a slot on the side of the car. Because access to the train platform at termini was restricted and the train had few stops en route overnight, not many imprints were made upon envelopes. The most likely non-philatelic uses were on-board passengers who wrote letters and gave them to a car porter, which might walk ahead to the RPO during a station stop.

As a courtesy to buyers on this postmarker, you can request a free download of the map in appreciation of your interest. Please note, however, that the original map is NOT included with the postmarker and DVD.

Also included is a 28-minute movie, MEN AND MAIL IN TRANSIT, was produced by the Post Office Department as a training film in 1956. It shows all aspects of how Railway Postal Clerks did their work aboard a Railway Post Office (RPO) car. MAIL IN MOTION runs 18 minutes. It is a 1956 educational film developed by the National Postal Transport Association (NPTA). The NPTA was the successor to the Railway Mail Association (RMA) after 1949. In addition to RPOs, MAIL IN MOTION describes the work performed at Terminal RPOs, Air Mail Facilities (AMF), and Highway Post Offices (HPO). Most of the railway scenes in both movies were filmed on the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad between Washington, DC, and Cumberland, Maryland. Activities aboard the Williamsport & Philadelphia RPO car were fundamentally the same as what you'll view in this DVD. If you want the DVD alone, please check my sales for another listing.

Here are some sample video clips from these films at

MEN AND MAIL IN TRANSIT

a substitute's first catch

MAIL IN MOTION

These video clips aren't the same high resolution as the digital recordings on this disk, which are broadcast quality. They only hint at the interesting material that rail historians and postal researches will find in these programs. The DVD has a menu but is also designed so that it will play as a continuous loop without prompting. This makes it suitable for hands-free video displays at rail museums.

The DVD is professionally produced by Sony DADC in Terre Haute, Indiana. It has been prepared from the best available prints of these 16 mm films, copied to beta masters, then converted from analog to digital recordings. There is no region code on this DVD, so this disk is guaranteed to work on a DVD player anywhere in the world. Your complete satisfaction is guaranteed. If not pleased, you may return the DVD in good condition and receive a full refund including your return postage.

Ordinarily, the DVD alone sells for $18.99, which covers the preservation of the original films at the Railway Mail Service Library. It also includes the conversions and all costs to produce these high-quality DVDs. Remaining proceeds benefit restoration of the Boyce, Virginia, railway station as well as monthly utility expenses. This former 1913 Norfolk and Western Railway station is shown before repairs and repainting commenced in a 2003 photo. . This steel postmarking handstamp and DVD are being sold as a single lot with an opening offer of $9.99 to reach a broader base of railroad historians who might not ordinarily focus upon RPO history.

All features of the handstamp are clear and distinct. Proceeds benefit restoration of the Boyce, Virginia, railway station as well as monthly utility expenses. The $7 domestic mailing cost via USPS Priority Mail small flat-rate box covers postage with the remainder going towards delivery confirmation and private parcel insurance. Your purchase is insured against loss or damage en route. If you are outside the USA, please add US$25.00 to the purchase price for International Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box to an address anywhere in the world. I'll ship by the lowest cost means and if actual mailing expenses are at least $2.00 less, I'll make a partial refund via PayPal. The incremental domestic shipping cost for additional lots is $2 for each one. Please add US$4.00 for each extra lot if shipping is to an address outside the USA. Please do look at my other listing for the type set that closes about an hour after this sale!

On Mar-31-13 at 16:01:56 PDT, seller added the following information:

A complete type set which consists of 12 months, 31 dates, years 1946-1951, and the train number #8 IS AVAILABLE IN A SEPARATE SALE CLOSING ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THIS sale CLOSES; there is NO type included with this postmarker.

This item has been shown 176 times. Williamsport & Philadelphia Pa Railway Post Office Postmarker Reading Rpo Rms Po: $304