The Railway Post Office Car (RPO) was still in wide use in the 60's. These RPO's one or more per train would be assigned to varnish or special mail trains and was the high speed mail link for many small towns. A sack of sorted mail would be droped out the door or picked up with a mail hook as shown in this shot.
Huge Album that Includes over 2,600+ photos of classic passenger trains across USA & Canada before and during the time of Amtrak & VIA Rail. More Images will be Added.
In its heyday, B&O ran passenger service from Jersey City to Washington, Chicago and St. Louis. But it couldn't compete with the Pennsylvania or New York Central. By the time Amtrak was formed, its trains were a shadow of their former selves.