INAUGURAL RUN

* newly restored *

AT&SF Railway Post Office car 74

November 23, 2002

San Diego Railroad Museum

Campo, California


also

75TH ANNIVERSARY RUN
of RPO 74

Run Bys with Mail Caught "On the Fly"

Round trip Campo, California to Tecate, Mexico

Unique Commemorative Postal Caches

* * *

Unloading at Campo on April 4, 1990
(lt to rt: Jonathan ?, Vern Cook, Herb Kerr,
Cliff Pennick, Jim Hammel, Dick Pennick
Photo by Dick Pennick

The San Diego Railroad Museum is proud to present the newly restored AT&SF Railway Post Office Car 74. Built by the Pullman Car & Manufacturing Corporation in 1927, the steel heavyweight RPO car measures 60-ft. 8 1/2-in. long, 10-ft 1/4-in. wide and 14-ft. 2 7/16-in. tall, and weighs 128,300 pounds (64.15 tons). It was staffed by specially-trained, armed U.S. Postal Clerks. RPO 74 was retired from U.S. Post Office service in 1968. The San Diego Railroad Museum purchased the car in 1989, and moved it to the Campo facility in 1990 for extensive restoration by our dedicated volunteers.

Join us on Saturday, November 23, 2002 for the Inaugural Run of our RPO car. We will begin the day with opportunities to witness and photograph run bys complete with the train catching the mail "on the fly" at the Campo Depot. Additionally we are offering a train ride to Tecate, Mexico with the RPO car "working" during our travel.

A catered lunch will be included with advance reservations. Walk-up ticket sales will be the same price, but will not include the lunch.

Unique Postal Caches (custom envelopes featuring "All Aboard" postage and commemorative Railway Post Office cancellation) are available to celebrate this special event. Two envelope styles and two cancellation options are offered.


Envelope choices
Interior of RPO 74
Photo by Randy Houk
Postage cancellation choices

Schedule of Events:
9:00 am-Photo run bys of train catching mail "on the fly"
at the Campo Depot. (no charge for viewing run bys)
10:15 am-Departure for Tecate; working RPO car en route
11:30 am-Arrival in Tecate; catered lunch included with
Advance Purchase Fares
1:45 pm-Departure for Campo; working RPO car en route
3:00 pm-Arrival in Campo; Museum walking tours

Fares:
Adult:$50 - Including catered lunch in Tecate - (With Advance Reservation)
Child:$30 - Including catered lunch in Tecate - (With Advance Reservation)

Adult:$50 - Train ride only, lunch not included - (Same-Day Ticket Purchase)
Child:$30 - Train ride only, lunch not included - (Same-Day Ticket Purchase)

Commemorative Caches
US PostageUS + Mexican Postage
Style 1 -$3.00Style 1 -$4.00
Style 2 -$3.00Style 2 -$4.00
Both Styles -$5.00Both Styles -$7.00

Please call the San Diego Railroad Museum at (619) 595-3031 for reservations and to pre-order your caches.

Links

Restoration Chronology: A short time-line of the restoration effort
History of RPO #74

San Diego Railroad Museum
1050 Kettner Blvd.
San Diego CA 92101
595-3032


Back to the excursions page

Return
to the San Diego Railroad Museum
Page by Lew Wolfgang, updated 10/6/02