1 Perfin = 5 Railroads

Here are a few covers from my RR perfin collection.

The perfin in particular is W155, Western Pacific Railroad.








This railroad had smaller named railroads that operated around California. Here are covers of each, with perfin W155 affixed..














So, there you have it. One perfin (WP - W155) was used on 5 railroads: Western Pacific Ry (the parent company), Alameda Belt Line, California Central Traction Ry., Sacramento Northern Ry. and Tidewater Southern Ry.

Many other Class one railroads practiced this usage of perfins as well.

Anyone have any to show?

Great stuff. I like the Ferry Annex cancel on the CCTC cover.

Interesting PoStat

This is something I was not aware of.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Bujutsu .. it is a fun pastime trying to link all the little railroads to the parent railroads perfin usage. The SP (Southern Pacific) has a few as well. I know that a few bigger eastern RR's do as well. Glad you found it interesting.

Great stuff. I am on the lookout for RR's that paralled route 66 ie. Illinois Central, Gulf Mobile & Ohio, Santa Fe, Frisco to name a few.

Great looking covers. I only have the stamps with perfins for one railroad and that is Scott 922.with the SP perfin..

Your covers marked with RRB and with RYB were probably carried outside of the US mails which was perfectly legal as long as proper US postage was paid.

jobi01: Most RR's had one envelope printed for all of their usages. The envelopes that just show R.R.B. or equivilant (no stamp attached) were legally carried on trains between stations or other RR locations (within the same RR). If the envelope was addressed to anyone outside of the particular RR it required first class postage to be affixed. I have found a few RR business mailings, but if a perfin is to be found it will be on the "other" commercial postal system usage mailed envelopes.

Additional correction: When I posted this it was incorrectly stated that all the stamps had a W155 perfin. Actually the perfin is a variety of W154 perfin patterns, with one W155 perfin pattern. W154 had 3 varieties. A full punch and two other partial punches. This originally was listed with W154A, W154B and W154C designations. They were lumped into a W154 designation and value reduced to the next lowest value "C" in the catlog. However the only pattern that can actually get a full "C" value is the complete pattern. If anyone really cares I can post the three patterns. Those with a Perfins of the United States Catalog can go look them up.

Follow up: There is another line that used this pattern. Oakland Terminal Rwy, so title can be changed to 6 railroads - one perfin

I keep an eye out for Hudson Erie & NYC RR lines covers and perfins and such but I believe that they may predate the perfin although I am unsure? This is a real neat thing to see. Thank you.