Lincoln Funeral Train Postmarks

Here's one of the postmarks I have gotten back commemorating Lincoln's funeral train.

good start... where are you expecting to get additional funeral train stop cancels from?

I found this with a quick search on Google.

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulle...info_008.htm

Terry

Here's the entire list of PRESIDENT LINCOLN FUNERAL TRAIN ROUTE Stations that I sent requests to:

   — Postmaster, 1200 William St., Room 200, Buffalo, NY 14240-9998. (Lincoln profile, crossed U.S. flags, "April 27, 1865, 10:10 P.M.")

   — Postmaster, 4480 Camp Road, Athol Springs, NY 14010-9998.

   — Postmaster, 5501 Camp Road, Hamburg, NY 14075-9998. ("April 27, 1865, 10:40 P.M.")

   — Postmaster, 6550 Southwestern Blvd., Lakeview, NY 14085-9998.

   — Postmaster, 7350 Erie Road, Derby, NY 14047-9998.

   — Postmaster, 6971 Versailles Road, North Evans, NY 14112-9998. ("April 27, 1865, 10:55 P.M.")

   — Postmaster, 80 N. Main St., Angola, NY 14006-9998. ("April 27, 1865, 11:13 P.M.")

   — Postmaster, 461 Commercial St., Farnham, NY 14061-9998. (Train car with "150 Years," Lincoln portrait, banner, "4.27.1865, 11:28 P.M.")

   — Postmaster, 12746 Erie St., Irving, NY 14081-9998. ("April 27, 1865, 11:35 P.M.")

   — Postmaster, 37 Main St., Silver Creek, NY 14136-9998. (Funeral car only, "Wood & Water stop, April 27, 1865, 11:45 P.M.")

   — Postmaster, 2707 Main Road, Sheridan, NY 14135-9998.

   — Postmaster, 410 Central Ave., Dunkirk, NY 14048-9998. ("April 28, 1865, 12:10 A.M.")

   — Postmaster, 42 E. Main St., Brocton, NY 14716-9998. ("April 28, 1865, 12:30 A.M.")

   — Postmaster, 6372 W. Main Road, Portland, NY 14769-9998. ("April 28, 1865, 12:35 A.M.")

   — Postmaster, 7 Academy St., Westfield, NY 14787-9998. (Funeral car only, "Wood & Water stop, April 28, 1865, 1:00 A.M.")

   — Postmaster, 7 W. Main St., Ripley, NY 14775-9998. ("April 28, 1865, 1:24 A.M.")

There were also three from Illinois that I missed the deadline. :(

And thee more - two in NY and one from Baltimore. I've gotten two of the three.

I've received ten of the sixteen New York state postmarks back. Generally very nicely cancelled.

I've gotten 11 from the list I posted - Athol Springs, Lakeview, Derby, North Evans, Angola, Farnham, Dunkirk, Portland, Silver Creek, Westfield, Ripley. Plus Schenectady and Baltimere.

I read a great book that tells the story of the Lincoln funeral train journey. It's called Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln's Corpse by James Swanson.

Brocton showed up today, but don't have Dunkirk yet.

I would love it if we could keep each other posted so we each know what's coming up.

Today's mail hasn't come yet.

No new postmarks today or yesterday.

Has anyone gotten any additional Lincoln funeral train postmarks? I haven't gotten any in about a week.

None received since last Thursday or Friday. In fact, not much of any kind of postmarks since then.

I'm new at this postmark thing. Not so much impatient as wondering if anything is wrong with the process I used to obtain them or if any follow-up with the post offices is needed. Or if this is just the way it is - some get them out sooner, some later.

I've been collecting pictorial postmarks for about twenty years, probably sending out an average of five a week for cancellation. As you say "some get them out sooner, some later." Most come back in about two to three weeks, but some have been within four days. Three months is also common, particularly from some very small offices. Up until the last couple, San Francisco was notorious for keeping them a year before cancelling and sending them back. Recently they are down to about a week. So, just be patient. Most of them will return someday.

I use two processes. For single covers I send a self-addressed glassine envelope with 22c postage attached and a note to send the cover back in it, so that it will not be over-cancelled with the regional cancel. There is debate as to whether this is allowed by regulations, but it seems to work in most cases. Some offices just put the cover and glassine in a penalty envelope (or whatever they call them now) and I can use the glassine again since it is usually not cancelled. A few offices send them back postage due, but my local carriers rarely collect it. Once in awhile a postmaster will send a nasty note telling me glassines are not allowed, but they send the asked for cancel anyway. The Puerto Rico postmasters are sticklers for this, so I have stopped collecting their postmarks. For more than one cover at a time I use a self-addressed #9 envelope with first class postage according to weight for return and don't use a glassine.

I've been collecting pictorial postmarks on and off for years as well. I've tried many different methods, but finally settled on this:

Send the cover along with a #9 SASE in a #10 envelope. This always seems to work, but of course it's costing twice the postage. However, about 50% of the time, the #9 SASE is also canceled with the pictorial cancel, but it's also common to have the pictorial cancel machine canceled as well on the #9 SASE. I use collectable postage so I'm adding to my used US collection at the same time. A few times, I've received both the cover and #9 SASE back with the pictorial postmark in an official Post Office envelope.