Railroad Related Covers... Not Just Rpo Cancels!

It is the subject of an extensive, double-deck HO scale model railroad layout that is one of the best-known in the modeling community and considered "state of the art" in many respects, constructed by Tony Koester, who co-founded the society that you linked to. The layout is in a private home in New Jersey, but a number of videos and articles are online: search for "tony koester nickel plate road". Tony probably knows more about the Nickel Plate than anyone living.

Chris

Nickel Plate Road = The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, abbreviated NYC&St.L

Canadian Pacific Railway cover mailed from Seattle, WA. Letter writer was taking the SS Princess Victoria on the CPR British Columbia Coast Steamship Service.

Here are a couple of mine .

I posted these two railroad corners a few weeks ago, (2/13/21) but will happily repost them.




The addressee might seem familiar as that name has graced many spice racks through the years.

This is an example of a railroad propaganda cover. In the late 1850s the residents of California began lobbying for construction of the transcontinental railroad and used these propaganda envelopes to promote construction of the railroad. This cover was actually sent by overland stage on the Butterfield route

The Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad was an electrified interurban line of approximately 32 miles of track beginning about 30 miles north of the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. A merger of four horse car rail line companies in 1903 created the railroad which ran until being purchased 1932. Besides the movement between the local cities, it connected at the south to a railroad owned ferry to take folks to San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge construction began only a few months after the railroad was bought out.

The Western Pacific RR also formed in 1903 and was purchased by Union Pacific RR in 1982. It ran, with two other railroads several famous passenger trains including the Exposition Flyer with with service from Chicago to the 1939-40 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. It was temporary in plan but ran to 1949 when replaced by the California Zephyr, a world famous train due to the scenic route it traversed. Unlike the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad, WP mainline trackage is still in use by UPRR.

Here is another Nickel Plate Road cover

I must have missed this topic the first time around, but I think it's time for a bump. Here are a couple commemorative RPOs. The first is the only RPO/FDC combo I've seen (at least from the Canal Zone), but maybe there were others.

Two covers commemorating the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy RR's early Zephyr trains. The Pioneer Zephyr is credited with being the first regularly scheduled "streamliner" in service.

Don Sellos
Originally called the Burlington Zephyr, this train was renamed the Pioneer Zephyr


The Denver Zephyr

Railroad corners.

Below is the title page cover from of an exhibit of Great Britain Railway Letter Mail I constructed a few years ago. Most collectors are unaware of the field.

A link to the 16 page exhibit is here: https://www.rfrajola.com/RFRails/RFRails.htm

Morning Richard and all,

Very nice exhibit. Shows off the educational value of exhibiting.
Seasons greetings from our home to yours and all of our friends on this fine board.

Russ