Okay, I'm no Amtrak buff, but anyhow.. The California Zephyr passes where I work every day with about a half dozen "mail cars" in tow. Once I saw a string of those odd rail-runner intermodal things in tow. Today a saw a few cars with refrigeration units stuck on the end. Amtrak SURELY doesn't actually carry snail-mail do they? With all the jets and trucks and such USPS has, you'd figure you're Christmas cards weren't taking the train. What about the reefers and the road-railers? Anybody have a clue? Where does Amtrak(or the post office) load these cars? Just curious--thanks. Derek from N.CA
That is not necessarily mail. Amtrak is also in the express business and does handle some perishable traffic in both mechanical reefers and refrigerated RoadRailers. Amtrak can get across the country faster than sleeper teams on the highway. At one time, all the mail moved by rail and postal service was a helluva lot better than it is now.
I rode Amtrak 43 on Tuesday, the westbound Pennsylvanian. For most of the journey, the train was carrying a total of 17 mail and express cars. Going out I rode the Three Rivers and Capitol Limited and both had a very substantial amount of freight in tow.
