Maryland & Pennsylvania
Baggage Railway Post Office 35

Built in 1906 by the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad as Baggage 42. In 1942, this railcar was converted from a baggage car to a baggage and railway post office combination car. It was renumbered to 35. During the 19th century, the United States Postal Service operated by mail, with letters being sorted at the post office and then grouped into bags, which were transported by horse or train to other post offices and ultimately to their final destinations. George Armstrong was the Post manager in Illinois. He invented the ability to have mail sorted on the train as it was en route. This was so the mail pouches were ready to go when the mail arrived at the destination city. The United States had 6 operating divisions. Each of these divisions had a superintendent. Armstrong was the General Manager for the Railway Mail Service. In 1913, the postal service began delivering parcels, which led to the establishment of terminal railway post offices in major cities, where mail services reached their peak in the 1920s. However, automobiles and commercial aviation took over transporting mail, which made the railroads lose business slowly, starting on branch lines and secondary routes, and then many other routes were abandoned up to 1967. Passenger routes were also getting discontinued during this time. Instead of being scrapped, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum saved combine 35 and has it on display in the roundhouse today.