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1942 Quiz Book on Railroads and Railroading
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Page 8 of 1942 Quiz Book on Railroads and Railroading
HEAD-END TRAFFIC
193. What is "head-end" traffic?
Mail, express, baggage, newspapers and milk in cans, usually transported in cars nearest the locomotive, are known to railroad men as "head-end" traffic.
194. What is the volume of United States mail handled by steam railroads?
It is estimated that 6,279,288,000 pounds of mail were handled by the Post Office Department in the year ended June 30, 1941, of which it is estimated over 5,800,000,000 pounds, or more than 92 per cent, were handled by the railroads.
195. How many pieces of mail are handled by the Railway Mail Service of the Post Office Department?
The Postmaster General reported that 17,419,-706,240 pieces of mail of all classes, including redistributions, were handled by the Railway Mail Service during the year ended June 30, 1941.
196. On what basis are the railroads paid for the transportation of United
States mails?
Railroads are paid on a space basis, regardless of the weight of mail carried. A railroad enters into a contract with the Post Office Department to carry a specified number of mail cars daily in specified trains over a specified route. Mail cars are owned by the railroads, but are built according to Post Office Department specifications. On many light traffic lines, where full-sized mail cars are not required, the railroads provide compartments or space in baggage, express or combination cars for the handling of mail. Railroads which were built with land-grant aid carry United States mails for 20 per cent less than standard space rates.
197. What proportion of United States postal service revenues goes to the railroad for mail transportation?
For transporting United States mails during the year ended June 30, 1941, the railroads received 14.6 per cent, or about one-seventh, of total ordinary postal revenues. Ordinary postal revenues do not include receipts from postal savings and post office money orders. The above figures include payments for carrying parcel post and second and third class mails, as well as first class letter mail
on which the postage is 3 cents or more. For carrying first class mail, the railroads receive an average of about 1/5 of I cent per letter, or approximately 1/15 of the postal revenues collected by the government on this class of mail.
198. How many federal government employees are assigned to Railway Mail Service?
The personnel of the Railway Mail Service on June 30, 1941, consisted of 20,584 officers and employees, of whom 19,486 were postal clerks.
199. Can letters and other first-class United States mail be posted in any standard railway mail car?
Yes, if bearing the proper postage. Each standard mail car, used for collecting and distributing mail enroute, is equipped with two mail drops, one on either side, and letters and other first-class mail deposited in these drops receive prompt attention.
200. What was the cost of sending mail across the continent before the introduction of railway transportation?
The Pony Express, inaugurated in the spring of 1860, first charged $5.00 for each letter of one-half ounce or less. The charge was later reduced to $2.50 a half ounce, and finally, in consideration of a government subsidy, the price was reduced to $1.00 a half ounce. These prices were in addition to the regular United States postage.
201. What is the extent of Railway Express Agency operations?
The Railway Express Agency, which provides the American people with express service, conducts business through 23,000 offices and uses in its operations more than 201,000 miles of railway lines, 21,000 miles of steamship lines, 41,000 miles of air lines, and 14,000 miles of motor-truck lines. The Express Agency owns and operates a fleet of around 14,000 motor trucks for the pick-up, transfer and delivery of express shipments. Fifty-seven thousand persons are employed in the performance of its far-flung transportation service. More than 172,000,000 separate shipments were handled by the Express Agency in 1941. Although its principal operations are in the United States, Railway Express Agency, through its connections, provides patrons with international service.
202. What is the service of the Railway Express Agency?
With its co-ordinated system of fast railway, airway, steamship and motor-truck service, the Railway Express Agency provides the American people with speedy and dependable express transportation throughout the United States and in foreign lands. The Agency handles a great diversity of traffic, in packages, boxes, crates, cases, bags, cans, cages, cartons and other containers, and in
specially built or equipped cars. Its services include the transportation of wild animals for zoos and circuses; birds, dogs, cats and other family pets; race horses; fish; plants and flowers; strawberries; motion picture films; hats; gowns; precious stones; jewelry; musical instruments; furniture; clothing,
shoes and an endless variety of other articles, large and small, perishable and non-perishable; fragile and unbreakable; animate and inanimate. The Agency performs complete pickup and delivery service, collecting shipments without extra charge from homes, offices, factories and other places of business and delivering them to the doors of consignees in important towns and cities in all
parts of the country. In addition to its own pick-up system, the Agency has an arrangement with the Western Union Telegraph Company whereby express shipments are accepted at any Western Union office or are called for by Western Union messengers at no extra cost to the shipper.
203. Are express shipments moved in passenger trains?
For more than a century, express shipments have been carried in passenger trains on the American railroads. The customary location of the express car is behind the locomotive. Railway Express Agency traffic moves in about 10,000 passenger trains daily. Many trains which handle express shipments exclusively are operated between the larger cities at passenger train speeds.
204. What is the meaning of "C. 0. D." and how did the term originate?
The familiar initials "C. 0. D.," meaning "collect on delivery," originated in 1841 when a shipper asked the express company to collect payment for the goods from the consignee at the time of delivery. Today, some 6,000,000 shipments by
Railway Express Agency and large numbers of L. C. L. freight shipments are forwarded annually C. 0. D., i.e., each with an accompanying invoice to be paid to the express agency or railroad at the time of delivery. The amount collected is forwarded promptly to the shipper.
205. How much baggage may be checked free on each passenger ticket?
On a full-fare ticket, the maximum free baggage allowance is usually 150 pounds; on a half-fare ticket, 75 pounds. A charge is made for excess weights.
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