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'THE GM HIGHWAY POST OFFICE'

 
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Thu May 12, 2011 1:31 am    Post subject: 'THE GM HIGHWAY POST OFFICE' Reply with quote

I knew that the White 798's made great Post Offices on wheels and there were plenty of them in the 40's and 50's to serve what were then still very rural areas.

But I had never seen one made from GM stock as is in the picture below of fleet number 102 - a 1952 GM Model TDM (mechanical) 4509 dressed in U.S. Mail togs and receiving its first symbolic bag of mail.

# 102 was one of seven (102 to 108) leased to the government by the Gulf Transport Company of Mobile, Alabama.

According to records, it is unknown as to whether GM or Gulf themselves outfitted these buses for their special purpose.

It is not unusual for the government to have leased equipment for post office use and very many of the local postal facilities around the country are buildings owned by private individuals (and usually those who have friends in high places - if you get my drift!).

Photo courtesy of eBay.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

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roymanning2000



Age: 75
Joined: 01 Aug 2007
Posts: 198

PostPosted: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. L,

Thanks for that picture. I read something, on a railfan website, as I recall, that the work was done in Gulf Transport's shops. Wish I could remember the exact site.

Gulf Transport Company was a subsidiary of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. It operated between St. Louis and Mobile, AL using a modern fleet of GM and, later MCI, coaches. In more recent years, it was acquired by Jefferson Lines.

Quite a few bus companies operated Highway Post Offices. The bus company, as the contractor, supplied the vehicle and the driver. The mail clerks, of course, were postal employees.

I've always found HPO's and their operations to be very interesting. Like the GM shown, the early ones, from the 40's to the early 50's, were modified buses. After that, they became more like trucks.

A question about HPO's. Was there a defined life for these vehicles? Did the USPO require their replacement after a certain number of years? I've often wondered how long the early vehicles served.

Roy
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traildriver




Joined: 26 Mar 2011
Posts: 2452
Location: South Florida

PostPosted: Thu May 12, 2011 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember the HPO's that were built by Crown.....
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Thu May 12, 2011 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roy,

There's no telling how long a GM Coach could last (they could probably still be running today with a little TLC) but looking at it realistically, I'm certain that any agreement between the lessor and lessee undoubtedly specified all of the conditions that you wonder about.

In all likelihood any such contract could easily last ten years or more considering what may have been invested in customizing the coach.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
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HwyHaulier




Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 932
Location: Harford County, MD

PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2011 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr 'L' -

A notable and remarkable find! The trouble with the WHITE Coach was the gas motor. The GMC,
with its Detroit Diesel, a much better choice.

Yep! Agree! Local politics being what they are, there must be few "qualified prospective vendors"
to award long term leases for Post Office locations. It's a "who you know" deal? <G>

.........................Vern....................
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2011 2:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's a shot of the customized interior of GM Highway Post Office # 102 shown above.

BTW; while you can't see them, all of these buses were required to carry small arms (usually hidden under a counter) because much cash and gold was transported around the country by U.S. Mail in those days.

Enjoy,

Mr. 'L'

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roymanning2000



Age: 75
Joined: 01 Aug 2007
Posts: 198

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2011 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The photos of the GM HPO have gotten me to thinking about modeling one of these using the HO scale GM old-look put out by American Precision Models a few years ago. I've got one lying around here somewhere. Might make a neat project.

I would have to agree that the GM diesel engine might be a better choice than the White gasoline motors but, therre seem to have been more Whites in HPO service. I've seen quite a few photos of White HPO's in various parts of the country. The GM HPO's operated by Gulf Transport are the only ones I can recall, though.

Of course, Flxible and other bus builders turned out Highway Post Offices as well. Down in southeastern Kentucky, a HPO went by my uncle's Mom-n-Pop grocery and my grandfather's farm every day. I think it was an ACF-Brill but, I don't have any photos to say for sure.

Roy
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2011 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roy,

One very apparent reason for the rarity of 'GM' Highway Post Offices was the price of the basic bus which far exceeded anything White, ACF and others had to offer.

Aside from that, White needed all the publicity they could muster at the time and this was a good venue for it.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
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