Springfield, MO - U. S. Post Office Annex

Discussion in 'General' started by pbender, Feb 24, 2018.

  1. pbender

    pbender Member Frisco.org Supporter

    The April 1969 track charts for Springfield (http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/springfield-terminal-industry-schematics-april-30-1969.9913 ) show the U.S. Post Office Annex on Jefferson was served by two tracks. A track from Mill St. that had 4 spots and a track from Phelps Ave that had 2 spots.

    I’m sure the tracks were no longer in use by this time. They likely were not used after the Frisco exited the passenger business, and perhaps before that .

    The question I have is when the Post Office Annex was rail served, what kind of cars were spotted there? Boxcars? Baggage cars? A combination of the two?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 20, 2023
  2. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    Those track charts are an amazing resource!

    The "Post Office Annex" was actually called "The Mail Handling Facility". It was used from 1969 to about 1986. It was formerly the Springfield Paper Co., a vacant factory building. I worked there until it was almost closed and the new post office was built. I was a postal clerk at Springfield from 1959 to 1998.

    There were tracks there alright, but never used by the post office. The tracks were left over from the days of the paper factory. All the tracks in the area were used by the MFA Mill which was on the north side of the tracks.

    All mail handled by rail at Springfield arrived/departed at the Frisco passenger depot on main street. No mail was handled at Springfield by rail after 1967.

    Tom G.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 20, 2023
  3. pbender

    pbender Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Thanks Tom. I thought you might have some first hand knowledge of this.
     
    gjslsffan and Ozarktraveler like this.
  4. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    When I was working at the mail handling facility (MHF), there were three tracks between the MHF and the MFA mill. One track on the north side served the mill, there was a center track that handled through traffic and the south tracks along side the MHF were detached from the other tracks and buried under dirt.

    The mill was served by Missouri Pacific switch engines and geeps at night and Frisco switchers in the daytime. About a block east of the mill area, there were some tracks where the Frisco and MoPac exchanged cars.

    Tom G.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 20, 2023

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