Unusual RPO Covers

UNUSUAL CANADIAN RPO COVERS

This web page is pretty straight-forward. It contains images of covers that carry not only one or more Railway Post Office (RPO) postmarks, but also some other unusual item.
Some examples are the results of "on-the-train" decisions made by an RPO clerk faced with unusual situations. Others are just fun or funny! BTW, I've had generous help with some of these and I thank you all.
Categories:
incorrect postage (below),
OHMS examples,
other unusual examples.

Bi-sect accepted as legitimate postage. This cover would not have been accepted if presented to a town postal clerk, or it would have been charged postage-due if the town clerk received it from a mail box collection. Faced with a heavy workload on a swaying train, the RPO clerks sometimes just looked the other way, perhaps hoping that the incorrect usage would be caught at Steinbach - it was not. [ FT. FRANCES & W'PEG R.P.O. / No.3, train 21, SP 22 14 ]

Mail carrying none of the required postage was sometimes let pass, perhaps for the same reason as above. These two cards sent by the same person to different addresses were probably posted through the mail slot in the RPO car at a station stop by a passenger. Take a moment to consider how the clerk was oriented to the cards and wonder why? [ WINNIPEG & MOOSE JAW R.P.O. / No.10, east-bound, SP 18 09 ]

People used different excuses for not using stamps. This sender thought "FREE TRIAL SAMPLE" would suffice, particularly on April Fool's Day, but a postage due (tax) of 6 cents was applied by the RPO clerk. The recipient, a large commercial drug supply company, probably paid for a bundle of postage due items and received a receipt, which may have had stamps affixed and cancelled (Ross Gray, pers. comm.).[ WPG. & DEL. R.P.O. / No.2, train 124, AP 1 35 ]

Another example of a "tax" notation. This time, it appears that the RPO clerk made the T 6c note; then a 6 cents DUE mark was made and, subsequently, Postage Due stamps were affixed and then cancelled when paid.[ WPG. & DEL. R.P.O. / No.2, train 124, AP 1 35 ]

This is a case where the company promised to pay 3 cents on receipt. It appears that the postage due stamps were added and cancelled at Winnipeg. [ WPG. & DEL. R.P.O. / No.2, train 122, JAN 27 31 ]

This card was written while on the CPR travelling from Brandon, west-bound. The postal rate for a post card in 1945 was 3 cents. A penalty of 2 cents was noted. The postage due stamp was cancelled with a large New Westminster hammer. The card was then sent to General Delivery. [ WINNIPEG & MOOSE JAW R.P.O. / No.15, train 1, MY 4 45 ]

This cover was franked with a stamp from the USA, on a CPR postcard, addressed to Vermont and processed on the RPO car on APR 29 1908. This time, the RPO clerk sent it to the Branch Dead Letter Office, Winnipeg. The BDLO added a Canadian stamp before re-stamping it and sending it on May 9 to the Winnipeg Post Office, where it was processed and sent on its way. [ FORT WILLIAM & WINNIPEG R.P.O. / No.7, east-bound ]

This cover was franked with the same USA stamp on a Banff postcard addressed to Winnipeg. In this case, the RPO clerk either did not notice or ignored the incorrect postage. The writer was travelling southbound, according to the message, but the card was processed on the north-bound RPO on the Canadian Northern Railway. [ C.N.RW'Y EMERSON & WINNIPEG R.P.O. / No., north-bound ]

Canadian postage was used on this cover, which was processed on an RPO between North Bay and Sault Ste Marie. The 13 cents was enough to pay for surface registered mail to the USA. There is no evidence it was registered on the RPO. There is a penciled notation "special delivery" at top left. The US receiving office determined that SD payment was not made and added 20 cents postage due. FEE CLAIMED BY OFFICE OF FIRST ADDRESS is indicated. [ NORTH BAY & S.S. MARIE R.P.O. / No., Train 27, JUL 24 36 ]

This cover was franked with a stamp from Great Britain, on a Winnipeg hotel envelope, addressed to Regina and processed on the RPO car. Did a visitor from GB mistakenly use the wrong stamp while travelling west-bound on the CPR? [ WINNIPEG & MOOSE JAW R.P.O. / No.4, west-bound, NO 21 10 ]

Bi-sect accepted as legitimate postage. This cover would not have been accepted if presented to a town postal clerk, or it would have been charged postage-due if the town clerk received it from a mail box collection. Faced with a heavy workload on a swaying train, the RPO clerks sometimes just looked the other way, perhaps hoping that the incorrect usage would be caught at Steinbach - it was not. [ FT. FRANCES & W'PEG R.P.O. / No.3, train 21, SP 22 14 ]
Mail carrying none of the required postage was sometimes let pass, perhaps for the same reason as above. These two cards sent by the same person to different addresses were probably posted through the mail slot in the RPO car at a station stop by a passenger. Take a moment to consider how the clerk was oriented to the cards and wonder why? [ WINNIPEG & MOOSE JAW R.P.O. / No.10, east-bound, SP 18 09 ]
People used different excuses for not using stamps. This sender thought "FREE TRIAL SAMPLE" would suffice, particularly on April Fool's Day, but a postage due (tax) of 6 cents was applied by the RPO clerk. The recipient, a large commercial drug supply company, probably paid for a bundle of postage due items and received a receipt, which may have had stamps affixed and cancelled (Ross Gray, pers. comm.).[ WPG. & DEL. R.P.O. / No.2, train 124, AP 1 35 ]
Another example of a "tax" notation. This time, it appears that the RPO clerk made the T 6c note; then a 6 cents DUE mark was made and, subsequently, Postage Due stamps were affixed and then cancelled when paid.[ WPG. & DEL. R.P.O. / No.2, train 124, AP 1 35 ]
This is a case where the company promised to pay 3 cents on receipt. It appears that the postage due stamps were added and cancelled at Winnipeg. [ WPG. & DEL. R.P.O. / No.2, train 122, JAN 27 31 ]
This card was written while on the CPR travelling from Brandon, west-bound. The postal rate for a post card in 1945 was 3 cents. A penalty of 2 cents was noted. The postage due stamp was cancelled with a large New Westminster hammer. The card was then sent to General Delivery. [ WINNIPEG & MOOSE JAW R.P.O. / No.15, train 1, MY 4 45 ]
This cover was franked with a stamp from the USA, on a CPR postcard, addressed to Vermont and processed on the RPO car on APR 29 1908. This time, the RPO clerk sent it to the Branch Dead Letter Office, Winnipeg. The BDLO added a Canadian stamp before re-stamping it and sending it on May 9 to the Winnipeg Post Office, where it was processed and sent on its way. [ FORT WILLIAM & WINNIPEG R.P.O. / No.7, east-bound ]
This cover was franked with the same USA stamp on a Banff postcard addressed to Winnipeg. In this case, the RPO clerk either did not notice or ignored the incorrect postage. The writer was travelling southbound, according to the message, but the card was processed on the north-bound RPO on the Canadian Northern Railway. [ C.N.RW'Y EMERSON & WINNIPEG R.P.O. / No., north-bound ]
Canadian postage was used on this cover, which was processed on an RPO between North Bay and Sault Ste Marie. The 13 cents was enough to pay for surface registered mail to the USA. There is no evidence it was registered on the RPO. There is a penciled notation "special delivery" at top left. The US receiving office determined that SD payment was not made and added 20 cents postage due. FEE CLAIMED BY OFFICE OF FIRST ADDRESS is indicated. [ NORTH BAY & S.S. MARIE R.P.O. / No., Train 27, JUL 24 36 ]
This cover was franked with a stamp from Great Britain, on a Winnipeg hotel envelope, addressed to Regina and processed on the RPO car. Did a visitor from GB mistakenly use the wrong stamp while travelling west-bound on the CPR? [ WINNIPEG & MOOSE JAW R.P.O. / No.4, west-bound, NO 21 10 ]