RPO Car
Electric Baggage/RPO car #4209
Class MBM-62 combination baggage and railway post office car.
Originally a baggage car, this car was built for the Long Island Railroad in 1910 by the American Car and Foundry Company. The original number was #1209. In 1925 this car was rebuilt as a combination baggage and railway post office car. In April of 1960 this car was again rebuilt and modernized. At this time the car was renumbered 4209.
This car and sister car #4210 ended their LIRR service at the Dunton Electric Car Shop. It was used as a "shop horse" to move unpowered electric cars into and out of the shop. These cars were suited to this service because they were equipped with four traction motors. This gave them the power that was necessary to move the other cars around.
This car had been on display at the museum's Riverhead restoration site for many years. Unfortunately, after years of being out in the weather will no resources available for preservation this car had deteriorated to the point where restoration was no longer possible. Furthermore, in its deteriorated state it had become a safety hazard. In the summer of 2007 it was cut-up and scrapped.
Your contributions can help prevent other historically significant pieces of RMLI rolling stock from suffering a similar fate. Contact the Museum to get more details on what you can do to help preserve Long Island's railroad heritage.