Combination Baggage and Mail Car No. 5403
Why it's listed
Built at the Pennsylvania Railroad's Juniata Shops in 1893, Combination Baggage and Mail Car No. 5403 is a wooden railway car of Class BC, measuring 61 feet 3 inches in total length and carried on a wooden underframe. It was a working post office on wheels. Clerks sorted mail while the train moved, picking up and delivering pouches at railroad stations. A drop letter slot in the door allowed patrons to post letters through the car during station stops. The car is part of the Pennsylvania Railroad Rolling Stock thematic group, which is valued for its range of car types. Many of the cars in the group are the only surviving examples of their types. Car No. 5403 is in Strasburg, Lancaster County, and the nomination notes that it is an original car rather than a replica.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the car is significant as a surviving example of Pennsylvania Railroad rolling stock, a varied group of historically significant cars, many of which are the only surviving specimens of their types. The car served as a working post office on wheels, with clerks sorting mail en route and a drop letter slot in the door that let patrons use it as a mobile letter box at station stops. The document notes all of the cars are genuine rather than replicas.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79002261, listed December 17, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of Strasburg, Strasburg |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | December 17, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002261 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1893 |
| Architect / builder | Pennsylvania Railroad, Juniata Shops |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Invention |
| Level of significance | National |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.98242, -76.16077 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79002261.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.