Below is a list of Railway Postal History Reference Literature that we currently have available. With these references, collectors and dealers can identify and evaluate thousands of different postmarks.
Most of these books are regular stock items, but some are available
in limited quantities. As an example, the total printing of my
Illinois Post Offices book was 418 copies. More than two-thirds
of those have been sold since it was published in February, 1996,
and I do not plan to reprint it. Such limited-edition titles are
often difficult to obtain once the original printing is sold out.
PUBLISHERS: If you have any reference literature that you would
like to make available through this page, please email 
mehrer@postal-history.com , call or write
to discuss terms.
DEALERS: If you would like to stock any of the literature that
we publish (those showing Jim Mehrer as the author), we give generous
wholesale discounts at low quantities.
Email mehrer@postal-history.com,
call or write for details.
ALL BOOKS ARE PRICED POSTPAID IN U.S.
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: Due to the restructuring of the international postal rates which took effect in January, 2001, we must ask that you email us before ordering. In most cases, we add a charge of 20% to your total to provide for additional shipping costs. However, in some cases, the amount required for postage exceeds the 20% that we usually charge.
ILLINOIS RESIDENTS: Add 7% state sales tax to your order.
We do not accept CHARGE CARDS, and HERE'S WHY: Card companies would take about 5 percent off the top of whatever we sold. We don't feel like giving it to them, and we would rather not raise all of our prices just for the sake of handling charge cards. (Before you write and tell us that we can negotiate a better deal than 5 percent, we know that. But whether it's 3 or 4 or 5 percent, we still don't feel like raising the prices to "cover" it, as they say.) We were accepting payments through an online payment service for awhile, but then they started charging for their services, too. Maybe things will change someday.
We regret that we're unable to send "bill with" orders, but that just adds to the paperwork, and we've got plenty to do without the extra load. Exceptions: If you're a long-time customer of ours, and you're experiencing some kind of major "reference literature emergency" that won't allow you to wait a couple of extra days, give us a phone call (309 / 786-6539) and we'll discuss the possibilities.
U.S. Railway Post Office Postmark Catalog. (Charles L.
Towle, Fred MacDonald, et al.): This is the completely revised
update of the original U.S. Transit Markings Catalog Volumes II
& III. All reported RPO markings (more than 13,000) are recorded
alphabetically, fully illustrated, with complete data: shape,
dimensions, colors, dates of usage recorded, unusual killers,
special notes, location of stations/terminals, terminals of routes,
mileage of routes, catalog numbers, etc. PLUS a VALUATION SYSTEM.
This is THE catalog for U.S. Railway Post Office postmarks. (1,000+
pages; unbound, three-hole punch.) #970363. $85.00
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Cross-Reference Guide to United States Railway Post Office
Postmarks. (Jim Mehrer): For identifying RPO cancels where
the first town name is partly obscured or not fully struck. More
than 7,500 listings by second and third town names, as well as
other words used in RPO cancels ("fast mail," clerk's
names, etc.). Also helpful for collectors of single towns or states.
The RPO Catalog tells you which cancels START with "St. Louis;"
this book tells you which ones END with "St. Louis".
(101 pages; unbound, three-hole punched.) #970366. $20.00.
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Abbreviations and Misspellings in United States Railway Post
Office Postmarks. (Jim Mehrer): Identifies more than 2,000
abbreviations and misspellings used in RPO postmarks. An indispensable
tool for collectors and dealers alike. (15 pages; unbound, three-hole
punched.) #970367. $8.00.
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Directory of Railway Post Offices (1864-1977). (John L.
Kay): A listing of the Railway Post Offices, operated by the U.S.
Postal Department and the U.S. Postal Service, over railroads
and waterways, including the dates of establishment, discontinuance
and changes of name and operation. (455 pages; unbound, three-hole
punched.) #970365. $39.00.
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U.S. Route and Station Agent Postmarks. (Charles L. Towle):
This is THE catalog for the early Railroad and Station Agent postmarks.
The book covers the development of railroad mail, route agents
and their duties, waterway mail routes and agents, station agent
postmarks, the distributing post office and how to use the Catalog.
Section 1 contains more than 1,569 railway route agent postmarks
and 184 waterway agent postmarks listed and illustrated. Also
included are route agent names, work periods and routes from 1837-1861
(by John L. Kay); postmark index; station postmarks indexed by
station name; selected bibliography. All markings are illustrated
and valued. (420 pages, plus 55 page foreword.)
Hardbound book, plus 32 loose-leaf addendum pages showing newly
discovered markings: #970368. $40.00.
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Guide to Identifying U.S. Route and Station Agent Postmarks.
(Jim Mehrer): Packed with essential information for deciphering
those cryptic Agent postmarks - even partial strikes! Contains
cross-reference guides, abbreviations identifiers, manuscripts
identifiers and much more! This Guide even includes a list of
dozens of entries that are out of alphabetical order in the Agent
catalog and tells you where to find them. Be sure to add this
one to your reference library. (110 pages; unbound, three-hole
punched.) #970371. $20.00.
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Directory of Route Agents. (John L. Kay): A companion piece
to the above, this covers the route agents during the period 1837-1882.
(170 pages; unbound, three-hole punched.)
Loose-leaf, 3-hole punch:#970369. $16.00.
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Catalogue of Canadian Railway Cancellations and Related
Transportation Postmarks. (Lewis M. Ludlow/1982): The standard
authority on this field with rarity factors for all cancels. (272
pages; spiral.) #760105. $49.00.
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The Catalog of
New Mexico Railway Postal Markings. (Charles L. Towle/1988):
This history of New Mexico RPOs was originally published as Volume
XII, Combined Numbers 2 & 3 of LaPosta in 1981. Author Towle
gives this subject the kind of in-depth, comprehensive treatment
that is associated with his many railway postmark works. Includes
numerous illustrations, postmark tracings, as well as histories
of each rail line and route. WE HAVE
ONLY 3 COPIES AVAILABLE. ORDER NOW. (80 pages; card
cover.) #700409. $16.00
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Postal Markings of U.S. Waterway Routes. (Fred MacDonald/1997):
Incorporates and combines research of Towle, Meyer & Kay into
a single work. Includes: U.S. Route Agent & RPO Operations,
1839-1978; Contract Listings, 1843-1905; Detroit Marine Operations,
1895-1997; more. (196 pages; hardbound.) #970601. $37.00.
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Railway Post Offices of California and Nevada. (Rod Crossley/1991): Traces the spread of railroads through California and Nevada and into neighboring states. Using over 100 photos and a series of original maps, Crossley details construction along the various lines, presents a history of the development of Railway Postal Service and tabulates the known record of RPO markings from California and Nevada.WE HAVE ONLY 1 COPY AVAILABLE. ORDER NOW. (204 pages; softbound.) #970372. $37.00.
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: Due to the restructuring of the international postal rates which took effect in January, 2001, we must ask that you email us before ordering. In most cases, we add a charge of 20% to your total to provide for additional shipping costs. However, in some cases, the amount required for postage exceeds the 20% that we usually charge.
©2002 Jim Mehrer. REPRODUCTION OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS
PAGE, IN PART OR WHOLE, IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED.