The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-05-14
DISCONTINUE TWO
MAIL TRAINS ON
NICKEL PLATE R. R.
Mail Schedule Changes on In
coming and Outgoing Mail
Announced
Cleveland-St. Louis Morning
Train Carries Mail: Star
Route i'm Afternoon

Following discontinuance of two
Nickel Plate passenger trains here
the first of the week, schedule
changes for both outgoing and in
coming mail were announced by the
Bluffton postoffice.
Replacing the discontinued mail
train service is the "Star Route,
operating by truck between Lima
and Findlay by Lima firm under
private contract.
Replace Former Trains
The Star route will replace the
former southbound Fostoria- Peoria
train No. 21 due in Bluffton at
1884 p. m. and the former north
bound Fostoria-Peoria train No. %
which arrived here at 2:25 p. m. at
the Nickel Plate depot.
Two stops are made by the mail
truck in Blutfton, one at 2:45 o'clock
and the other at 5:35 o'clock, both
in the afternoon. The truck starts
from Lima at 1:30 o'clock deliver
ing and collecting mail pouches at
Beaverdam, Bluffton, Mt. Cory, and
Rawson, arriving at Findlay at 3:35
o'clock.
On the return trip the truck
leaves Findlay at 4:30 o'clock with
collection of mail pouches from
the postoffice there for distribution
at the towns along the way. The
truck arrives in Lima at GAO p. m.
Efficiency Not Impaired
The new arrangement in no sense
lessons the efficiency of the service
here, it was stated by local postal
officials. As a matter of fact local
mail will reach a number of inn
portant centers quicker and some
mail will be received earlier than
under the previous arrangement, it
was stated.
About three pouches are delivered
here at every stop of the truck, it
was pointed out. About that num-
ber is also collected by the truck
when it stops here. The Nickel
Plate agreed to place another mail
service train on the road in place of
the two discontinued and has pro-
vided closed pouch facilities on the
Cleveland-St. Louis morning train
due here at 5:55 a. m. This is the
only mail train at the present time
on the Nickel Plate road serving
Bluffton.
A. c. & Y.
There are two mail trains on the
Akron Canton and Youngstown rail-
road collecting and delivering mail
here. The first train is the Akron
Delphos train No. 80 arriving here
at 9:40 a. m. and train No. 95 ar
irving here at 4:45 p. m.
For local patrons concerned as to
the deadline mailing time, postal
officials here stated that letters
should be deposited in the letter
drops not later than a half hour be-
| fore the departure of the mail trains
and trucks.
The new Star route enables air
mail connections to be made effici-
emily, the time of reaching terminal
| points more suitable than under the
previous arrangement, it was point
ed out.
| Since the afternoon passenger
trains have been discontinued on the
Nickel Plate road its only passeng-
er service now available are the
Cleveland and st. Louis thru trains.
| 1t could not be learned officially
why the trains were discontinued
but it is assumed that heavy freight
traffic, stepped up by war business,
was impeded by the passenger
trains.
When it was learned that the
trains likely would be discontinued
various towns along the road dis
cussed the matter with the public
utilities commission. The towns
were advised that since the railroad
was still providing passenger service
the protests would have no standing
| Dispatches from Washington this
week said passenger service woule
shortly be curtailed generally over
the country due to war conditions
Locomotives now on passenger ser
vice will be utilized in freight ser
vice, it was made known.