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connections or weather delays. In other words, each had to have an exceptional memory, and the ability to adapt under changing conditions. HPO RoutesAfter receiving input from its Divisional Superintendents, approximately 200 preliminary HPO routes were recommended by the Post Office. As the system became established, this eventually grew to 410 different routes. The large number was directly attributable to the declining rail service. The first three routes selected, including the one in Indiana, were based on a number of factors, such quality hard-surfaced roads, the strength of existing bridges, and the height of underpasses. Winding roads were avoided to minimize swaying and slower speeds. And, because the roads had to be open to year-round travel, consideration was given to highways less affected by snow, ice, landslides, and floods. All this, while still serving communities in need of mail service.While the first three 1941 routes of the HPO were very successful, expansion to additional routes was postponed because of World War II. Which is why the next routes were not established until 1946. Throughout the 1950s, the Railway Post Offices slowly began to fade away, and the Highway Post Offices proliferated. Most Highway Post Office routes operated on round trips that averaged about 150 miles each way because the bus could only hold enough gas for about one 150 mile trip, and fuel stops meant losing valuable time. Also, by running a round trip in one day%u2019s time, there only needed to be a repair and maintenance facility at one end. Each HPO route served an average of 25 post offices directly which, in turn, served many others indirectly. The HPOs had a distinct advantage over the mail trains in that routes could be modified quickly, and the buses could deliver mail directly to post offices, rather than just to train stations.The Demise of the HPOsIn Indiana, the first route to be cancelled was the Indianapolis & Decatur, IL run, in 1960. And the last route in Indiana, between Fort Wayne and Grand Rapids, MI, ceased to be on April 1, 1972. Which meant that HPOs lasted for only 31 years in Indiana. On June 30, 1974, 33 years after the first Highway Post Office interior. Note the pistol on clerk%u2019s belt.