TOPIC: Remember the "Mailsters"?

Does anyone remember the 3-wheeled “Mailsters” used by the U.S. Post Office through the 50’s and 60’s?

For more than a decade many letter carriers made their daily rounds in vehicles that could be immobilized by three inches of snow, tip over if driving around a corner more than 25 mph, caught in a wind gust, or even by large dogs jumping on them!

They were produced by at least 7 different companies with 7.5 horsepower engines which left them creeping along in city traffic and were plagued with defective components. Finally in the 70’s they were replaced by Jeeps.

Diane -

I don't remember them being used by Postal Service but I do know of them ... they are very cool. I've had some odd ball bikes in my life, I had a Cushman Truckster that I can't seem to find any pictures of - must be on another computer. I also bought a GO-4 a few years ago from NY City PD. After going through it and "souping" up the engine I had a custom wrap done ... here are a couple pictures:







Did the wrap to mimic a fighter plane ... even did the "kill" badges on side (various motorcycles I've owned). It was cool and got lots of attention.

I always thought they were pretty cool too. The miserable Princeton parking ticket placement brigade (cops) used to use some sort of three wheeler with a cab. Might have been similar to one of those, but they were, as I remember, Cushmans. All I ever had was a Slant Back Cushman scooter, but it did fine yeoman duty as transportation of a poor college kid. Come to think of it, the Princeton Parking Ticket mob just might have been using Trucksters... But yours, V-Man is a LOT cooler looking!!

Ralph L. Meyer wrote:
Thank you Ralph for the compliment, I always seem to gravitate toward different/odd things ... I believe my GO4 was the first one registered in the State of PA, even with title and bill of sale I had trouble getting it registered and plated (It did not appear in their computer system). It's always worth the trouble when you get the plate ... thank goodness Kimberley is my insurance agent!!!!

You're welcome! ...And I commiserate on the difficulty of getting the state goombahs to register your neat GO4... I suspect sometimes that to be a bureaucrat one has to have that part of the brain that supports reason and common sense as a means of dealing with uncharted situations excised so that all one knows to be capable of doing is whatever the system says it knows to do. I say 'nuts' to that kind of narrow nonsense. ...And your GO4, especially with the mouth with teeth would have been far more perfect for Princeton's Parking Meter Mavens than the nondescript white and blue buggies they used. ...Could've even scared people into putting money in the meters more often!

Love the cool fighter theme, Don. Growing up in the country playing in barns with Amish kids - - I had to Google GO4. Ahhh,, the only meter maids I've seen were on foot.
Found this: "Odd Three Wheelers Through History"

Speaking of 3-wheelers, Tim and I finally got to test ride a friend's new Can Am Spyder yesterday.

Pros: Won't tip over, don't have to reach the ground = wouldn't have to wear as much heavy hot protective gear! Full fairing and windshield - I can't ride anything big enough to achieve that luxury any other way. Plush comfy seats. Tons of storage (full dresser).

Cons: Behaves more like a 4 wheeler quad than a bike. Doesn't lean. All 3 wheels transfer every bump to the machine and you can't straddle or avoid them, though suspension and absorbs fairly well. Steering so quick almost feels twitchy.