Sad day when mail service was axed

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AN institution that had lasted for 166 years was brought to an end when Allan Leighton, the chairman of the Royal Mail Group, chopped travelling post offices from the rail network.

It was swept away overnight in January 2004 as part and parcel of the plan to privatise the Royal Mail.

Although the service had survived privatisation of the railways it was shown no mercy, and 80 per cent of the TPO staff lost their jobs.

First introduced in 1838 this world innovation contributed greatly to the introduction of the penny postal rate, which was heralded by the introduction of the world-renowned Penny Black stamp.

This universal post service to all corners of Great Britain was made possible by the TPO carriage of mail in volume and at speed.

I recall the days when station platforms in cities and large towns were stacked high with mail bags and even small rural stations would be able to boast a handful of mailbags. At night in the stations the mail train would stop and bags would be unloaded and loaded with lightening speed.

On each TPO was a letter box where you could post letters as the train waited in the station – this was particularly handy if you had missed the last post locally.

On board the TPO the letter was stamped with a TPO franking “postmark mark.”

Using this overnight service cost an extra penny right up until the mid 1970s when the extra penny charged was abolished, although posting on the TPO was continued right up until the end of the TPO service.

The mail bags in the TPO were opened in a sorting carriage where each worker could sort 2,000 letters an hour with 99 per cent accuracy at any hour of the day or night.

The letters were sorted in poor light as the train rocked from side to side speeding along at express speed.

Keeping to a very tight deadline was normal practice as mail that was picked up at one station might have to be sorted quickly so that it could be left at the next station along the line.

Before 1971 TPOs had been able to pick up and drop mail bags automatically as the train sped past specially made dispatchers/catchers which were at the side of the track.

These were a favourite addition to many a small child’s model railway layout and no doubt for a few adults too.

[johnsouthwales]

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