Ten years ago today the Royal Mail’s Travelling Post Offices (TPO) undertook their final journey. The TPOs were used for sorting and delivering mail for over 160 years, running routes the length and breadth of the country from Newcastle to Penzance and Swansea to London.
© National Railway Museum / SSPL
When they were introduced in 1838 the Travelling Post Offices were a pioneering way of transporting mail. Before the invention and widespread use of automobiles and aircraft the TPOs offered an efficient way to transport mail across the country.
National Railway Museum / SSPL
Over their long history they also encountered a variety of disasters. Among the worst of these was in 1879 when the TayBridge collapsed as a Travelling Post Office was crossing. Everyone on board was killed but there was an attempt to rescue the mail from the bottom of the River Tay.
© Science Museum / SSPL.
The most famous disaster that befell a TPO was undoubtedly the Great Train Robbery. On 8th August 1963 a gang of 15 people held up a TPO which was travelling from Glasgow to London. After attacking members of the train staff the robbers got away with over £2.6 million, which would be about £45 million today. In partnership with the Grampian Transport Museum, Aberdeen the BPMA are running a detailed exhibition about the Great Train Robbery between 29th March and 27th October 2014. The Great Train Robbery, the aftermath and the Investigations: A Story from the Archive can also be viewed online through the Google Cultural Institute
© National Media Museum / SSPL.
By the beginning of the 21st Century the TPO service was starting to become less effective. After the implementation of speed limits on some stretches of track, delays from track maintenance and the cancelation of a number of routes, the Royal Mail reconsidered its dependence on the railway and took the decision to transfer much of its transportation to air and road. Concerns over the health and safety of those working on the TPOs also contributed to this decision. Conditions were cramped and basic, with only an urn and small food warmer by the way of kitchen facilities, and workers were continually being thrown into walls and counters. On 9 January 2004, the TPOs ran for the last time.
© National Railway Museum / SSPL.
The story of the Great Train Robbery and social history of the Travelling Post Offices will be made accessible to the public as part of the BPMA’s major fundraising campaign to deliver a new, sustainable, national postal museum.
To find out more about the Travelling Post Offices visit the BPMA’s website.
To see first hand what it was like working on a Travelling Post Office the National Railway Museum has recently opened up access for members of the public to explore our TPO and watch the classic film Nightmail.
The Colwyn Bay picture is unusual in that it is in effect an ‘action shot’ of a locomotive. The immaculate permanent way and the two staff against the shed are stationary witness to this captured moment.
Thank you, i find these trawls through the archives fascinating.
The image is an official London and North Western Railway photo, you’re right it’s rare that the companies went for this type of shot – the majority of ‘official’ images in our collection are of static displays.
I’m a photographer, I truly appreciate the work of other photographers and often ‘official’ images don’t name the ‘photographer’ because they were ’employees’.
However their skill is appreciated and a great photograph is what it is for all its provenance and historical gravity and despite its official status, still remains an image of creative value worthy of the pride of the companies they represented,
Thanks for posting. I can honestly say that I didn’t know anything about TPOs before I read this article, and never really questioned just how the post used to get from ‘A’ to ‘B’. A great article.
I was on the Manchester to dover t p o
My dad worked on the Derby to Bristol TPO for many years until we left for Canada in 1975. I remember him coming home in the early hours of the morning. He had many great memories of his colleagues and friends in the job that stayed with him till he passed away
Reblogged this on sed30's Blog and commented:
Where does the time go! Down this neck of the words the postal dock at East Croydon has disappeared under the recent modernisation. I think the dock at Redhill is still there though.
Hello sed30, recent modernisation of East Croydon! I remember when they still had the black and white boards which showed the destination of each train and there were plenty of bricks, now it’s all glass and metal, I imagine the postal dock was deemed a thing of the past; like the rest of the solid purposeful construction that was demolished.
We inhabit a virtual world of private ownership with no presumed service to the ‘passenger’.
‘Royal Mail’ is a name given to private equity and Travelling Post Office just means the public have to walk further to the next ‘Post Office’ because New Labour closed the ones in between!
So things have moved on and the railways are as dynamic as they have ever been, It is just that we know what could have been and we are left with what you are given.
Chufty puff.
J.
I worked on the Manchester to dover T P O
Is it really ten years since I watched the last northbound TPO roll into Carlisle in the wee hours?
Retweeted from the NRM blog.
Reblogged this on Max Stafford's Kennel and commented:
Is it really ten years since I watched the last West Coast TPO roll to a stop in Carlisle Station in the wee hours?
This retweet from the NRM blog marks the recent anniversary.
Still trying to trace demise of TPO named at Carlisle ‘Borders Mail’ by Hon Willie Whitelaw. Was it scrapped and if so, when?
Hi I worked on that train it was my first travelling post office adventure the work was hard but we were like family Borders Mail carriage was on the last TPO run in January 2004 finishing in Penzance Cornwall I believe that that all the name plates were taken Of & Royal Mail have them
In memory of my old dad, Tommy Fyfe, who spent 30 odd years working on the Glasgow-London TPO from the 1950s to 1985.
When did last Penzance – Derby and Derby – Penzance Travelling Postoffce train run?
Penzance Derby finished in 90s this TPO then was known as the Penzance Bristol TPO Being crewed by staff from Penzance & Plymouth hope that helps you Neil chandler
Chris – Postman’s Badges – Did the tpo workers still have a postman’s identification badge if so did it have the postman’s home town location on or anything else special on. The workers on the London Mail Rail had POR ( Post Office Railway) and at a later date MRL (Mail Rail London), thaks – Alan
THE UP SPECIAL TPO 1M44. Glasgow TO London. All of the Glasgow crew had GW.Some got off at Warrington Bank Q. And picked up the sister train THT DOWN SPECIAL TPO 1S09 London-Glasgow. The remainder got off at Crewe.The London crew got on at Carlisle to London.Hope that helps.
Where is the carriage named Borders Mail at now after the TPOs came to a end in January 2004 as I worked on the TPO that that carriage was on the Penzance to Bristol rail hub & then went to work on the Great western TPO
Plymouth to London PRDC
Chris, as you can see, I too ask this question. Was at naming ceremony in Carlise in 1991. Subsequently seen many times at Cambridge (its base) up to 1996 when all mail traffic ceased in Cambridge. Have no idea where it went after this.
Looks like this page is still active so can anyone help finding a Sid Lamb who used to work on the TPO?
He was a good friend of John Nils Johnson who also worked on the TPO
John was my dad who sadly passed away last Sunday 12th January and we cannot find any contact details for any of his former workmates
Thanks in Anticipation
Mrs D Clark
There was a documentary on the last journey of the East Anglian TPO running to Norwich – London – Dover. Anyone got a link?
Wonderful memories great job 1962 to 1999 i would do it all again Bill Bone ex Newcastle side
Its good to hear from so many people who enjoyed such a good living and many happy memories
Glad |I found your site