TPO - Travelling Post Office

For many years a fixture in the timetable was Crewe to Holyhead and return mail trains. Until 1979 they included two TPO (Travelling Post Office) vans, where mail was sorted during the journey. Although the trains ran to and from Holyhead, the mail traffic was only handled on the Crewe to Bangor stretch. In 1979, the trains concerned were 1D02 02:23 Crewe to Holyhead, due Bangor at 04:33, and 1K89 20:18 Holyhead to Crewe, departing Bangor at 21:01 and due Crewe at 23:29.

Postmark 29/07/77 (tpo001.jpg)

Letters could be posted on the train, subject to an additional fee, and the letters so posted were franked with a specific postmark. Here is the one for the Down direction for Friday 29th July 1977.

47492 at Bangor 21/07/76 (s0601.jpg)

With departure times of around 9pm in one direction and 4.45am in the other, the TPOs were rarely photographed. Here, the up TPO is seen approaching the Belmont Road bridge between Menai Bridge and Bangor on the evening of 21st July 1976 behind 47492. The train was almost always worked by a Class 47 - and was specifically noted as such in the WTT from 1974 onwards.

47529 at Bangor 09/02/79 (s1852.jpg)

Friday 9th February was announced as the last run of the Bangor - Crewe TPO. 47529 is seen at Bangor awaiting its 21:01 departure time. This train continued to run as a passenger and mail train until 1985 when it became classed as parcels and mail only. The TPO did run again, with another last run on the 23rd May 1994.

Postmark 03/09/79 (tpo002.jpg)

Here is a special cover posted on that 'last' run on Friday February 9th 1979.

At one time, vans were added to and removed from the train en-route. Here are the details from the May 1974 edition of the BR LMR Passenger Train Marshalling Circular.

Train Formation 1D92 02:23 Crewe - Holyhead 1974

VehicleFromToNotes
Loco   
GUV (MX)EustonBangor

Received off 23:20 Parcels from Euston.
Detached at Chester and forward by 01:35 Parcels Guide Bridge to Bangor

GUVEustonHolyhead

Received off 23:20 Parcels from Euston

BSKCreweHolyhead 
CKCreweHolyhead 
BSK CreweHolyhead 
BGCreweHolyhead 
POSCreweHolyhead 
POTCreweHolyhead 

Attach Rear Chester

CCTManchesterHolyhead

Received off 01:18 from Manchester

CCTRock FerryHolyhead

Received off 23:08 DMU from Rock Ferry



Train Formation 1K89 20:15 Holyhead - Crewe 1974

VehicleFromToNotes
Loco   
POTHolyheadCrewe 
POSHolyheadCrewe 
BG HolyheadCrewe 
BSKHolyheadCrewe 
CKHolyheadCrewe 
BSKHolyheadCrewe 

Attach Rear Bangor

GUVBangorEuston

Transferred at Crewe to 19:10 Parcels Glasgow to Euston

Attach Rear Chester

GUVWrexhamEuston

Received off 20:20 Parcels from Wrexham.
Transferred at Crewe to 19:10 Parcels Glasgow to Euston

CCTWrexhamNottingham

Received off 20:20 Parcels from Wrexham.
Transferred at Crewe to 02:00 Parcels to Nottingham

GUVChesterNottingham

Transferred at Crewe to 02:00 Parcels to Nottingham


By 1977 however, no vehicles were added or removed apart from at Crewe.

Train Formation 1D02 02:23 Crewe - Holyhead 1977

VehicleFromToNotes
Loco   
SK (MO)CreweHolyhead 
SKCreweHolyhead

Applies 30 May to 17 Sept

SKCreweHolyhead

Applies 30 May to 17 Sept

BSKCreweHolyhead 
SKCreweHolyhead 
CKCreweHolyhead 
BSK CreweHolyhead

Does not apply 30 May to 16 Sept

BG (MX)CreweHolyhead 
POS (MX)CreweHolyhead 
POT (MX)CreweHolyhead 
GUVEustonHolyhead

Received off 23:20 from Euston



Train Formation 1K89 20:18 (SX) Holyhead - Crewe 1977

VehicleFromToNotes
Loco   
POTHolyheadCrewe 
POSHolyheadCrewe 
BGHolyheadCrewe 
BSKHolyheadCrewe

Does not apply 30 May to 16 Sept

CKHolyheadCrewe 
SKHolyheadCrewe 
BSKHolyheadCrewe 
SKHolyheadCrewe

Applies 30 May to 16 Sept

SKHolyheadCrewe

Applies 30 May to 16 Sept

GUVHolyheadCrewe 

There are pictures of the later incarnation of Bangor - Crewe TPO on Dave Sallery's www.penmorfa.com website