Post Office sorting van
| British Rail Post Office Sorting Van | |
|---|---|
 NSA 80390 "Ernie Gosling" on display at Doncaster Works open day on 27 July 2003. This vehicle was operated by EWS country-wide in the consist of TPO mail trains | |
| In service | 1959–2004 |
| Manufacturer | BR Wolverton & York |
| Family name | British Railways Mark 1 |
| Constructed | 1959, 1961, 1968–69, 1972–73, 1977 |
| Number built | 81 (new), 15 (converted from SK) |
| Operators | British Rail |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 64 ft 6 in (19.66 m) |
| Width | 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 9+1⁄2 in (3.90 m) |
| Maximum speed | 90–100 mph (145–161 km/h) |
| Weight | 35–39 tonnes (34.4–38.4 long tons; 38.6–43.0 short tons) |
| HVAC | Dual heat (steam and electric), ETH 3 or 4 |
| Bogies | BR2 or B5 |
| Braking system(s) | 1959–61 stock: Vacuum, 1968–77 stock: Dual (Air and Vacuum) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
A Post Office Sorting Van is a type of rail vehicle built for use in a Travelling Post Office.
British Rail built ninety-six of these vehicles between 1959 and 1977, to several similar designs, all based on the Mark 1 coach design. They were numbered in the range 80300–80395. The earliest vehicles built featured catching nets and collection arms, to allow mail bags to be exchanged without the train needing to stop, a practice which continued until 1971. Following the Great Train Robbery, vehicles from 80319 onwards featured a revised design with smaller windows.
In the early 1970s, British Rail introduced the TOPS classification system. Vehicles were given the TOPS code NS, followed by an A if they were air-braked, V if vacuum-braked, or an X if they had both air and vacuum brakes.
Preservation
Several sorting vehicles have been preserved, including examples from most of the big four companies, as well as some from even earlier. There are also several BR Mark 1 vehicles in preservation, including the first-built vehicle, no. 80300; the last vehicle built with large windows, no. 80318; and the final vehicle overhauled by EWS, no. 80382. The complete list is shown below:
British Rail Mk1 TPO sorting vehicles:
| Number | TOPS Code | Name | Built | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80300 | NSX | - | 1959 Wolverton | Severn Valley Railway | First-built vehicle. |
| 80301 | NSX | - | 1959 Wolverton | Great Central Railway | - |
| 80307 | NSX | - | 1959 Wolverton | Great Central Railway | - |
| 80318 | NSX | - | 1961 Wolverton | Colne Valley Railway | Last vehicle built with large windows. |
| 80327 | NSA | George James | 1969 York | Nene Valley Railway | - |
| 80328 | NSA | - | 1969 York | Severn Valley Railway | Used as Santa's Grotto at Arley during December, kept in Kidderminster Carriage Shed for rest of year. |
| 80329 | NSA | - | 1969 York | Severn Valley Railway | Used as Santa's Grotto at Arley during December, kept in Kidderminster Carriage Shed for rest of year. |
| 80334 | NSA | - | 1969 York | Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway | - |
| 80337 | NSA | Brian White | 1969 York | Nene Valley Railway | - |
| 80345 | NSA | Richard Yeo | 1969 York | Great Central Railway | - |
| 80349 | NSA | - | 1969 York | Great Central Railway | - |
| 80371 | NSA | - | 1973 York | Gwili Railway | - |
| 80374 | NSA | - | 1973 York | Battlefield Line Railway | - |
| 80382 | NSA | - | 1977 Wolverton | Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway | Rebuilt from SK 25109. Last vehicle ever overhauled by EWS. |
| 80394 | NSA | - | 1977 Wolverton | Buckinghamshire Railway Centre | Rebuilt from SK 25156. |
Pre-nationalisation design TPO sorting vehicles:
| Number | Company | Built | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70294 | LNER | 1937 York | Great Central Railway | Only surviving LNER TPO. | |
| 30225 | LMS | 1939 Wolverton | Midland Railway - Butterley | - | |
| 30272 | LMS | 1949 Wolverton | Nene Valley Railway | Formerly in National Collection. Last surviving vehicle from Great Train Robbery set. | |
| 4920 | Southern | 1939 Eastleigh | Nene Valley Railway | Formerly in National Collection. | |
| 4922 | Southern | 1939 Eastleigh | Bluebell Railway | ||
| 814 | GWR | 1940 Swindon | Didcot Railway Centre |
Pre-grouping TPO sorting vehicles:
| Number | Company | Built | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2178 | GNR | 1885 Doncaster | Nene Valley Railway | Only surviving GNR TPO. Six-wheeled. |
| 599 | GWR | 1889 Swindon | St Germans | Only surviving broad-gauge TPO vehicle. |
| 20 | LNWR | 1909 Wolverton | The Railway Age | Later LMS 30244. |
| 186 | WCJS | 1883 Wolverton | National Railway Museum | Later LMS 30384. |