BR 80300 Post Office Sorting Van
| BRBritish Rail or British Railways 80300 Post Office Sorting Van | |
|---|---|
 BRBritish Rail or British Railways 80300 Post Office Sorting Van | |
| Built By | BRBritish Rail or British Railways Wolverton |
| Status | Static display |
| Number | W80300 |
| Livery | BRBritish Rail or British Railways Maroon |
| Other numbers | M80300 |
| History | |
| Built | 1959 |
| Diagram | 720 |
| Lot | 30486 |
| Type | POS |
| TOPS code | NSV |
| Seats | None |
| 1997 | Arrived on SVRSevern Valley Railway |
80300 in service and preservation
80300 was the prototype BRBritish Rail or British Railways Mark 1 Post Office Sorting carriage.[2] It was built by BRBritish Rail or British Railways at Wolverton in 1959 to Diagram 720 (NS501), Lot 30486. It entered service in the Western region in October 1959, transferring to the London Midland region in October 1977.[3]
It arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway in March 1997 from Barton Hill near Bristol, already restored in late 1960s maroon livery, having been donated to the railway by EWSEnglish, Welsh & Scottish Railway, a rail freight company Railways.[2]
Before the opening of the Engine House in 2008, 80300 was used as the visitor centre at Highley. As of 2018[update], it is on long term display at The Engine House with the interior accessible to the public.
80300 in use as the visitor centre
Exterior detail showing the recess for the mail bag pick up apparatus
Interior view showing mail bag racks
Interior view showing sorting racks
See also
References
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Office_Sorting_Van
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book 9th Edition
- ↑ Longworth (2013) p.182.
Links
- 80300 on www.vintagecarriagestrust.org
- "Night Mail" on YouTube, a 1936 documentary showing practices that changed little over the following 40 years.
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