{"product_id":"r40568-railroad-royal-mail-tpo-coach-80331","title":"R40568 RailRoad: Royal Mail - TPO Coach - 80331","description":"\u003cp\u003e1x Operating Mail Coach\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Travelling Post Office (TPO) has been an iconic part of Britain’s railways since the 1830s, allowing mail to be sorted while in transit. These specialised carriages could collect and deliver mail on the move using lineside apparatus, dramatically speeding up postal services across the country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver time, advances in mechanised sorting at depots and concerns for staff safety on high-speed trains led to the gradual decline of onboard sorting. The last TPO service using traditional carriages ran on 9th January 2004, marking the end of an era. Afterwards, a fleet of Royal Mail Class 325 EMUs carried parcels by rail until 2024, after which rail-based postal transport ceased entirely in the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany TPO vehicles have been preserved, allowing railway enthusiasts and heritage lines to celebrate this unique aspect of British rail history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Hornby RailRoad model coach recreates the TPO experience in miniature, complete with a working mailbag transfer mechanism, bringing the magic of Britain’s mail-on-the-move service to your model railway layout.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stockton Modeller","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54805740683587,"sku":"R40568","price":59.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0934\/8477\/7795\/files\/r40568.jpg?v=1789125931","url":"https:\/\/stocktonmodeller.co.uk\/products\/r40568-railroad-royal-mail-tpo-coach-80331","provider":"Stockton Modeller","version":"1.0","type":"link"}