Bachmann OO 39-765 BR Mk1 POT Post Offiice TPO Stowage Van TPO Red

Bachmann Branchline 39-765 00 Gauge BR Mk.1 POT Post Offiice TPO Stowage Van TPO Red Livery

Travelling Post Office trains were formed with two special types of vehicles, designed to ensure the secure transport of the mail and sorting while on the move.
The obvious sorting vans, type POS (for Sorting) have already been produced by Bachmann. This model is of the other type, the stowage van, originally known to the post office as a Tender, hence the POT designation. The introduction of this model allows model TPO trains to be formed up with an appropriate selection of vehicles comprising sorting, stowage and parcels vans in matching liveries.

The POT stowage vans were used to provide for the secure storage of mail in sacks. Initially the vans would be loaded with unsorted mail, but steady progress in the sorting van would fill sacks and full sacks of sorted mail would be moved to the stowage van ready for delivery.
The coaches had wide doorways with recesses on each side. Originally these would have accomodated the arms for dropping mail from the moving train. Using the side doors on the stowage van was preferable as the inrush of cold air would not then affect the majority of the crew in the sorting vehicles.

This model is painted in the Travelling Post Office red livery.
Era 8-9 1982 onwards. Matches sorting vans 39-430 & 39-435 and parcels vans 39-181, 39-200, 39-201 & 39-275