Graham Farish BR Mk1 TPOs
The earliest mail vehicles are thought to have been in use by 1830. A Post Office
sorting van (POS) is used in a Travelling Post Office (TPO) and, during the journey, Royal
Mail staff sort the mail. 96 of these vehicles were built by British Rail in small batches
between 1959 and 1977, all to similar designs and based on the Mk1 coach. The early
batches featured catching nets, which allowed mail bags to be collected from lineside
apparatus while the train was still moving. Bags of sorted mail were also dropped off
without a need for the train to stop. From the beginning of 1972, this practice was
abandoned and the apparatus removed. However, being able to sort mail on the train was a
great time saver and gave rail an advantage over road transport. Under the TOPS system the
vans were coded 'NS'. 
In 2010, Bachmann produced some 00 scale models exclusively for ModelZone model stores and, having undertaken the research and design work, put it to additional use by producing some N gauge models as well. The models are based on coach diagram 720. W80300 (374-903) is in plain red livery with 'Royal Mail' in shadowed serifed capitals, a livery that belongs to the late 1960s, while the bright red NSX No.80305 (374-900) with modern Royal Mail branding and yellow lines is the most modern design.