{"product_id":"hornby-railroad-r40568-royal-mail-tpo-coach-no-80331-oo-gauge","title":"Hornby Railroad R40568 Royal Mail TPO Coach No.80331 OO Gauge","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHornby Railroad R40568 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoyal Mail TPO Coach \u003cbr\u003eNo.80331 \u003cbr\u003eOO Gauge\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"heading--3\"\u003eProduct Info\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"grid grid--1-col@medium\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"grid__item grid__item--60\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eThe Traveling Post Office (TPO) has been a fixture on Britain’s railways since mail was first carried on trains in the 1830s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eThe sorting of mail in transit gradually reduced in the 21st century as mechanised sorting at depots became commonplace and concerns about the safety of workers carrying out letter-sorting at increased main line speeds. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eThe last TPO using carriages in the UK took place during the night of 9th January 2004. After that, a fleet of Royal Mail-branded Class 325 EMUs continued to carry parcels by rail, but these too ceased in 2024. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eTPOs could collect and deposit mail on the move by means of lineside apparatus. Several of these vehicles have survived in preservation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Hornby RailRoad model coach features a fully working mailbag transfer mechanism with trackside mailbag hook and collection point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hornby Railroad","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56953777586562,"sku":"R40568","price":53.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/0483\/9120\/files\/TradeWebSize-R40568RailroadRoyalMailTPO.jpg?v=1790768431","url":"https:\/\/goinglocomodels.com\/products\/hornby-railroad-r40568-royal-mail-tpo-coach-no-80331-oo-gauge","provider":"Going Loco","version":"1.0","type":"link"}