Colne Valley Railway's TPO Day (Sunday 27th July 2003)
On Friday 25th July 2003 the last ever run of the East Anglian TPO took place, this being one of three services to finish that night. The others were the South Eastern TPO and the South Wales TPO. As a way of commemorating the East Anglian service the Colne Valley Railway operated their own TPO, 80318, on the Sunday to allow the public the chance of seeing what life on board a TPO was like.
The picture on the left shows where the original apparatus equipment would have been placed.
Inside the coach all the original fittings are still in place, the one depicted being a "packet fitting" and was used to sort the larger parcels on a TPO.
A general view of the coach, showing how small the windows were and how little light is let in by them. Later carriages had even smaller windows as a result of the Great Train Robbery.
During the day the carriage was used to demonstrate how the leather pouches used during an exchange where made up using three sacks of mail.
Despite the last lineside exchange happening in 1971 and all equipment being removed TPO 80318 still retains the bell that was sounded when the apparatus equipment was in operation.
At the end of the day TPO 80318 is put back in the siding to carry out its normal static duties.
On Friday 25th July 2003 the last ever run of the East Anglian TPO took place, this being one of three services to finish that night. The others were the South Eastern TPO and the South Wales TPO. As a way of commemorating the East Anglian service the Colne Valley Railway operated their own TPO, 
Inside the coach all the original fittings are still in place, the one depicted being a "packet fitting" and was used to sort the larger parcels on a TPO.
A general view of the coach, showing how small the windows were and how little light is let in by them. Later carriages had even smaller windows as a result of the Great Train Robbery.
Despite the last lineside exchange happening in 1971 and all equipment being removed TPO 80318 still retains the bell that was sounded when the apparatus equipment was in operation.
At the end of the day TPO 80318 is put back in the siding to carry out its normal static duties.