80318 was built at Wolverton in 1961 as lot number 30662 - the only vehicle in this lot (believed to be a replacement for a collision damaged pre grouping vehicle). It was the last vehicle built to diagram 720 with the larger square windows (Subsequent TPO vehicles had smaller sausage shaped windows as a result of the Great Train Robbery).

It was initially based on the London Midland region. By 1976 it had transferred to the Eastern Region, based at Peterborough and in 1978 it was transferred to Norwich and used on the East Anglian TPO right up to its withdrawal in April 1996. It was sent to Bristol (Barton Hill) for storage.

Through the Colne Valley Railway's educational events, we had contact with Royal Mail Anglia and had long been after a TPO. Royal Mail Anglia engineered the deal with BR and sponsered the purchase of the vehicle. It arrived on the CVR on 19 September 1996.

It is now paired with BG 80785, which has been painted to match, and is normally on static display, though it is occassionally used as a demonstration train.

Information supplied by Paul Lemon (Operations Manager, Colne Valley Railway)