Night Mail

  • Description

    The Post Office distributed mail using the British railway system between 1830 and 1971. The number of mail bag exchange points situated across the country in small provincial stations reached a peak in 1913, with 245 stations providing this service every day. Most bags of mail were transferred on and off trains at local station platforms, but some used a system of large nets hung from the side of trains which would snatch pouches of mail suspended from trackside apparatus, at the same time depositing bags of mail into trackside nets, all without the train having to come to a halt. This system proved too dangerous as train speeds increased, and was gradually phased out, the last transfer being made on the morning of 4 October 1971 as an express train from London Euston to Carlisle, neared the end of its journey. ( Thanks to Jeff Wharton for photo of re enactor family, background photo details from Bing Images )
  • Owner

    saudekjan
  • Source

    Flickr (Flickr)
  • License

    What does this mean? Public Domain Mark
  • Further information

    Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/156515782@N02/52495574992/
    Resource type: Image
    Added by: Simon Cotterill
    Last modified: 6 months, 2 weeks ago
    Viewed: 57 times
    Picture Taken: 2022-11-13T00:19:45
  • Co-Curate tags

Comments

Add a comment or share a memory.

Login to add a comment. Sign-up if you don't already have an account.

ABOUT US

Co-Curate is a project which brings together online collections, museums, universities, schools and community groups to make and re-make stories and images from North East England and Cumbria. Co-Curate is a trans-disciplinary project that will open up 'official' museum and 'un-officia'l co-created community-based collections and archives through innovative collaborative approaches using social media and open archives/data.

LATEST SHARED RESOURCES