POST OFFICE VEHICLE CLUB
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HERITAGE The Post Office Vehicle Club was formed in 1962 by
a group of people whose interest in the GPO fleet started between the wars
and built up a detailed record of the then current Mail and Telephone fleets
operated by the General Post Office. The members recorded vehicles sold out of GPO service, which in
those days was by invitations to tender placed in Post Office windows, and
only a handful of vehicles could be considered as preserved. A significant event in the story was in
1968 when the then Club Secretary discovered a 1936 Albion 30cwt. linesman’s
van CXN 247 in a field in Gloucestershire where it had rested for eighteen
years. He talked the Post Office into
repurchasing the Albion; it was restored by apprentices at Yeading Central
Repair Depôt in West London, and received accolades in the HCVC London to
Brighton run. The preservation
movement grew during the seventies and eighties and another major turning
point was in 1985 when the Club was invited to help stage a display to
commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Charter granted by King Charles I,
which opened the network of Royal Posts to the citizens and provided the
foundation of the modern mail system.
The magnificent event held in Bagshot Park in Surrey, attended by HRH Prince
Charles, probably the first large scale display of preserved Post Office
vehicles, provided the impetus for the Club to publish the first edition of
this book. After collating the information we were somewhat surprised to find
around two hundred such vehicles known to be in the hands of
preservationists, in varying states of restoration from "as found"
(which can mean a pile of scrap metal) to better than the day it went into
service. We are also pleased to see an increasing number of rallies where there
is a special class for these vehicles, and of other events where we are asked
to provide a vehicle presence. These displays highlight the appeal of the
growing Post Office vehicle preservation movement, and in recent years a
number of vehicles previously listed as "under restoration" have
progressed to become familiar entrants at rallies. Many more, previously
unknown, have been discovered, salvaged and are now safely in the hands of
enthusiasts, their future now assured. Sadly, however, a few more have been
lost to preservation, because of poor condition, accident, fire, theft,
vandalism or lack of resources. Readers
may be surprised to see so many former Post Office vehicles in preservation, probably
the largest number from a single operator apart from the Army, which reflects
the fact that the GPO operated the largest commercial road transport fleet in
the country - reaching a peak of 80,000 vehicles at the division of British
Telecom and the Post Office in October 1981. Small postal vehicles have
always been popular on the second-hand market - they tend to be proven
British models providing economical transport. No wonder therefore that so
many small vehicles have survived long enough in private ownership to become
collectable - the series 1 Minor, the series Z and latterly the post-war
Minor in all its forms. The last Minor was built in 1972 and even late
examples are being lovingly restored to original condition. As time passes,
more modern vehicles become rare, and therefore collectable, but the
perennial appeal of the Minor seems to have detracted from its successors,
the Minivan, Morris Marina and Bedford HA. When these types are finally
considered historic will any good examples be left to preserve? Consider that
our list includes only two first-generation GPO Minivans and two Ford
Anglias. Preservation of larger commercial vehicles is a comparatively recent
phenomenon; only really becoming popular in the 1960s. This upsurge in
interest has led to vehicles being salvaged from scrapyards and fields, but
many important examples have been lost forever. Wholesale scrapping of older
vehicles for the war effort means that in the main, only vehicles roadworthy
at the beginning of the war have survived, and of the hundreds of GPO Ford
model T and A vans, the Trojans, the S & D Freighters; the Alldays &
Onions lorries and many other types, none is known to still exist. More
recent vehicles are being discovered in fields and scrapyards, and since the first
edition many more important vehicles have been rescued to enhance the
available heritage of Post Office road transport, and no doubt many more are
still waiting to be discovered.
Another encouraging fact is that both the Post Office and British Telecom
are now aware of the historical value of their transport heritage. Both
operators have built up a magnificent collection of restored vehicles over
the past few years including selecting examples from the modern fleet upon
withdrawal. Part of the appeal of Post Office vehicle preservation must stem
from the special features specified by the GPO. Mailvans included a quaint
"locking-bar" system on the rear door, which could only be released
from the driver's seat by a lever and rod mechanism. Telephone vehicles
generally carried special fittings for tools and equipment - the pre-war
Minor 'External' Utility had a tinted glass panel above the windscreen to
enable the driver to inspect overhead lines while driving along - this
practice would not be encouraged by BT today! Early vehicles, including the
smallest, had coachbuilt bodies to GPO design by a variety of manufacturers
and this practice continued long after mass-produced vehicles were available.
The 5cwt. Minor was superseded by the Morris Eight in 1934, but continued in
production in hybrid form for the GPO until 1940; during this period when
motorisation of rural duties was in full swing, the GPO specified the 1934
pattern chassis, with Morris Eight engine and gearbox, and a mixture of
components, and even the first of the series Z and Y vehicles were fitted
with coachbuilt bodies. For a restoration project to succeed the details must
be accurately restored or reproduced, and where these have been removed on
sale, examples usually exist which can be copied. It is sometimes possible to
obtain genuine accessories in scrapyards, at autojumbles and from collectors,
and when we hear of such items they are advertised in our magazine, Post
Horn. Paint colours are important: mailvans were painted a shade known as
Post Office Red (reference BS538 in the former BS381C colour range) with
black lettering until 1968, when a brighter shade Postal Service Red (BS539)
was introduced. The interiors of vehicles were painted Light Straw (BS358)
until around 1968. Postal vehicles featured a circular device (known as a
roundel) on the nearside door only showing “The Head Postmaster” allocation
lettering and serial (Post Office fleet number). The serial alone was
repeated on the offside, at the lower edge, behind the drivers' door. The
traditional gold leaf "Royal Mail" logo and cypher (changed with
each change of monarch) in several sizes to suit the vehicle were carried on
the upper bodysides, and on earlier large vehicles above the cab windscreen,
though from 1975 the yellow 'double line' lettering were introduced, and the
serials moved to front and rear. Postal vans often carried a local 'running
number' in white on a black pressed aluminium plate, in a black holder on the
rear doors. Telephone vans were Mid Bronze Green (BS223) with white lettering
until 1968, when Golden Yellow (BS356) with grey-green lettering was
introduced. Telephone vans featured "POST OFFICE TELEPHONES, TELEPHONE
MANAGER (AREA) " lettering on both cab sides, serials on both sides at
low level and cyphers without the monarch’s
initials on the upper body sides. The Telephone Manager lettering was
omitted in 1973, while the serials were moved to the two ends shortly after
the yellow livery was adopted. Red 'double line' Post Office
Telecommunications lettering [with Regional variants] was introduced in 1975,
while the British Telecom style was introduced in 1980, when the Royal cypher
was removed. We are frequently asked if an owner of a preserved vehicle needs
to obtain permission to use the correct logo on their vehicle. The use of the
Post Office logo is controlled by the Post Office itself, and the official
view is as follows: The current logo must not be used on a private vehicle
under any circumstances. Historic logo can be used provided that the following
conventions are met: [1] The logo is 100% accurate. [2] The logo must be the
correct type and period for the vehicle. [3] The vehicle must be a genuine
former Post Office vehicle. [4] If used regularly on the road, the logo
should then be covered. Permission to use the Royal Cypher in any form (part of which is
included in the Post Office logo) can only been granted by the Lord
Chamberlain. The Club has asked for permission to use the Royal cypher and
preserved vehicles, and has received the following reply: "I confirm that no objection would be raised to an authentic
Royal Cypher on restored former Post Office vehicles on the understanding
that these vehicles are authentically restored in Royal Mail livery." The use of the current Post Office or British Telecom lettering
on a privately owned vehicle implies that the vehicle is official, which
could lead to a breach of security. The Club will take steps to prevent such
abuse, and cannot allow the use of a current logo on any privately owned
vehicle. We do, however, encourage the use of accurate, historical
markings on preserved vehicles. We can usually advise on the correct serial
[fleet number] to be applied to an individual vehicle, and in many cases,
provide details of its allocation. Another aspect to the appeal of Post Office vehicles is that from
the early days until the demise of the GPO on 1st October 1969, vehicles were
registered in large blocks of LCC and later GLC marks. The Club can assist owners of former GPO
vehicles, which missed the deadline of November 1983 to register them on the
Swansea computer as we are authorised under the V765 scheme to recommend
reissue of the original registrations.
We now enjoy a good relationship with the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency, whose main aim is to prevent fraud, and who wish to
encourage the historic vehicle movement.
If you wish to apply under the scheme please contact Mark Skillen at
the address below, preferably before restoration begins. The staff at DVLA are now much more
willing to approve the reissue and rely on the Club’s expertise and opinion
to verify applications, although some form of documentary evidence and an
inspection (an old-style log book RF60, bill of sale, local taxation office record
or even an old MoT certificate) is required by the DVLA. Worthy of note are the changes to the two national
collections. The postal vehicles in
the care of the National Postal Museum and those held by Royal Mail Vehicle
Services were merged after the former closed, and they were placed in the
care of what is now the British Postal Museum & Archive. Its museum store is located at Debden,
Essex and it has selected open days at store during the year. Other vehicles have been dispersed to
other museums around the country. A
visit to Debden is recommended and dates for the store’s opening can be
obtained by telephoning 020 7239 2570 or at www.postalheritage.org.uk. The BT Museum in London has also closed
and BT has set up a Connected Earth organisation, a web based museum of communication,
underpinned by a series of major physical collections, distributed among a
network of museums around the UK.
Founded by BT, Connected Earth is operated by the Connected
Earth partners - BT and the museums who have taken custody of the Connected
Earth collections. It is a £6 million investment by BT, to promote the
widest possible access to its collection of historical artefacts, while
ensuring proper standards of care for the collection. The concept of a
genuinely national, distributed collection supported by a website has been
recognised as an innovative model for the responsible management of a
corporate heritage collection. The
main vehicle collections are at the Amberley Museum & Archive, and the
Milton Keynes Museum. More details
are available at www.connected-earth.com. Annually from 2007, we have had a Post
Office Vehicle Gathering at the Amberley Museum and Archive each April. This has been well supported by
preservationists, often bringing their vehicles considerable distances to
exhibit them in the grounds of the museum.
For more information, please contact Mark Skillen. Because of the number of different types of vehicle operated by
the GPO, the Post Office and BT, we cannot even attempt to operate a spares'
service. Our Preservation Secretary
is often able to suggest sources of spares or put vehicle owners in touch
with other owners of similar vehicles or specialist one-make clubs. We have extensive records of old vehicles and can, in many cases,
give details of a vehicle’s operational area, its exemption number and when
it was sold. Our records are better
for mailvans than for telephone vehicles. We can also assist with correct liveries, often by reference to
the photographs already available in our “Trucks in Britain” books. We can sometimes help with transfers to
restore preserved vehicles to their original condition. We are recognised by the DVLA as the
authority for the reissue of old registrations for GPO and Post Office
vehicles. If your vehicle needs its original
registration reissued, please ask for the special V765 scheme leaflet
detailing the steps you need to take to make an application. Please send us details of your preserved
vehicle. We publish a “Preserved
Vehicle Guide” that lists details of all former GPO, Post Office and BT
vehicles in preservation. We attend a number of vehicle rallies
each year. Please e-mail us at POVCpreservation@aol.com for
details of forthcoming rallies. LINKS
TO OTHER SITES |
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Roxley Models
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British Postal Museum & Archive |
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Classic Van & Pick Up magazine |
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BT Heritage |
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Fleet Data Society |
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Royal Mail Grimsby site |
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Promod (modelmakers) |
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Letter Box Study Group |
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British Ambulance Society |
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British Motor Heritage Group |
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Historic Commercial Vehicle Society |
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AEC Society |
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Bath Postal Museum |
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Light Straw Telephone Exchange |
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Telecommunications Heritage Group |
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Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society |
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Car and Classic |
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