Class 55 Deltic Locos on Royal Mail Travelling Post Office TPO workings

[GraemeWatson]

I wonder if any members have example workings of Class 55 Deltic Locos on Royal Mail Travelling Post Office TPOs?

 

Whitely and Morrison's Power of the Deltics book shows a Deltic (Unclear which one, undated photo) in plate 165 "Overnight mail pauses at York" (Photo: Rayner).

 

RMweb member mcowgill states in a Deltic thread "I remember at least one Deltic made it across to the WCML at Stockport with the York - Aberystwyth TPO in the 1970s".

 

I haven't found any other specific workings, including on RMWeb and I accept photos may well be rare.

 

If anyone knows of any example workings, or the time period in which one would have expected to see Deltics on them, I would be grateful to hear of it.

Many thanks.

[SHMD]

I saw a few Deltics on the York-Aberystwyth-York Diagram.

I heard many more though! (Whilst tucked up in bed.)

 

I think the Deltics were detached, and stabled on the centre roads, at Stockport whilst waiting for the return working.

 

 

Kev.

Edited November 6, 2020 by SHMD

[woodenhead]

41 minutes ago, SHMD said:

I saw a few Deltics on the York-Aberystwyth-York Diagram.

I heard many more though! (Whilst tucked up in bed.)

 

I think the Deltics were detached, and stabled on the centre roads, at Stockport whilst waiting for the return working.

 

 

Kev.

Correct, I saw one once, centre road as I passed on an overnight service to London for a spot of trainspotting I think at Stratford.

 

Now did they go via Sheffield Midland or Stalybridge, Guide Bridge, Denton?

[SHMD]

I was living by the line side in Mossley so all the ones I witnessed went via Stalybridge.

 

 

Kev.

[62613]

6 hours ago, SHMD said:

I saw a few Deltics on the York-Aberystwyth-York Diagram.

I heard many more though! (Whilst tucked up in bed.)

 

I think the Deltics were detached, and stabled on the centre roads, at Stockport whilst waiting for the return working.

 

 

Kev.

So did I (a bit further up the valley)! There was a late evening train, Deltic - hauled sometimes, which I used to hear when waiting for the bus on Whiteleas Estate in South Shields. It was travelling towards Sunderland.

 

[roythebus]

Deltics could be rostered to work mail trains out of KX but they didn't have the mail bag-on-the-move facility. I don't know if the ECML ever had the lineside equipment fitted.

[Kingstoke Junction]

In the late 70s, several of the overnight trains on the East Coast used to convey TPOs. I have Deltic haulage recorded on the 20:30 Newcastle to Kings Cross (and Class 40s and a 37 as well!) 

 

Peter Johnson's "The British Travelling Post Office" (ISBN13: 9780711014596) also details other East Coast workings such as the 20:20 Kings Cross to Edinburgh and 22: 30 Kings Cross to Edinburgh which I seem to recall producing Deltics in the late 70s 

[Red Devil]

9 hours ago, SHMD said:

I saw a few Deltics on the York-Aberystwyth-York Diagram.

I heard many more though! (Whilst tucked up in bed.)

 

I think the Deltics were detached, and stabled on the centre roads, at Stockport whilst waiting for the return working.

 

 

Kev.

Yep, seen a couple of pics.... 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2020 by Red Devil

[LNERGE]

Around 80/81 the 20:15 KX - Edinburgh was regularly Deltic hauled. We always headed for TSO E4050 for our return trip home. There was always some TPO vehicles in the formation.

[GraemeWatson]

Thanks very much for these helpful and informative replies, gratefully appreciated!

[drjcontroller]

 

The last Deltic hauled TPO, courtesy of Bob Lumley's superb Flickr site.