Brake Post Office stowage van
Preserved Great Western Railway vehicle no. 814 at the Didcot Railway Centre.
In service	1959–2004
Manufacturer	BR Wolverton & York
Family name	British Railways Mark 1
Constructed	1959, 1968
Number built	9
Fleet numbers	80450–80458
Operators	British Railways
Specifications
Car length	64 ft 6 in (19.66 m)
Width	9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Height	12 ft 9+1⁄2 in (3.90 m)
Maximum speed	90–100 mph (145–161 km/h)
Weight	34–36 tonnes (33.5–35.4 long tons; 37.5–39.7 short tons)
HVAC	Dual (steam & electric), ETH 3 or 4
Bogies	BR2 or B5
Braking system(s)	Vacuum or Dual (Air & Vacuum)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

A brake Post Office stowage van is a type of rail vehicle built for use in a travelling post office.

British Rail built nine of these vehicles between 1959 and 1968, to two similar designs, both based on the Mark 1 coach design. They were numbered in the range 80450-80458. Following the Great Train Robbery, vehicles from 80456 onwards featured a revised design with smaller windows.

In the early 1970s, British Rail introduced the TOPS classification system. Vehicles were given the TOPS code NU, followed by an A if they were air-braked, V if vacuum-braked, or an X if they had both air and vacuum brakes.

Preservation

All three of the latter-build Mk1 vehicles have been preserved. Also a survivor from GWR has also made it into preservation.

External links

• Nene Valley Railway TPO Group - owners of preserved vehicle 80456
• Rail Vehicle Preservation - custodians of preserved vehicle 80458