Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT Division)

Postal Sorting Vans KP 651 & KP 787 Both of these four-man vans were built in 1912 to provide mail-sorting facilities on overnight passenger trains. Each van had a letter-sorting room in the centre of the van, with five sorting stations along one side - four were for sorting while the fifth was provided for staff training. Postal staff sorted mail, including letters collected at railway stations on the way to the train's destination, into 'pigeon holes' and then into mail sacks. Usually the vans were attached to night trains. They were initially equipped with gas lighting and heating. Electric lighting was fitted in the 1920s. KP 651 was the first of 11 KP vans built by Richie Bros. It entered service in August 1912, with KP 787 following a month later. The vans were still in use in the 1960s. 651 was acquired by the Society in 1984 and 787 in 1985. Both are used today as storage vans at Canberra Railway Museum.

Click on picture for larger image; use your 'Back' button to return to this page    KP 787, Canberra yard

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