Up until a few years ago, HG crews were responsible for one of the most prestigious non-passenger trains in the South East of England......The Royal Mail Travelling Post Office or TPO.

Two Class 73's would travel light from HG to the Willesden PRDC Reception Roads and await arrival of the coaching stock, usually six vehicles - or seven at Christmas.

On arrival, one of the Class 73's would attach and take the coaches into one of the dead end platforms for loading, and then the Driver would shunt the remaining Class 73 onto the back end, which would become the lead Loco for 1O90 later on.

1O90 would the run onto old Southern Region metals to Redhill, Tonbridge and Dover and then it would form 5M90 back to Willesden PRDC, via some Loco shunting on the way at Tonbridge, where the rear Class 73 would be detached and return light to HG, the train arriving back at Willesden with just one Loco.

Our model recreates this working in it's later years, shortly before withdrawal.

I was lucky enough to drive this train many times and can certainly vouch for the performance of the ED's !