Friday 29 November - Post Office Underground Railway and Museum

We arrived at the Postal Museum a few minutes before opening which turned out very well because we had the first train entirely to ourselves.  The two foot gauge railway was opened in 1927 and closed in 2003. It was originally a three rail electric operation although now it is battery powered for tourists.

The cars are very small and completely enclosed. The doors and roof sections are kept in place magnetically and will stop the train if opened en route.  The current route is pretty complicated and was only over a small part of the entire network.

There was a good commentary and there were stops along the way to explain specific features. The network of tunnels was a little confusing especially when we arrived back at the starting point. The trains are driven now although in former days they were automatically controlled through supply to the third rail.

After the ride we took a look at the museum which was well set up for children and adults of all interests.    It included an extensive discussion of the Great Mail Train Robbery

Click here to see all pictures taken at the London Postal Museum