Railway LetterService

01654 710472enquiries@talyllyn.co.uk | www.talyllyn.co.uk

Gorsaf Wharf Station, Tywyn LL36 9EY

Please contact us for further informationabout the Railway Letter Service includingour Standing Order Service for collectors:Email: rls@talyllyn.co.ukPost: The Postmaster, Talyllyn Railway Letter Service, Wharf Station, Tywyn LL36 9EYWeb: www.talyllyn.co.uk/experiences/ railway-letter-service

In 1891 many railway companies in GreatBritain entered into an agreement with theGeneral Post Office to convey letters betweenrailway stations throughout Britain for a smallextra charge. This provided a very fast anddirect service for urgent mail.A normal postage stamp would be placed onthe letter together with a stamp for the feepayable to the receiving railway company.The Talyllyn Railway was included in thisagreement and in the early part of the 20th

century did convey post between Tywyn andAbergynolwyn, but did not operate a railwayletter service until May 23rd 1957, seven yearsafter the Talyllyn became the first preservedrailway in the world.The original 1891 agreements ended when therailway companies concerned closed or passedinto the hands of British Railways, but theTalyllyn Railway, having never closed or beennationalised, uniquely continued to hold itsstatus and continues to do so to this presentday.You can still use the service to send aspecial souvenir of your visit to theTalyllyn to friends, family, or yourself.

The Railway Letter Service Contact Information

Above sheet issued in 1996, very few remaining.

Send a unique souvenir of your trip on theTalyllyn Railway to a family member orfriend and make their day!The Talyllyn Railway Letter Service operatesfrom Tywyn Wharf and Abergynolwyn Stationsfor letters and postcards.Talyllyn Railway Letter Stamps, in a variety ofattractive designs are available at the RailwayShop at Wharf Station. The stamps can bebought singly or in full sheets, usually of 10stamps. Pre-stamped postcards are alsoavailable.Items for posting can be handed in at theBooking Offices at Wharf and Abergynolwyn orto the Guard of any passenger train or you canpost it yourself in the red post box in theGuard's Van of each passenger train.New designs, First Day and CommemorativeCovers are usually produced for major TalyllynRailway events and anniversaries.Join our Mail Order Service and receive newstamps and covers when they are produced -please contact us for further information.

How to use the service…

A. N. Other123 Any StreetTYWYNLL36 9EY

In 1870, twenty-one years before the RailwayLetter Service was introduced, the TalyllynRailway entered into an agreement with theGeneral Post Office for the first Talyllyn trainof the day to carry the mail bags forAbergynolwyn and surrounding district fromTowyn to Abergynolwyn.Here, ‘Willy The Post’ was waiting to takethem down to the village to be sorted intorounds and at the end of the day Willy wouldbe waiting for the last down train to take theoutgoing mail to Towyn to be transferred tothe main line railway.

In the picture below Willy can be seen atAbergynolwyn Station (second from right).

‘Willy the Post’

Each Guard’s Van carries asmall red post box whichcarries the letters andpostcards that are handedin to Station Masters atmanned stations, or theTrain Guards.The post box is taken to theRailway’s Traffic Officewhere the Talyllyn Railwaystamp is cancelled and theitem is then taken andposted in the Victorian-style Royal Mailcollection box at the top of Wharf station drive.

In order to comply with Royal Mail regulationsfor railway letters the following rules have tobe followed when preparing covers or cards:■ The name and full postal address must be written

in the lower right-hand quarter of the card orenvelope.

■ Postage stamp(s) to the value of First Class postalrate must be affixed to the top right-hand corner.

■ Talyllyn Railway Letter Stamps to the appropriatevalue must be affixed to the lower left-handcorner.

■ When writing a message on a postcard be carefulto leave space to the right of the Railway LetterStamp for the railway postmark cancellation.

Preparation of Cards and Covers

Printed and Donated by IMPRINT, Newtown 01686 624137