Post boxes on trams

[Guest Broakham]

Can anyone remember the trams with a post box? I think you paid a halfpenny extra and they were emptied by the GPO in Fitzalan Square.

[Sheffield History]

They should do that these days, or at least have post boxes at tram stops

[Guest bus man]

Not practicle these days remember fitzallen sq was where the main post office was the boxes went straight into the office , the main sorting office is now at Brightside Lane which is off the tram track .

[madannie77]

Not practicle these days remember fitzallen sq was where the main post office was the boxes went straight into the office , the main sorting office is now at Brightside Lane which is off the tram track .

The Sheffield postal cars ran from around 1902 to 1939, and were on late evening trams only, usually the first departure from the outer terminus after 10pm.

[madannie77]

Postal cars were introduced in Sheffield on 1st October 1902.

In 1915 there were two postal services on each route. The first left the suburban termini between 9.30 and 9.50 pm in order to meet the 10 pm GPO collection for the overnight mail train to London and the south, and one an hour later to meet the 11 pm collection for mail trains to the north of the country and another train to London.

The Saturday postal service was withdrawn in 1927 but the Monday to Friday service continued until the outbreak of World War II, by which time there was just one service on each route leaving the suburban termini between 9.54 pm and 10.06 pm.

[Keith_exS10]

In answer to Broakham's question,  have to say once more that I can.

The Board of Trade had reservations about the Walkley route past Crookes Valley Road and initally imposed restrictions on the cars (singledeck only) and looking at the gradient at the top of Barber Road they imposed  a compulsory stop halfway down. This lasted to the end even  when doubledeckers with better brakes were allowed  We lived in Barber Crescent;  fifty yards to a tram stop was very convenient.

Saturday not being a "school day" I was allowed to stay up late on Friday. At the right time Father handed me an envelope with the odd instruction not to wave it about, and so off to the tram stop.We could see it stop just over the brow as usual then come down. No problem in identifying it because of the end indicators. The top one was the usual destination in white letters on black. The lower one had "Postal Car" in white letters on red.

  The tram had a  Z shape plate bracket inside the dash panel to the right of the brake column The post box was I think something like the small boxes still in use today but not as big. The height was such that a normal person could stand on the ground and post a letter. I couldn't. There was always someone else so I had to wait to climb on, post the letter and climb own. And at six  those steps looked horribly deep. So back home to bed, excitement over for the day.

Speculating at a distance, that was the easy bit. The Post Office must have had a small problem getting the boxes on the right tram on the outward journies. Collection as we know was in Fitzalan Square but not all routes passed through there. Snig Hill would have to deal with boxes from Ecclesall, Fulwood, Malin Bridge and Middlewood. Was there anything from  Exchange Street.?  Another problem; arrival times would be spread out depending on the distance. Wonder which was the last one in? I imagine that by the time I took an  interest the Post Office had got their  bit down to a fine art. 

  During the war I looked for the brackets on the dash panel when we came down the stairs, no bother then about passive smoking and the young. Mother liked her Senior Service. At this range I have two vague memories. One is that only the older designs had them and that I saw them less and less. Someone will doubtless correct me. . In the matter of trivial pursuits I have often wondered how they were fastened to the dash panel. . I am told Standard 189 at Crich has both brackets and box so somebody might know. At least there is a survivor to look at. 

As to Father's letter It was his football pools entry which as I found out later was at that time supposed to be posted no later than 6 p.m.  I doubt if anybody bothered and anyway he never won anything.  And I wonder how many stamps he put on