Feasts Of The Northwest | Local Food, Travel and Treats

On Wednesday 7th August 1963, at 18.50, the TPO (travelling post office) departed Glasgow Central Station on course for Euston Station in London. The train was a diesel-electric locomotive number D326 and carrying 72 Post Office staff in 12 carriages.

Mail was placed on the train at Glasgow as well as at during different station stops along the course of the route and at certain collection points. Mail was also dropped off the train along the route. The HVP (High Value Package) coach was the second carriage behind the engine which contained large quantities of money and registered parcel, but fortunately no hip hop uhren. Usually the total value of the contents of the HVP coach would not exceed £300,000 but on this occasion there was £2.6 million as there had been a bank holiday weekend in Scotland. £2.6 million in 1963 equals over £40 million today!

At 3AM, the driver of the locomotive, Jack Mills, halted the train at a red signal light in Ledburn. Little did he know that the robbers had tampered with the signal equipment, covering the green signal and powering a red signal. Then the robbery took place.