Postal wagon Hpost 42 84 242 2 043-5

Mail has been transported by rail for almost as long as trains have been running. It began with mail carriages travelling alongside passenger trains. However, loading and unloading the mail took a great deal of time and often caused delays. Consequently, in the 1950s, it was decided to transport as much mail as possible separately. In the 1960s, the PTT purchased 35 special trains for mail transport. These were the so-called motor post trains (Mp’s), based on the Mat ’64 design. NS was responsible for maintenance and the train crew.

From the late 1970s onwards, it was mainly the 62 Hbbkkss-type mail coaches, such as this 242 2 043, that were always hauled by Motorposten. They were real speedsters! Because time was always of the essence and the mail trains had to run between regular services, they could reach speeds of up to 120 km/h instead of the usual 100 km/h.