• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Guides
    • Top 10 London
  • Contact

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London



You are here: Home / Columns / Laura's London / Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum

Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum

Sep 5, 2017 By Laura Porter

Mail Rail is London’s newest subterranean heritage attraction. Open from 4 September 2017; the disused postal railway tunnels have been brought back to life as a visitor ride for the first time in their 100 year history. This miniature railway was the world’s first driverless, electric railway and was never intended for passengers.

New Mail Rail passenger train.
New Mail Rail passenger train. © The Postal Museum

While The Postal Museum opened on 28 July 2017, in a converted printing factory, we’ve had to wait longer for Mail Rail to be open. But has the wait been worth it? Well, if I tell you I’ve been on it twice already and I’d happily go again I think we have our answer.

About Mail Rail

Across the road from the Postal Museum is the Royal Mail Mount Pleasant Sorting Office, and under there is the Mail Rail.

Switching Tracks - Mail Rail

By 1909 London roads were so congested that mail coaches travelled at less than 7mph so a solution was needed. Construction of the railway started in 1914, and the tunnel was dug by hand. Work stopped during WWI and started again after 1918. The postal railway opened in 1927 and ran for over 75 years.

The full railway route of this unique narrow gauge railway – 0.6m (2ft) gauge – is 6 miles west to east under central London, from Paddington to Whitechapel. (Mount Pleasant Sorting Office was in the middle of the route.)

The postal railway tunnels are 20 metres below ground, and the trains could run at up to 30mph.

Previously hidden from the public, visitors now enter at the former engineering depot of the 100-year-old Post Office railway.

Mail Rail entrance

Mail Rail Visitor Attraction

There’s a well-stocked shop at the entrance to Mail Rail before you go down the stairs to the railway itself. It all still feels very industrial with lots of concrete.

There’s a large Lobby area with a video screen so you can find out more about Mail Rail if you arrive early.

Mail Rail lobby

Once it’s time for your ride, you are asked to leave coats and bags in a cupboard on the platform due to the small amount of space inside the train compartments. You then line-up and, when all are ready, you choose your seat. These trains do have a driver, so there’s no need to try and rush for the front seat.

Mail Rail train

It is a little cramped inside as there is only room for 1-2 people on each seat. If you are taller, you may find it even more cramped, but I saw men, women, and children all able to cope for the 16-minute ride.

You can take photos and videos so don’t forget your phone or camera.

Throughout the journey, there’s an audio guide from Andy and Ray. Andy worked here for 27 years as an Engineer, and Ray still works here although he is about to retire. It’s a great way to bring the history to life.

http://londontopia.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/21174506_1410942122287356_1432532525640581120_n.mp4

 

The Mail Rail train ride has stops at the original, and largely unchanged, station platforms. See if you can spot the dart board as the postal workers often played darts between trains arriving.

Train Stops

As you travel through the tunnels, you also travel through time with video projections on the walls and the platforms, giving you history about the impact of the railway and the innovation of the postal service.

The first stop has video projections for each decade.

Mail Rail projections
Mail Rail projections

The railway was rebranded as ‘Mail Rail’ to mark its 60th anniversary in 1987, and Bruce Willis filmed Hudson Hawk here in the early 1990s. (I couldn’t resist re-watching this movie to see the Mail Rail as the secret Vatican railway.)

The 1970s was about the arrival of postcodes (zip codes) and the many strikes.

The 1960s talks about England winning the World Cup in 1966, and the Post Office Tower opening in 1965.

The 1950s talks about airmail becoming more popular after WWII, and the 1940s shows The Blitz bombing in London. The railway was bombed several times with a direct hit in 1943, yet it was back up and running the next day proving how vital a service it offered.

As the Mail Ride train ride is a loop, you pass by a tunnel entrance leading to Liverpool Street in the east. The stop here talks about the River Fleet flooding.

Mail Rail tunnel

Near here, you get a glimpse of the ‘train graveyard’ where the disused trains are kept.

The next stop is slightly unnerving as you think there’s a problem with the train as it stops rather abruptly and everything goes dark. But there’s no need to panic as it’s simply demonstrating the frequent power cuts the railway had to cope with. When this happened for the postal railway, the train could draw power from the next station. I will admit, the noise when the lights are out made me think Doctor Who was going to arrive!

View of Tunnels down Tracks - Mail Rail

The last stop is at a platform with video projections of three stories from the 1930s:

  • A letter to W H Auden about the ‘Night Mail’ film.
  • Kathleen writing to her sweetheart in the Navy.
  • And Mary, aged 11, writing to Princess Elizabeth (who became Queen Elizabeth II).

Incredibly, at this time the postal railway was moving 4 million letters a day!

http://londontopia.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/21248765_270423376794483_1367324717245005824_n.mp4

 

The ride ends soon after this stop and, once you collect your bags, you can explore the exhibition.

Mail Rail Exhibition

This building has a small display area of exhibits about the history of Mail Rail, plus some interactives too.

Mail Rail Exhibition

Once you’ve posed for a photo pretending to drive a train, have a look at the staff lockers. Quite shockingly, the loyal Mail Rail workforce was not warned about its closure. They came to work on 30 May 2003 and were told they had to leave that day. Their lockers are still there with many personal items inside, just as they left them.

Next, to these you can try on a hard hat and overalls for more photo opportunities.

Mail Rail Exhibition - staff lockers display

The displays here include a ‘time telescope’ to see the Mail Rail network before the ride and exhibition were installed. And there’s the remains of a Victorian pneumatic rail car – a 1860s predecessor to Mail Rail.

Mail Rail Exhibition

The really fun thing here is the Travelling Post Office. You can dress up (jacket and hat) and then go inside with a friend to sort the mail. The floor starts shaking, and you both have to race the clock to get your letters organised.

Mail Rail Exhibition - Travelling Post Office

Sorted!

Back up on the ground floor, next to the Mail Rail shop, is Sorted! – The Postal Museum’s dedicated under 8s play area. I’ve had a look inside with some children, and they were thrilled with the miniature world where they can sort the mail, run a Post Office, drive a wooden vintage post van and then be a postman and deliver the mail too.

Sorted! - Children's play area at The Postal Museum

The Postal Museum

Back across the road, you’ll be grateful for the cafe here which has indoor tables plus outdoor courtyard seating.

The Postal Museum courtyard cafe

There’s also another shop which includes such delights as cuddly telephone and post boxes.

Once you’ve had a pot of tea, it’s time to gain an insight into some of the quirky social history behind an incredible British invention – the post.

The Postal Museum

Inside the museum, there’s a wealth of items tracing the history of the postal service from its beginnings, back in the days of Henry VIII, up to the present day. It’s divided into five zones covering five centuries of curiosities.

We are the only country which does not have the name of the country on our stamps, just the Queen or King’s head. This is because the UK was the first country to use stamps. The cast of the portrait used for our Queen’s stamp profile is on display.

Plaster cast of Queen's head for British stamps
This is Arnold Machin’s final cast, known as the ‘Dressed Head, which provided the iconic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II for use on British stamps from 1967 to date.

I was impressed by that until I noticed the machines next to it where you can take a photo and create a pretend stamp then email it to yourself.

Laura Porter on a stamp

The other fun thing for families is the pneumatic tube running across the ceiling of the museum so visitors can send messages to people on the other side. The idea is based on an experimental 40-mile pneumatic network to send messages around London by air pressure, connecting the Central Telegraph Office directly with Parliament and the Stock Exchange.

The Postal Museum - pneumatic message system

One complaint has been that The Postal Museum is too family-friendly so if you’d like to see more of the archives, you can visit The Discovery Room (upstairs in the same building) from Tuesday to Saturday for free.

Tickets

General Admission to The Postal Museum and a timed ticket for Mail Rail: £16

The Postal Museum only: £11

There are reduced rates for children but only under 1s go free.

Do note; you cannot buy a ticket just for Mail Rail (but, of course, you don’t have to visit The Postal Museum as well).

Tickets for Mail Rail have been selling out as soon as each batch is released, so they have now announced there will be a limited number of walk-up tickets available each day. These can’t be reserved, so it’s simply on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. We advise signing up for the Postal Museum Mailing list so you can get notified when tickets become available.

Address: The Postal Museum, Phoenix Place, Clerkenwell, London WC1X 0DA

Website: postalmuseum.org

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Related

Filed Under: Attractions, Days Out, Featured, Guides, History, Laura's London, London Long Reads, Mail Rail, Museums, The Tube, Tours, Transport, Travel Tagged With: London

Download Our Mobile App!


Read Anglotopia on your Mobile Phone. A completely ad-free reading experience. Listen to our podcast in the app. Watch our videos in the app. All without ads! Available for iOS and Android.

About Laura Porter

Laura Porter writes AboutLondonLaura.com and contributes to many other publications while maintaining an impressive afternoon tea addiction. You can find Laura on Twitter as @AboutLondon and @AboutLondon Laura on Facebook.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Martin Richard Page says

    Sep 10, 2017 at 10:15 am

    Great post, Laura ….. and great pictures. Thank You!

    Made me want to catch a ‘real?’ train and head south to London straight away to check the place out. I’ve seen the Mail-Rail on a number of News Reports on TV and thought I’d like to visit someday. Sadly, distance and …. what’s the term? …. oh, yes, ‘cash-flow difficulties’ …. means I’ll have to content myself with your excellent report for the time being. Love the stamp, by the way! I wonder if ‘Her Maj’ would be amused? Yes ….. I reckon she certainly would (and probably the grand-children, too!).

    Thanks again, Laura.

Primary Sidebar

The London Quiz

Support Londontopia by Buying the 2020 Calendar

Anglotopia 2020 Calendar – Shipping October/November

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

Sign-up for Free London Weekly Updates!



London Guide

  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Top 10 London

  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Stepney
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and do in Kennington
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Merton, London
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Barking & Dagenham
  • Top Ten London: Top 10 London Street Markets
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Enfield
  • Top Ten Works of Art to See at the Tate Britain
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Waltham Forest
  • Top Ten Things to Do in Kensington
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Wandsworth

Search our Extensive Archive

Watch Our London Videos!

Recent Posts

  • London History: A Guide to Metroland – The Suburban Expansion of London Brought On By The Tube
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Stepney
  • The London Fiver – Five Things to Do in December
  • London Alert: Black Friday Sale is ON – Big Discounts On Everything We Have In Stock!
  • Fancy a Pint? Ten of London’s Most Beautiful Pubs
  • On Her Majesty’s Appointment – Shops in London that Serve the Royal Family
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and do in Kennington
  • The London Fiver – Five Things to Do in London Before Christmas
  • Exhibition Report: George IV – Art and Spectacle at The Queen’s Gallery
  • Hidden London Announces New Tour: London Moorgate Disused Station Tour

Follow us on Instagram!

Load More...Follow on Instagram

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Clapham Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Natural History Museum Notting Hill Palace of Westminster Piccadilly Circus Portobello Road Putney Queen's Gallery Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey Windsor Castle

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2020.

Link Partners

  • AmoMama Entertainment News

Top Posts & Pages

  • Language: Top 100 Cockney Rhyming Slang Words and Phrases
    Language: Top 100 Cockney Rhyming Slang Words and Phrases
  • New London Street Slang - Fun British Slang
    New London Street Slang - Fun British Slang
  • The London Fiver – Five of the Best Video Game Arcades in London
    The London Fiver – Five of the Best Video Game Arcades in London
  • Tower Bridge: 10 Facts and Figures About London's Tower Bridge You Probably Didn't Know
    Tower Bridge: 10 Facts and Figures About London's Tower Bridge You Probably Didn't Know
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Knightsbridge and South Kensington
    Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Knightsbridge and South Kensington
  • Londinium: 10 Interesting Facts and Figures about Roman London
    Londinium: 10 Interesting Facts and Figures about Roman London
  • Streets of London: London's Most Unique Street Names and Their Fascinating Histories
    Streets of London: London's Most Unique Street Names and Their Fascinating Histories
  • The Top 11 London Based Movies - Best Movies Set in London
    The Top 11 London Based Movies - Best Movies Set in London
  • Blog
    Blog
  • London and the Industrial Revolution
    London and the Industrial Revolution

Sign-up for Free London Weekly Updates!



Copyright © 2019 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.