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TERMS
AND
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN
RAILWAY PHILATELY
INTRODUCTION
The idea for this project
came from a request to explain some of the cryptic initials and abbreviations,
which occur on British postmarks with some kind of railway association. It
occurred to me then that the inscriptions to be found on some overseas marks
are of necessity even more cryptic, and the notes could therefore be extended
to cover some foreign countries. My aim is therefore to help the reader who
comes across a stamp or a cover from a country in which he is not an expert
to determine whether or not it has any railway significance. Of course there
will be omissions and mistakes but considerable care has been taken to check
the information given and to make it as comprehensive as possible.
For the most part the notes are
concerned with postmarks used on the travelling post offices and at railway
station offices, but other information is given where it is thought to be
helpful.
No attempt is made to indicate
the route of a travelling post office. That would be to trespass on the
ground covered by the many specialist works already available.
References
Originally it was proposed to
include a long list of references. With the publication of the Bibliography
of Railway Philately this seemed to be repetitious and superfluous.
Nevertheless the indebtedness to many of the works cited in the Bibliography
is acknowledged.
Comments and additions will be
welcomed at tony@agoodbody.co.uk
Argentina
The early railway postmarks of Argentina abound in initials. Only some of the most obvious can
be quoted here. However they almost invariably incorporate one or other of
the abbreviations listed below.
BRIGADA: Travelling Post Office
(route in excess of 250 km.)
BUENOS
AIRES followed by
a number (2, 4, 5, 8 or 37), and a repeated number, has the same definition
as ‘Distrito’ below for local TPOs working out of B.A.
CENTRAL A (Various
destinations): TPO from Central Station Buenos Aires.
DISTRITO: Local TPO working in
one Province. Thus Distrito 21 with the number 27 repeated indicates TPO
No.27 operating in Province 21.
ESTACIÓN: Railway Station
E. AMB. (ESTAFETA AMBULANTE): Travelling Post Office (route in excess of 250
km.).
E. AMB. MENSAG (ESTAFETA AMBULANTE EN MENSAGERIAS NACIONALES). (‘Mensagerias’ = parcel post.)
ESTAFETA FERROVIARIA: Travelling
Post Office (route shorter than 250 km.).
F.C.N. (FERROCARRIL DEL NORTE): Northern Railway
F.C.O. (FERROCARRIL DEL OESTE): Western Railway
F.C.S. (FERROCARRIL DEL SUD): Southern Railway
OFICINA POSTAL AMBULANTE:
Travelling Post Office (route in excess of 250 km.)
RELEVANTE: (This is difficult.
The word could mean replacement, relief or substitute)
SUCURSAL: Branch (Office)
(Usually with indication of Railway or route. Sucursal Nos. 2,4, 5, 8, &
37 were TPOs.)
TREN ATRASADO: Train Late
ULTIMA HORA: Last Hour
VAGON POSTAL: Travelling Post
Office (route in excess of 250 km.)
VENTANILLA V.POSTAL: Window of
the TPO, probably similar to the definition of ‘window’ under India.
Australia
DOWN TRAIN (Victoria): Train
travelling away from Melbourne.
E.M.T.P.O.: English Mail T.P.O.
G.N.R.P./N.S.W.: Great Northern
Railway Post Office/ New South Wales.
LATE FEE: As for Great Britain
M.G.: Mail Guard
PAY TRAIN: A train with a
travelling bank and other services to serve remote districts
(otherwise known as the ‘Tea
& Sugar Train.’).
RAIL or RAILWAY (or abbreviation): Sometimes a railway
station post office, e.g. ADELAIDE RAILWAY/S.A., otherwise a travelling post
office, e.g. TEROWIE RAILWAY/ STH AUST.
T.P.O.: Travelling Post Office.
UP TRAIN (Victoria): Train
travelling towards Melbourne.
Austria
Bp (Bahnpost): Railway Post
(i.e. travelling post office.)
F.P.A. (Fahrendespostamt):
Travelling Post Office.
Gesamtpostvermittlung: Mail
Guard (Literally complete postal agency)
Gpk (Gesamtpostkurs): Mail
Guard (Literally complete postal journey.)
Here is a more complete
description of GESAMTPOSTKURS supplied by a German philatelist:
Second Class Austrian TPO
No letter sorting
Closed pouch service
Transportation of bags and parcels
No registered items accepted (with the implication that ordinary mail is
accepted)
Staffed by one clerk only
GPKs travel on minor routes or as a transit service on international routes
such as West Germany to Italy or Yugoslavia, etc.
K.K.B.P. (KAISERLICH KÖNIGLICH
BAHNPOST): Imperial Royal Travelling Post Office.
K.K. (KAISERLICH KÖNIGLICH)
FAHRENDES POSTAMT: Imperial Royal Travelling Post Office
K.K. (KAISERLICH KÖNIGLICH)
POST AMBULANCE: Imperial Royal Travelling Post Office
POSTAMTDIENER IM ZUGE: Mail Guard (Literally Post Office Servant in the
train)
POSTBEGLEITER IM ZUGE: Mail Guard.
POSTCONDUCTEUR IM ZUGE: Mail
Guard [Literally Conductor Post (or Courrier Post) in the train.]
SCHAFFNERBAHNPOST: Mail Guard
UFFICIO AMBULANTE: Travelling Post Office
Belgium
Begeleider: Mail Guard
Bureau Ambulant: Travelling
Post Office
Convoyeur: Mail Guard
Gare: Railway Station
Schbp. (During World War I): Schaffnerbahnpost (2nd class
TPO)
Station: Railway Station
Treinpostkantoor: Travelling
Post Office
Brazil
Brazil is a vast country, which had a comprehensive network of TPOs.
Nevertheless few of the postmarks are seen today and little is known about
them.
C.A. (CORREIO AMBULANTE): Travelling Post Office
CONDUCTOR (or CONDUTOR): Mail
Guard
E.F. (ESTRADA DE FERRO): Railway
ESTAFETA: Mail Guard
IDA: Down (odd numbered trains)
LINHA: Line
NOCTURNO (or NOTURNO): Night
Train
RAPIDO: Express Train
SECCÃO: Section (of Post
Office: 4th and 7th sections control TPOs)
T. (TREM): Train
TURMA: Crew
VOLTA: Up (even numbered trains)
Bulgaria
AMB (Ambulant): Travelling Post Office (in French)
Gare: Railway Station
ГAPA (GARA): Railway
Station
И ОБР. (I OBR. = I OBRANTO): & Vice Versa
TRAMBAЯ П.O. COΦИЯ: Tramway
Post Office, Sofia
П.П.
(ПОДВИЖНО
ПОЩЕНСКО)
(PODVIZHNO POSHTENSKO): Travelling Post
ПОДВИЖНО
ПИСАЛИЩЕ (PODVIZHNO
PISALISHTE): Travelling Office
П.П.П.
(ПΟДВИЖНО ПОЩЕНСКО ПИСАЛИЩЕ)
(PODVIZHNO POSHTENSKO PISALISHTE):
Travelling Post Office
П.П. СТАНШЯ (ПОДВИЖНО
ПОЩЕНСКО СТАНШЯ )
(PODVIZHNO POSHTENSKO STANTSIA): Travelling Post Station
CTAHЦІА
(STANTSIA): Railway Station.
Canada
C.N.R: Canadian National
Railway (or Canadian Northern Railway.)
C.P.R.: Canadian Pacific
Railway
Depot: Railway Station
G.T.R.: Grand Trunk Railway
M.C.: Mail Car
N. (or S, E, W) Direction of
travel.
R.P.O. (or Ry.P.O.): Railway
Post Office
Station (or abbreviation):
Sometimes a railway station
Terminal: Railway Station
T.P.O.: Travelling Post Office
(by water unless specifically indicated by rail)
Canal
Zone
R.M.S.: Railway Mail Service
R.P.O.: Railway Post Office
(i.e. Travelling Post Office)
Ceylon
K.L. Kandy Line
S.L. Seaside Line
Chile
AMB. (AMBULANCIA): Travelling Post Office
DIRECTO: Non stop train?
ENTRE: Between
RAPIDO: Fast train
T.E. (TREN EXPRESO): Moderately
fast train
T.N. (TREN NOCTURNO): Very slow
night train
T.O. (TREN ORDINARIO): Slow
train
China
BUREAU AMBULANT: Travelling
Post Office
HUO CH’E (火车) (Fire
Carriage): Train (i.e. TPO)
HUO CHE ZHAN
(火车站):
Railway Station
I.P.O.-R.M.S.: Imperial Post
Office-Railway Mail Sorter (or Service?)
MAIL CAR: Travelling
Post Office
S.N.R.: Shanghai-Nanking
Railway
T.P.R.: Tientsin-Pukou Railroad
TRAIN OFFICE: Travelling Post Office
Cyprus
R.P.O.: Railway Post Office
(situated at a railway station; not a travelling office).
Czechoslovakia
(The following are translations
of some of the chapter headings In ‘Monografie Československých Známek,’
the 16 (or more) volume work on Czech postal history.
Razítka vlakových pošt: Postmarks
of travelling post offices. (Vol.14, p.391)
Razítka vlakových poštovních
úřadů: Postmarks of first class travelling post offices. (Vol.14,
p.393)
Razítka vlakových poštnovních
průvodčích - konduktérů - vlakových poštnovich doprovodů
a vlakových pošt nižšího řádu: Postmarks of mailguards, accompanied mail
and travelling post offices of lower order. (Vol.14, p.427)
Katalog popřevratových
razítek rakouského původu pro úřednické vlakové pošty v
českých zemích: Catalogue of first class TPO postmarks of Austrian
origin used in Czechoslovakia. (Vol.16, p.317)
Katalog popřevratových
razítek rakouského původu pro vlakové pošty nižšího řádu v
český’ch zemích: Catalogue of second class TPO postmarks of Austrian
origin used In Czechoslovakia. (Vol.16, p.331)
Katalog popřevratových
razítek rakouského původu pro vlakové Poštovní průvodčí v
českých zemích: Catalogue of postmarks of Austrian origin used by
railway mail guards in Czechoslovakia. (Vol.16, p.357)
Katalog popřevratových
razítek uherského původu pro vlakové Pošty na Slovensku a bývalé
Podkarpatské Rusi: Catalogue of TPO postmarks of Hungarian origin used in Slovakia and former Ruthenia (‘Sub Carpathian
Russia’). (Vol.16, p.367)
Nádraží: Railway Station
OZ
PŘEPRAVE/ AMBUL. POŠTY (Odštĕpného závodu přeprava
ambulantních pošty): Mailguard (Literally: branch post office transport of
ambulatory mail)
Průvodčí: Conductor
úpz (úhrnné přepravy poštovních
závěrů): Mailguard (Literally: summary transport of postbags)
úpž (úhrnné přeprava železniční): Mailguard
(Literally: summary transport by railway)
Vlaková Pošta: Travelling Post Office.
Denmark
B. (Banegaard(en) or Baneg.:
Railway Station
Bagagebevis: Luggage
Certificate
Båndmærker: Stamps for wrappers
Banepakke: Railway Parcel
Ebn. Post Bur. (Eisenbahn Post Bureau):
Travelling Post Office (German language used in Schleswig-Holstein.
Efterkravprovisionsmærker:
Provisional stamps for collection of cash on delivery.
Fra Sverige: From Sweden (used by Danish TPOs, which cross Swedish border)
Fra Tyskland: From Germany (used by Danish TPOs, which cross German border)
Frankeringsmærker: Fiscal Stamp
(Nevertheless the stamps appear to have been used to pay carriage)
Gebyrmærke: Late Fee Stamp
Godsfrimærke: Freight Stamp
Indleveringsgebyr: Late
Fee
J.B. (Jernbane): Railway
J.B.P.E. (Jernbane Post
Ekspedition): Railway Postal Dispatch (i.e. static railway post office).
Jernbane: Railway
JB.PB (Jernbane Postbureau):
Travelling Post Office
JB.PK. (or JB.PKT.) (Jernbane
Postkontor): Travelling Post Office
JB.P.SP.B. (Jernbane Post
Speditions Bureau): Travelling Post Office
Jernbane Postkontor (modern):
Railway Post Office (Reserve TPO postmark)
Jernbanestation: Railway
Station
N.SJ.JB.P.B. (Nord Sjællandske
Jernbane Post Bureau): North
Zeeland Railway TPO
P.B. (Post Bureau): Travelling
Post Office
Post Sped(itions) Bureau (or
P.SP.BUR.): Travelling Post Office
Posttog: Mail Train
Rutebilbrev: Bus letter
SJ.JB.P.SP.B. (Sjællandske
Jernbane Post Speditions Bureau): Zeeland Railway TPO
Tog: Train
Egypt
AMB. (AMBULANT): Travelling Post Office
T.P.O.: Travelling Post Office
V.V. Vice Versa
El Salvador
There are two references (notes
only) in the TPO Cumulative Index, one of which is incorrect. For ‘Vol.29,
p.23’ read ‘Vol.39, p.23.’
Estonia
P.V. (Postvagun): Travelling
Post Office
P.W. (Postwagun): Travelling
Post office
VAKSAL: Railway Station
Finland
It should be remembered that
Finnish marks were originally bi-lingual in Swedish and Russian. Later some
marks were tri-lingual in Finnish, Swedish and Russian, and later still
(after 1917) the norm was for bi-lingual marks in Finnish and Swedish.
Nowadays they are in Finnish only.
a (aamu): Morning
As (Asema): Railway Station
e (efterdäg): Afternoon or Evening (Swedish)
f (foredäg): Morning (Swedish)
FINSKA JERNVAGENS POSTKUPÉEXPEDITION:
Finnish Railway Travelling Post Office (Railway postal forwarding mail van)
FINSKA POST KUPEN: Finnish
Travelling Post Office (Finnish mail van).
i (ilta): Evening
ILMOITUSKORTTI: Notification
Card (i.e. of goods for collection having arrived at a station.)
J (Juna): Train
K.P.X.P. (KUPÉPOSTEXPEDITION):
Travelling Post Office
NOTIFIKATIONSKORT: Notification
Card
pj (paivajuna): Day Train
P.V. (POSTVAGN or P.vagn):
Travelling Post Office (Swedish)
P.V. (Postivaunu or P.vaunu):
Travelling Post Office (Finnish)
Polistiljooni: Postman.
Postilj.k (Postiljonskupéer):
Mail Guard (Swedish)
Postilj.v (Postiljoonivaunu):
Mail Guard (Finnish)
Rautatienasema: Railway Station
Vaunu: Railway van
YÖJ (Yöjuna): Night Train
B.OTД. (BAГОНЪ
OTДЕЛНІЕ): Mail Guard (but see remarks
under ‘Russia.’)
Ф.П.
ВАГОНЪ (ФИНСKA
ПОЧТОВЫЙ
ВАГОНЪ): Finnish Postal Wagon
o :Day Train
• :
Night Train
France
N.B. The postmarks of the
station offices attached to the Paris main line termini can be found with a great variety of qualifying
words (Banlieue, Province, Etranger, etc.) They are all fairly scarce on
mail. It would be tedious to list them all and the reader is referred to a
dictionary.
*Ambulants primos (shown as 1er
in circular TPO postmarks): Day-time TPO which aimed to deliver mails in time
for
second delivery made in the
afternoon.
*Ambulants secundos (shown as 20
in circular TPO postmarks): Night-time TPO which aimed to deliver mails in
time for
first delivery made in the morning, the most numerous type of French TPO.
*Ambulants tertios (shown as 30
in circular TPO postmarks): Additional services provided to supplement
secondos.
Ambulant Solo: Individual TPO
service conveyed on passenger or freight train.
Brigade: Crews working the TPO
service on successive nights, similar to the British ‘side,’ designated by
letters A,B,C,D, shown in Night services (ambulants secundos) and E,F,G,H
shown in day services (ambulants primos).
B.M. (Bôite Mobile): Moveable
Box (not necessarily on a train).
BUREAU AMBULANT: Travelling
Post Office.
BUREAU DE
PASSE: A forwarding or transfer office (see the U.S. transfer office) which would forward mail from
static offices or from TPOs. Generally situated at railway stations.
CACHET DE
GARE: Postmark used at railway station office (of which there are a great
variety of types: Bureaux Annexes des Gares, Bureaux de Quartiers, etc.,
etc.)
CACHET DE
SERVICE: Undated straight-line mark of station or TPO, for use on official
documents. Said to be scarce when used to cancel stamps on mail (except for
modern covers.)
COURRIERS-CONVOYEURS-LIGNES:
Mail Guards whose postmarks indicated the route but not the station of
posting. The postmarks had a ‘scalloped’ profile until replaced by circular
marks with the initials SC or SCE (q.v.).
COURRIERS-CONVOYEURS-STATIONS:
Mail Guards whose postmarks indicated the route in abbreviated form, the
station of posting and the number of the département.
The postmarks had a scalloped profile.
ENTREPÔT: Literally a warehouse
but included in lists of railway station marks.
LETTRE DE
BRIGADE: A letter found within the datestamp (or on official forms, struck
separately) indicating the crew.
R.A.P. (Rame Automotrice
Postale):
S.C. (Service de Convoiement):
Initials found in circular postmarks to indicate a mailguard service.
S.C.E. (Service de Convoiement
et d’ensachage): Initials found in circular postmarks to indicate a mailguard
and bagging service.
SERVICE INTERMEDIARE: Mail
Guard
STATION (as in
‘Courriers-Convoyeurs-Stations’): Halt (in the sense “The train arrived at
the Station and came to a halt.”)
TRANSBORDEMENT: Transfer
between trains.
TPA (Train-poste autonome):
From 1976 onwards several individual TPO services were combined into one
train for most of the journey, although worked by separate crews each using
their own distinctive postmark. Each train conveyed only TPO vehicles as in
the case of the British ‘specials.’
·
I think this
can only have been true latterly. Further information is sought.
Germany
BAHNHOF: Railway Station
BAHNHOFSBRIEF:
Station Letter (To be collected at a railway station. Similar to a U.K. railway letter but handled by the Post
Office.)
BAHNHOFSZEITUNG: As for Bahnhofsbrief but a newspaper or
bundle of newspapers.
B.P.A. (plus number): See BAHNPOSTAMT, but note that B.P.A.
without a number could be Brief Postamt (Letter Post Office)
BAHNPOST: Railway Post, i.e.
TPO or Mail Guard
BAHNPOST (plus number): An
abbreviation for Bahnpostamt (q.v.)
BAHNPOSTAMT
(plus number): Railway Post Office (A static office of the TPO service)
C
(Coupé): It has been stated that this stands for compartment (of a railway
carriage) (Found on Bavarian bahnpost
marks followed by a number. Hence R-B-C2 = Rosenheim-Berchtesgaden, Coupé
No.2). It is perhaps more likely that it stands for ‘Curs’ (see below).
CURS: Route, trip or journey.
EINGESCHRIEBEN: Registered
EISENBAHNFAHRT: Railway Journey. It is conjectured that this was applied to
mail posted into a special box, which was cleared onto a TPO.
EISENBAHN POST AMT: Railway Post Office (static office: changed to Bahnpostamt
in 1875)
EISENBAHN
POST BUREAU: Travelling Post Office (changed to Bahnpost in 1875)
K.B. (Königlich Bäyerische): Royal Bavarian
KURS:
Route, trip or journey
Nachträglich Entwertet: (Supplementary Cancel, i.e. applied
subsequently and used, for example, to cancel non-German stamps on
international German TPOs on entering Germany, or simply on mail which is found not have
been postmarked at the point of departure)
ORTSBRIEFE: As for Ortsbund
(q.v.)
ORTSBUND: Facing slip for mail
to one place, literally ‘Place Bundle.’
POST SPEDITIONS AMT: Postal Dispatch Office (static office: changed to
Eisenbahn Post amt in 1856)
POST SPEDITIONS BUREAU:
Travelling Post Office (changed to Eisenbahn Post Bureau in 1856)
R (above date in circular TPO datestamp): Retour
(Return journey)
SCHAFFNERBAHNPOST: Second Class TPO or Mail guard.
STRECKENBRIEFE: As for Ortsbriefe (q.v.)
T
(above date in circular TPO datestamp): Tour (Outward journey)
UMSCHLAGSTELLE: Letter Department
Z (or Zug): Train
Great Britain and Ireland (before
independence)
A.M. (Above the date of a TPO postmark): Morning (on first day covers)
B.T. (Bag Tender): a railway mail van devoted to the carriage of sealed
bags of mail. (They are equipped with date stamps which are not normally used
on ordinary mail.)
C.R. Caledonian Railway
D. (on early TPO postmarks): Down (q.v.)
D. (above the date of a TPO postmark C 1970s): Datapost
D. (above the date of East Anglian
TPO 3 July 1967): Believed to be ‘Demonstration’
D.P.: Datapost
Down: Travelling away from London or Dublin
D.S.C.: District Sorting
Carriage
E. (on TPO postmark other than Glasgow & Carlisle S.T.): Edinburgh
Section
E. (on Glasgow & Carlisle S.T.): English Mail (?)
E.H.(or EH): Edinburgh Section
G. (on TPO postmark): Glasgow Section
G.W.(or GW): as for ‘G,’ also Great Western (Railway) as (e.g.) in
triangular Inspectors’ marks
L. (on Glasgow & Carlisle
S.T.): Limited Mail (q.v.)
Late Fee: Extra postage payable
on mail posted directly into a travelling post office or into special posting
boxes at railway stations, which were cleared into travelling post offices.
Limited Mail: Mail train with limited passenger accommodation.
Perfin: Letters
perforated in a stamp to discourage unauthorised usage. The letters are
usually the initials of the Company using the stamp, e.g. ‘C.R.’ for
Caledonian Railway.
R.S.C. (or RLY.S.C.): Railway
Sorting Carriage
S.C.: Sorting
Carriage
Side: When a travelling post
office makes Up and Down journeys on alternate nights, two sets of vehicles
are required. The two sets of vehicles are called ‘sides.’
Special: Train entirely devoted
to the carriage and sorting of mail
ST.: Sorting Tender
R.P.O.: Railway Post Office
R.S.C.; Railway Sorting
Carriage
R.S.O.: Railway Sub Office
T.P.O.: Travelling Post Office
U. (on TPO postmark): Up (q.v.)
Up: Travelling towards London or Dublin.
Greece
A
(ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥΠΟΛΙΣ):
Alexandroupolis
AMB. Mail Guard
Θ
(ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ): Thessaloniki
ΓPΑΦEIΟN:
Office
K. (KINHTA or KINHTON):
Travelling (Post Office)
Π
(ΠΕΙΡΑΙΕΥΣ): Piraeus
ΣΙΔΗΡΟΔΡΟΜΟY:
Railway
ΣTAΘMPOY (Stathmou):
Station
TAXYΔPOMIKON: Post Office
Translations follow for the
text of certain postmarks.
TAX. ΓΡΑΦ.
KOPINΘOY-AIΓΙΟΥ: Corinth Station Office, Corinth-Aegean Line.
TAX. ΓΡΑΦ.
KOPINΘOY-APΓΟΥΣ: Corinth Station Office, Argos Line
TAΧ.
ΠΑΡΑΡΤ.
ΣΙΔΗΡΟΔΡ.
ΣΥΑΘΜΟΥ
ΠΕΙΡΑΙΩΣ: Piraeus Railway Station Branch Office
(In full:
TAXYΔPOMIKON ΠAPAPTHMA
ΣΙΔΗΟΔΡΟΜΟΥ
ΣΤΑΘΜΟΥ
ΠΕΙΡΑΙΩΣ)
TAXYIΔPOMIKON
ΓΡΑΦΕΙΟΝ
AΘHNΩN-KOPINΘOY: Athens Station Office, Corinth Line
Hungary
CS.SZM. (Csomagszállítómenet): Parcel carrying
journey.
Gy.S.E.V.
(Györ-Sopron-Ebenfurth Vasút): Private railway across Austrian border.
HÍRLAP MOZGÓPOSTA: Newspaper TPO
jm (jegyzékelömenetek): Conductor Post (i.e. mail guard.)
km (közvetito menet): Intermediate Journey
(i.e. a second class travelling post office).
Között: Between
M: Menet Járat, i.e. Outward
journey or Down
MÁV (MAGYAR ÁLLAMVASUTAK): Hungarian State Railways
M. KIR. (MAGYAR KIRALY) MOZGÓPOSTA (HIVATAL): Hungarian Royal
Travelling Post Office
MOZGÓPOSTA: Travelling Post Office
POSTAKALAUZ: Post Conductor, i.e. mail guard.
Postaközeg: Postal Agent.
Postamenet: Postal Journey.
POSTE PRATNIK: Mail guard
P.U. ( or P.Udv) (Pályaudvar):
Railway Station.
P.Ü. (Postaügyn): Postal Agent
(not necessarily railway).
T: Térti Járat, i.e. Return
Journey or Up
SZ (SZAM): Number
VASP (Vasút Pályaudvar): Railway Station
VASÚTÁLLOMAS: Railway Station
India
BEAT: The portion of the
railway over which the section (q.v.) works.
CIRCLE: The Indian Post
Office was divided into circles: Bombay, NWP, Sind etc., thus a circle was a
geographical division. However the RMS (q.v.) was, in 1881, itself
constituted as a postal circle covering the whole of India. The geographical circles were subsequently
known as divisions.
DIVISION: See circle above.
F.M.S.: Foreign Mail Service,
i.e. sections of the RMS dealing with the overland mails from (say) Calcutta to Bombay to connect with the mail steamers at Ballard Pier.
FRONTIER: A frontier travelling
post office (or section) was one, which crossed from one circle or division
to another.
F.S.O.: Frontier Sorting
Office.
LATE FEE: As for Great Britain.
LOCAL: A local travelling post office
(or section) was one, which remained within its own circle.
M.A. (Mail Agent): the
officer in charge of a mail office (q.v.). The word agent in India does not imply (as in other countries) that
the agent was not an employee of the Post Office.
MAIL GUARD: A mail guard would collect and
receive sealed bags of mail and deal with individual items which were handed
to him, posted in the box attached to the train or situated at a railway
station. He would not have conducted a full scale sorting operation. Mail
guards were in operation as long ago as 1854 but the earliest recorded marks
date from about 1871.
M.O. (Mail Office): A
stationary office of the RMS. There are two categories:
(i)
Sorting mail offices (SMO) which carry out sorting. They are normally
numbered 50-74.
(ii) Transit mail offices (TMO) which deal with sealed bags only. They are
normally numbered 75-99.
MAIL PEON: Mail messenger, another name for mail guard
(q.v.)
P.S.O.: Parcel Sorting Office.
RECORD OFFICE: A stationary
office of the railway mail service where documentation for the sections
(q.v.) is prepared.
RH: Receiving House (not necessarily railway).
R.M.S. (Railway Mail Service):
This replaced the Travelling Post Office in 1881.
R.S.: Railway Station or
Railway Sorting depending on the context. Usually it is a station unless
there is reason to believe otherwise.
R.S.O.: Railway Sorting Office.
SECTION (see Travelling post
office): Sections are travelling post offices of the RMS. There are two
categories:
(i) Sorting sections (normally
numbered 1-24) (In the UK these would be called travelling post offices).
(ii) Transit sections (normally numbered 25-49) The equivalent of the
mail guard within the RMS.
SET: the establishment of
RMS sorters (the crew), whether in a travelling or stationary office.
‘T’ (in bars): The obliteration
used by offices of the Travelling Post Office (q.v.).
TRAVELLING POST OFFICE: a
railway vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage and sorting of mail
while in transit (now called a section).
S.R.O.: Sub Record Office (see
Record Office).
THE TRAVELLING POST OFFICE
(superseded in 1881 by the Railway Mail Service): The service responsible for
sorting mail in post offices, mail offices and sections and its disposal by
the railway, etc.
WINDOW: A window at which
articles may be collected or tendered for dispatch.
Ireland (Republic)
ANÍOS (or SUAS): Up
B.A.C. (Baile Atha Cliath): Dublin
C.S.: Sorting Carriage
LAE: Day
OICHE: Night
P.O.T. (POST OIFIG TAISTILL):
Travelling Post Office
RAIL: Station
SÍOS: Down
STAISJUN: Station
Italy
AMBULANTE (or AMB) (short for ufficio ambulante): Travelling Post Office
AMBULANZA : As for Ambulante
(q.v.)
FERROVIA (accent on via): Railway (Station)
MESSAGGERE: Mail guard
SEZ. (SEZIONE): Section (of the
TPO)
STAZIONE: Railway Station
TURNO: Crew or Shift
Japan
The distinguishing
character for travelling post offices is the Aida character meaning
‘between.’ It is to be found to the left of the route indication on earlier postmarks,
but more recent postmarks have it at the right, for example ‘Tokyo-Hiroshima
Between.’
There follows a list of
some of the characters one might possibly meet.
Aida: Between
(間)
Azuma: east (東)
Bin: Mail (便)
Gatsu: month: (月)
Gogo: afternoon (午后)
Gosou: escort
(護送)
Gozen:
morning (午前)
Hatsu: departure (発)
Ka: day (日)
Kita: north (北)
Kudari: down (下)
Kudari: down
train (下り)
Mawasu: to go round (回
or 廻)
Minami: south (南)
Minato: port (港)
Miru: to go round (回
or 廻)
Nen: year (年)
Nishi: west (西)
Nobari: up (上)
Nobari: up train (上り)
Tetsuro: railway (鉄路)
Tetsudou: railway (鉄道)
Tetsudou yubin: Railway Post
Office (鉄道郵便)
Yubin: Mail Service or
Post Office (郵便)
Numerals
Ichi:1 (一)
Ni: 2 (二)
San: 3 (三)
Yon: 4 (四)
Go: 5 (五)
Roku: 6 (六)
Nana: 7 (七)
Hachi: 8 (八)
Kyu: 9 (九)
Ju: 10 (十)
Ju ichi: 11(十一)
Ju ni: 12 (十二)
Ju nana: 17 (十七)
Ni ju: 20 (二十)
San ju: 30 (三十
or 卅)
Miso: 30 (三十
or 卅)
San ju yon: 34 (三十四
or 卅四)
(The symbol 卅
is not in common use but is used in postmarks, presumably because it takes up
less space)
Latvia
b/n (bez nomera): without
number (of the postal carriage).
DZ (Dselss Zela): Railway
DZ. PK: Railway Post Office
DZ. ST. (DSELSSZELA
ST): Railway
Station
Jerakstits: Registered
OTR (OTRADI): Return
P.V. (Pasta Vagona): Postal
Wagon, i.e. Travelling Post Office
P.V. NOD (Pasta Vagona Nodala):
Postal Wagon Compartment
P.W. (Pasta Wagon or Pasta
Wahgis): Postal Wagon
Lithuania
P.V. (Pasto Vagonas): Postal
Wagon, i.e. Travelling Post Office
Luxemburg
AMBT. (Ambulant): Travelling Post Office
BAHNPOST: Travelling Post Office
CONVOYAGE: Travelling Mail Guard
CONVOYAGE-AMBULANT: Possibly a service between a mail guard and a full
travelling post office.
F.C. (Facteurs-Convoyeurs): As for ‘Convoyage.’
M* (Matin): Morning
N* (Nachmittag): Afternoon or Evening
S* (Soir): Afternoon or Evening
SCHAFFNER-BAHNPOST: As for Convoyage-Ambulant
V* (Vormittag): Morning
* As a suffix to the time indication after the date in the rectangular postmarks.
Mexico
F.C. (Ferrocarril): Railway
O.P.A. (Oficina Postal
Ambulante): Travelling Post Office
Transb. (Oficina de Transbordes Postals): Transfer Office (as under USA)
Netherlands
BRIEVENBUS: Letterbox
H.
SPOORWEG: Hollandsche Ijzeren Spoorweg (Holland Iron Railway)
N.R.
SPOOR WEG: Nederlandsche Rhijnspoorweg (Dutch Rhenish Railway)
POSTKANTOOR: Post Office
SPOOR WEG: Railway
SPW POSTKANTOOR: Railway (Station) Post Office
STATION: Railway Station
Newfoundland.
R.P.O.: Railway Post Office
T.P.O.: Travelling Post Office.
Generally a maritime TPO unless the word ‘railway’ is in the postmark.
New Zealand
RAILWAY (or RAIL): Railway Station
R.P.O. Railway Post Office
R.T.P.O.: Railway Travelling
Post Office
Nicaragua
AGENCIA POSTAL AMBULANTE:
Travelling Post Office
BUZON AMBULANTE: Travelling Box
BUZON TREN: Train Box (Thought
to have been applied by railway company employees)
BUZON VAPOR: Train Box (As above)
ESTACIÓN: Railway Station
Norway
BANEN, BANERNES, etc: Railway
BUREAU AMB: Foreign Mail TPO via Sweden
BUREAU REEXPEDIENT DE
KRISTIANIA: Foreign Mail TPO via Sweden
Jernbanestation: Railway Station
Kassepost fra Sverige: Posted in letter box in Sweden
NATTOG: Night Train
STASJON: Railway Station
PXP., POSTEXP., etc. (POSTEKSPEDISJON): Postal
dispatch, thus BERGENSBANENS POSTEKSP. = Bergensbanen TPO (or mail guard).
REISESJEFEN: TPO Superintendent
V.L. (Vestre Linje): Western
Line
Ø.L. (Østre Linje): Eastern Line
Poland
AMB. (AMBULANS POCZTOWY): Travelling Post Office
DWORZEC
KOLEJOWY: Railway Station
LIST DWORCOWY: Station Letter
(Definition under ‘Germany’)
POLECONY: Registered Letter
WIECZÓR: Evening
Portugal
A (or AMB) (AMBULANCIA): Travelling Post Office
A.P. (AMBULANCIA POSTAL):
Travelling Post Office
CONDUÇAO: Conductor (i.e. mail
guard)
E.A. (ESTAÇAO AMBULANTE):
Travelling Post Office
R.A. (REPARTIÇAO AMBULANTE):
Travelling Post Office
R.P.A. (REPARTIÇAO POSTAL
AMBULANTE): Travelling Post office
U.H. (Ultima Hora): Last Hour
Romania
AMB: Travelling Post Office
GARA: Railway Station
POŞTA AMBULANTĂ:
Travelling Post Office
TREN (Train): Mail Guard
V.P. (VAGON POSTAL): Travelling
Post Office
Russia
ВАГОНЪ (Vagon): Wagon (i.e. railway carriage)
ВОКЗ. (ВОКЗАЛЪ) (Vokzal): Major Railway Station
ДОПЛАТИТЪ (Doplatit):
To Pay
ЗКСПРЕСС (Ekspress): Express
(train)
@EL!ZNAQ DOROGA (Zheleznaya Doroga): Railway (Literally iron
road)
@EL!ZNODORO@NYJ P.O.: Railway Postal Section (in some station postmarks)
ЗАК (ЗАКАЗНАЯ, ЗАКАЗНОЕ) (Zakaznaya, Zakaznoe):
Registered (mail).
ИЗЪ (Iz): From
(Found in many of the marks used by the St. Petersburg suburban TPOs)
OTD!LEN?E (Otdelenie): Mail Guard (?) (Literally compartment
or section)
(N.B. The meaning of this word is disputed. It may not be possible to give a
precise translation.)
ПЛ. (ПЛАТФОРМА) (Platforma): Railway Platform, Halt.
П (PO!ZD+) (Poezd): Train (Found in some of the marks of the St. Petersburg suburban TPOs)
P.V. (POHTOVYJ VAGON+) (Pochtoviy
Vagon): Postal Wagon (i.e. travelling post office)
RAZ+!ZD+ (Razezd): Railway Siding
S.P.B. or S.P.BURG+: St. Petersburg
ST. (STANC?Q) (Stantsiya): (Railway) Station
Note that after 1918 the symbol ! (E) was replaced by ‘E,’ and
the soft sign Ъ was omitted.
Special acknowledgements to Kiryushkin
& Robinson ‘Russian Railway Postmarks’ (se Bibliography).
Serbia
СТАНИЦА
(Stanitsa): (Railway) Station
South
Africa
HEEN: Down (Literally ‘Away’)
N.E.T.P.O.: North Eastern T.P.O.
P.K. (POSKANTOOR): Post Office
RAIL: Railway Station
R.L.S.: Registered Letter Section
R.O.: Rail Office
R.P.K. (REIZENDE POST KANTOOR, i.e. Dutch: early): Travelling Post Office
R.P.K. (REIZENDE POSKANTOOR,
i.e. Afrikaans: post 1920s ): Travelling Post Office
R.T.O.: RAILWAY TELEGRAPH OFFICE
S.A.R.-S.A.S.: SOUTH AFRICAN
RAILWAYS - SUID-AFRIKAANSE SPOORWEË
SIDING: Station (unstaffed)
STA P.O., STA P.K.: Station
Post Office/ Stasie Poskantoor
STA-POS: (STASIE POSKANTOOR): Station Post Office
STASIE: Station
STATION B.O.: Station Branch
Office
TERUG: Up (Literally ‘Back’)
TVL.T.P.O.: Transvaal T.P.O.
W.T.P.O.: Western T.P.O.
Spain
ALCANCE: Late Fee Posting Box
AMB. (AMBULANTE): Travelling Post Office
ASC. (ASCENDENTE): Up
CERT. (CERTIFICADO): Registered
DESC. (DESCENTENTE): Down
EST., ESTn
(ESTACIÓN): Railway Station
ESTa (ESTAFETA):
POST OFFICE
ESTAFETA AMBULANTE: Travelling
Post Office
EXPRES (TREN EXPRES): Limited stop train
LIGERO: (TREN LIGERO): Local
stopping train
MIST., MIX., MIXTO (TREN
MIXTO): Slow train with passenger cars and freight wagons.
RAPIDO: Express train
SUCURSAL AMBULANTE: TPO Branch
Office
TREN POSTAL: Mail only train.
For a comprehensive list of
Spanish abbreviations see Nathan Ambulantes in the TPO Bibliography.
Sweden
ANK (Ankommande): Incoming, arrival
BR: (Boden Region, the
same as ØN)
EGEN TRAFIK: ‘Own Traffic’ (Inscribed on freight stamps used when the goods
were to be transported by only one railway company: see ‘Samtrafik.’))
FKMB (Fack med Bevackning): Mail in Locked Box
FKMP: Box guarded by postman
FRAN: From (as in Fran Danmark)
G: Göteborg Region, (the same
as V)
INR (Inrikes): Inland
Järnvägsstation(en): Railway
Station
JPKP (Julpostkupéer): Christmas
TPO
L (Linköping Region, the same
as Ö)
M (Mellersta Distriktet):
Midland District (Before 1977, the same as X after 1977)
M: Malmö Region (After 1977,
the same as S before 1977)
NED: Down
NN (Nedre Norra Distriktet):
Lower Northern District (the same as YR)
PKP (Postkupéer): Travelling
Post Office
P.K.X.P. (Postkupéexpeditioner):
Travelling Post Office (literally: Forwarding Mail Van)
PLK
(Postiljonskupéexpeditioner): Mail Guard on forwarding Mail Van.
S (Södra Distriktet): Southern District (before 1977, the same as M
after 1977)
SAMTRAFIK: Intercompany traffic (See ‘Egentrafik.’)
ST. BAN: Main Line (as in Södra St. Ban, etc.)
STOCKHOLM BAN: Stockholm Railway Station.
UPP (or U): Up
Utlandet: Overseas
UTR (Utrikes): Overseas
V (Västra Distriktet): Western
District (the same as G)
X: Gävle Region (after 1977, the
same as M before 1977)
YR: Sundvalls Region (the same
as NN)
Ö (Östra Distriktet): Eastern
District (the same as L)
ÖN (Övre Nona Distriktet):
Upper Northern District (the same as BR)
Switzerland
AMBULANTS: Railway Post Office (TPO Regional HQ)
BA. (BUREAU AMBULANT): Travelling Post Office
BAHNHOF: Station
BAHNPOSTAMT or BAHNPOSTBUREAU: Railway Post Office (TPO Regional HQ)
B.B. (BADISCHE BAHNHOF): Baden Railway Station, Basel.
BP. (BAHNPOST): Travelling Post Office (or mailguard)
C.F.F. (CHEMINS DE FER FÉDÉRAUX SUISSES): Swiss Federal Railways
FIL (FILIALE): Branch
(Office)
F.F.S. (FERROVIE FEDERALI SVIZZERE): Swiss Federal Railways
FÜRKA.BAHN: Fürka Oberalp Railway
GARE: Railway Station.
HAUPTBAHNHOF: Main Station
REGIONAL: Regional (Railway). (i.e. a local TPO usually attached to a
stopping train)
RHÄT. BAHN: Rhaetian Railway
S.B.B. (SCHWEIZERISCHE BUNDESBAHNEN): Swiss Federal Railways
S.B.B. (SCHWEIZERISCHE BUNDESBAHNHOF): Swiss Federal Railways Station, Basel.
S.C.B. (SCHWEIZERISCHE CENTRAL
BAHN): Swiss Central Railway
S.C.B. (SCHWEIZERISCHE CENTRAL
BAHNHOF):
Swiss Central Railway Station, Basel.
STATION: Railway Station
STAZIONE: Railway Station
SUCC. (SUCCURSAL): Branch (Office)
T. Train
Z (ZUG): Train
Turkey
GEZICI: Travelling
SEYYAR: Mobile, Travelling
United States
AGT.: Route Agent (roughly equivalent to mail
guard)
CITY DIST: City Distribution (i.e. walk sort)
DEPOT: Railway Station
E.D.: Eastern Division (of an RPO route)
F.M.: Fast Mail (Mail only train)
L.M.A. (or L.M.Agt.): Local Mail Agent (railway mail transfer clerk (q.v.))
M.D.: Middle Division
M.R.M: Mail Route Messenger (i.e. route agent)
N.D: Northern Division
PTS: Postal Transportation Service
RMS: Railway Mail service
ROUND TABLE: Sorting Table at Transfer Office (q.v.)
R.P.O: Railway Post Office (travelling post office)
R.R. (Railroad): Route Agent cancel
S.D: Southern Division
S.R. Short Run (part of a RPO route)
STATION: Postal Station (i.e. a sorting
office with no railway connection unless
otherwise indicated)
TERMINAL R.P.O.: Transfer Office (q.v.)
T.R: Through Run (complete RPO
route)
TRANSFER CLERK: The clerk at a transfer office (q.v.)
TRANSFER OFFICE: An office of the RMS (q.v.)
which, being situated at a railway
station, exchanged mails between RPOs and city sorting offices.
TRICK: Tour of duty
W.D: Western Division.
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