Im looking at making a travelling post office train, my layout is set in early 2000s and wanted to put together a train. Now having checked there is only currently two era 9 post office coaches 374-980 and 374-980A. All the others appear to be ERA8. However 374-975 and 374-975A appear to be very close in terms of the livery.

Does anyone have any info to help put together a rake ideally looking for around 6 coaches atm

Ideally

1 BG Gangway Brake
2 POT Stowage Vans
3 POS Sorting Vans

374975 abd 980 are designated POT

Looking at 374901 / 2


Are you modelling any particular area / region as some formations were short and later
became longer trains egoriginated Plymouth travelling to Scotland?

Quote from: crewearpley40 on August 31, 2026, 04:40:48 PMIdeally

1 BG Gangway Brake
2 POT Stowage Vans
3 POS Sorting Vans

374975 abd 980 are designated POT

Looking at 374901 / 2


Are you modelling any particular area / region as some formations were short and later
became longer trains egoriginated Plymouth travelling to Scotland?

Well my layout isnt really based on any particular place, just a hypothetical route going from London to Scotland, prob based around the Newcastle area.

Im just after something that would look like you would see on the tracks as there not many pictures online to base it on and most are blury at best. Was looking at the 374-775B and 374-776B. Would they be made up of a mix of Era8 and Era9 stock?

The vans your after ran 1982 to 96 Rail Express Systems livery

Era 8 covers late 80s /90s
9 covers Post Privatisation

After much searching I found this image that I think that I would base it on as its set around 2002 and using a class 37 one of my fav diesels. like most pictures cant really see whats behind it.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/locohunter/23903497726/

Quote from: GWR-Kris on August 31, 2026, 06:06:34 PMhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/locohunter/23903497726/

Super BG (Farish)
4x Sorting/stowage van, followed by a GUV or Super GUV.

The Super BG was a Mk1 BG refurbished with the double doors replaced with roller shutters. Likewise with the GUV.

More 2000ish mail formations here:
https://www.keymodelworld.com/article/train-formations-mail-trains

I'm not a lot of help as I run a total mish-mash of.....

3 x Farish 0787 BG
6 x Farish 374-901A TPO (yes - lights on a DC carriage)
1 x Farish 0797 POS

The 1st and 3rd items carry the arrows of indecision so are a tad late for the TPOs but, hey, they are all red so look good

Quote from: GWR-Kris on August 31, 2026, 06:06:34 PMAfter much searching I found this image that I think that I would base it on as its set around 2002 and using a class 37 one of my fav diesels. like most pictures cant really see whats behind it.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/locohunter/23903497726/

most of theses are available from Graham farish:

BG - 374-776b (Royal Mail)

POS - 374- 900A

POT - 374-975
      374-975A

There are others which can be seen on Bachmanns website with similar liveries

Regards,

Alex