RAILWAY LETTER SERVICE
2016 CATALOGUE
January update
The Railway Letter Service of Nene Valley Railway has been supplying railway stamps
and covers for several years. This is the current listing of available stamps, covers and
other items.
Prices
Prices quoted in this catalogue include VAT and are correct at the time of printing. While
VAT is not applicable to export orders the same prices apply to cover the higher packaging
costs involved in export. All airmail orders will incur postage at the rate applicable at the
time of posting. All UK orders will be subject to a charge of £1.50 to cover post and
packing costs.
Payment
Cheques must be crossed and made payable to Nene Valley Railway. We regret that due to
bank charges the minimum order value must be £5. If you wish, we can accept orders for less
than £5 and hold the balance as a credit towards your next order.
Credit Cards accepted are VISA, Amex, Switch and Mastercard and these too are subject
to the minimum order of £5. Cash can only be accepted by personal presentation at
Wansford. PLEASE DO NOT MAIL CASH.
Payment for export orders must be made in GB pounds.
Notes on NVR Railway Letter Service stamps
Railway Letter Services were started in 1891 under an agreement between the Postmaster
General and seventy five railway companies. It was established to send letters to places
accessible by rail but which were ill served by the GPO. Letters had to bear a normal GPO
(now Royal Mail) postage stamp in addition to a stamp issued by the railway company.
The service was withdrawn by British Rail in 1984 but a service still operated by Minor
Railways through an agreement made in 1974 between the Post Office and the Association of
Minor Railways, now the Heritage Railway Association. The current railway letter fee is 25p.
NVR is an active participant in this scheme, issues its own stamps and covers, and has a
number of its own cancellation marks.
NVR issued its first stamp on the 4th June 1986 and its stamps and covers are widely collected
as bona fide postal items and memorabilia.
M30272M TRAVELLING POST OFFICE PROJECT
Page | 1
NVR was fortunate in being able to acquire Travelling Post Office coach M30272 from the
National Railway Museum. It is the only surviving coach from the Great Train Robbery of
1963.
The task of restoring this coach is lengthy and requires considerable expert advice.
Colleagues at the Great Western Society at Didcot, the Locomotive Club of Great Britain, the
Post Office Archives, the National Postal Museum and many, many more have helped in
pushing this project forward.
A ‘Friends Group’ has been formed to ensure the continuation of this good work and, for a
‘one off’ payment of £40, members receive a twice yearly newsletter informing them of
progress, anecdotes about TPO’s and some historical information about the system.
Further information is available from:
Nene Valley Railway
Wansford Station
Stibbington
Peterborough
PE8 6LR
Registered Charity
No 263617
Registered Museum
No 1636
Registered in England
No 1038056
THE NENE VALLEY RAILWAY ON STAMPS
An informative history of the railway and its stamps by Margaret Craggs – well known for
her Railway Letter Service on the NYMR for many years.
Fully illustrated in both colour and black on white. 56 pages. Published 2002.
THIS BOOK CONTAINS 18 SHEETS OF ACTUAL STAMPS.
Where stamps are no longer available a full colour illustration is used.
Priced at £26.50 including p&p (this included £37.50 worth of stamps!).
Special offer! Now just £15.00 including p & p.
RAILWAY LETTER STAMPS
Sale prices refer to sheets only – Single stamps remain at 25p.
Page | 2
Stamp 69.
Issued on 15th May 2007. Showing Polish Steam Locomotive No. Tkp
5485 Class T2D, this stamp was issued to co-incide with Royal Mail’s
‘Beside the Seaside’ stamps.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE - NOW £1
Stamp 70.
Issued on 2nd June 2007 to commemorate the 30th Anniversary
the start of public services on NVR. The French Nord Pacific
Locomotive Class 3500, 4-6-0 Compound No. 3.628 is shown
hauling the first NVR passenger train.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
of
Stamp 71.
Issued on 16th October 2007 to celebrate the 60th Wedding
Anniversary of H.M. The Queen and H.R.H. Prince Philip. The
Stamp shows Class B1 No. 1306 Mayflower standing by the
Barnwell at Wansford station.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Stamp 72.
Issued on 6th November 2007 to celebrate NVR Santa Special
Trains. Pictured is No. 73050 City of Peterborough hauling a
seasonal special.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Stamps 73, 74 & 75.
Issued on 1st March 2008 to celebrate this
Spring Diesel Gala weekend. A set of three
stamps alternating across the sheet depicting
(top row) Class 14 No. 9523, DMU unit Nos.
51347, 59508 & 51401 and Barabel.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Stamp 76.
Issued on 4th April 2008. (Delayed from 2007) For the opening
of Yarwell Station. Thomas was the first engine to stop at the new
station.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Page | 3
Stamps 77, 78 & 79.
Issued on 13th May 2008 to co-incide with
Royal Mail’s issue of ‘Cathedrals of the
United Kingdom’ stamps. In vertical strips of
three the stamps show Class B1 No. 1306
Mayflower (top), Class 5 MT No. 73050 City
of Peterborough (centre) and Polish Class
T2D No. Tkp 5485
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Stamps 80 - 82.
Issued on 21st June 2008 to celebrate the Rail Mail Weekend and the anniversary of the
Great Train Robbery. The stamps show (left to right) Class 40 No. D306, TPO POS No.
80337 Brian White in action and the interior of TPO No. M30272M.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE - NOW £1
Stamps 83 - 91
Issued on 17th October 2009, a celebration
of all things TPO, to raise funds for the new
TPO Workshop and Museum at Ferry
Meadows station. A sheet of nine, all
different.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Page | 4
Stamps 92 - 94.
Issued on 28th July 2008 to commemorate the special events which are held through the
year at NVR. In strips of three, showing from left to right, a ‘Steam Gala’ with Mayflower
and Green Arrow approaching Wansford in 2007, a ‘Wartime Weekend’ with everyone
dressed for 1940 and a ‘Vintage Weekend’ with an Aveling Porter steam roller approaching
Wansford crossing.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE £1 – LOW STOCK
Stamp 95.
Issued on 4th November 2008.
NVR celebrate Christmas this year with Santa boarding a Santa
Special at Wansford station. An issue to co-incide with Royal Mail’s
Christmas stamps.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Stamps 96 - 104
Issued on 22nd June 2009 to help raise funds
for the restoration of two Wagons-Lits coaches
now resident at NVR. A sheet of nine, all
different, showing various views of that
particular marque.
Sheet price £2.25
Low stock
Stamp 105 .Issued on 1st August 2009, to raise funds for the
maintenance of our little blue engine Thomas. The second issue in
this fund
raising year will help with keeping him in service for a
few more years.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Page | 5
Stamps 106 - 108.
Issued on 12th September 2009 along with an associated cover to raise funds for the
restoration of Tinkerbell, our Danish Class F No. 656. A strip of three stamps showing
differing views of this unusual little locomotive.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1 – LOW STOCK
Stamp 109.
Issued on 3rd November 2009, a snowy scene at Wansford
crossing with 73050 City of Peterborough passing the signal box,
celebration of Christmas and the Santa Specials.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
a
Stamp 110 a, b ,c
Issued on 13th May 2010, our first issue
of the New Year to
co-incide with
the Royal Mail issue of ‘Dig for Victory’
stamps.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1 –
LOW STOCK
Stamps 111 - 119.
Issued on 26th June 2010 to show our
appreciation of the myriad of volunteers
who keep the railway running and to
celebrate their involvement in all aspects
of NVR.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
V. LOW STOCK
Page | 6
Stamps 120 - 122.
Issued on 31st July 2010 to raise funds for the forthcoming
overhaul of ‘Thomas’ we have issued this vertical strip of three
stamps showing different aspects of our little blue friend.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Stamp 123.
Issued on 14th August 2010 a delayed issue from earlier in the year
and now issued to support the ‘Night Mail’ project.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Stamps 124 - 132
Issued on 16th September 2010 to coincide with the Royal Mail release of
‘Great British Railways’ stamps. A set of
nine all different.
Sheet price £2.25 SOLD OUT
Stamps 133 - 135.
Issued on 2 November 2010 our traditional seasonal stamps have, as usual, co-incided with
the issue of Royal Mail Christmas stamps. Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
nd
Page | 7
Stamps 136 - 138.
Issued on 2nd November 2010 these three stamps are the result of our children’s ‘Design a
Stamp for Christmas’ competition. They are released, along with an associated cover at the
same time as our more traditional Christmas stamps.
Sheet price £2.25 SALE – NOW £1
Stamp 139. Issued on 1st February 2011.
As we enter a New Year and with a new printer we thought we’d try
new format sheet with an information panel. We hope you like it.
Sheet price £2.25
a
Stamp 140. Issued on 14th May 2011.
Showing the TPO at work, this stamp is issued to mark the 2011
Railway Philatelic Group convention, at NVR. In this, their 45th
Year an NVR Exclusive Cover is produced and is available direct
From the RPG
Sheet Price £2.25
Stamp 141. 4th June 2011.
To mark the 25th Anniversary of the Railway Letter Service
at NVR we will issue this new stamp featuring an image of our
very first stamp.
Sheet price £2.25.
Page | 8
Stamp 142 14th June 2011.
Marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Thomas’ creator,
the Rev. W V Awdry.
Sheet price £2.25
Stamp 143 8th November 2011.
Issued to celebrate Christmas an unusual diesel theme was chosen
for this years festive sheet. D1062 ‘Western Courier’ is the subject
of this colourful stamp.
Sheet price £2.25
Stamp 144 6th April 2012
Celebrating the Easter weekend visit of Class A1 60163
Tornado to NVR.
Sheet price £2.25
Stamp 145 19th June 2012
Issued in conjunction with the RM Dickens stamps. City of
Peterbough passing under Wansford station footbridge.
Sheet price £2.25
Stamp 146 14th July 2012
A letter exchange fee label to enable enthusiasts the opportunity
to have their letters exchanged via NVR’s lineside TPO
apparatus
Sheet price
£2.25
Stamp 147 6th Nov 2012.
To celebrate Christmas, and issued alongside the RM seasonal issue,
this picture of Bittern, a summer visitor to NVR.
Sheet price £2.25
Page | 9
Stamp 148 16th April 2013
In conjunction with RM's 'Great Britons' issue this new stamp is
based upon our signal box at Wansford
Sheet price £2.25
Sheet 149 18th June 2013
Hunslett Austerity J94 3844 0-6-0ST No22 featured on this stamp
to co-incide with the Royal Mail miniature sheet Classic
Locomotives of Northern Ireland.
Sheet price £2.25
Sheet 150 2nd November 2013
60163 Tornado photographed at Uffington and issued to
celebrate our Winter Steam Gala featuring this locomotive.
Price £2.25
Stamp 151 Issued 20th February 2014
Featuring visiting Black Five 45337 at Longueville Junction.
Price £2.25
Stamp 152 Issued 9th March 2014
A new format sheet, 2 columns of 5 stamps to allow
us to 'ring the changes'. This stamp is surcharged with
an added 50p (75p per stamp) to help raise the
funds needed for the restoration of the Old
Station
Building at Wansford.
Price £7.50
Page | 10
Stamp 153 Issued 13th May 2014
Another of our ten stamp sheets, this one marking the arrival of Baldwin S160 2-8-0 6046 to
NVR metals.
Price £2.50
Stamp 154 Issued 13th Sept 2014
A new view of 60163 Tornado to mark the
Mixed Traffic Steam Gala weekend.
Price £2.25
Stamp 155 Issued 4th Nov 2014
Our Christmas stamp sheet features
Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 92212 at the
NVR mixed traffic steam gala.
Price £2.25
Stamps 56-58 Issued 21st Feb 2015
Three alternating rows of three stamps
featuring LNER 4-4-0 Morayshire, Gresley
0-6-2T Class N2 and Hunslet 0-6-0ST Ring
Haw at out event celebrating 50 years since
the closure of New England shed 35A.
Price £2.25
Stamp 59 Issued 6th Apr 2015
A fund raising issue to raise money for the
purchase and upkeep of replica postal
uniforms of the Victorian/Edwardian eras.
Each of the ten stamps is surcharged by
50p.
Price £7.50
Page | 11
Stamp 160 Issued 3rd Nov 2015
Our Christmas issue featuring Gresley
N2 1744 and 60163 Tornado double
headed at our August Bank Holiday
event. A double first: the first double
header to feature on our stamps, and our
first ten stamp Christmas sheet.
Price £2.50
Please note that earlier stamps may be available
on request. Just give us a ring or email.
THE REVISED NUMBERS
For as long as I have been involved with NVR and the Railway
Letter Service there has always been a mis-match between our
numbering and that of the catalogue produced by Frank Wilson,
Great Britain & Ireland Railway Letter Stamps 1957 – 2014. Having
obtained the very latest version and completed considerable
investigation into our system I have renumbered the NVR catalogue.
You will find a couple of stamps have moved quite a bit and most
recent years have moved one or two numbers forward. My sincere
apologies for the inconvenience to your system..........I still have a lot
of stock to re-number if it's any consolation. Be assured our numbers
now match.
If you are looking for stamps which we no longer stock Frank Wilson
is your man. Please contact him at:
57A Bourne Road
Spalding
Page | 12
Lincs
PE11 1JR
Page | 13
Page | 14