Railway Postal History of South Africa

This study of postal history concerns the close association between railway and postal services in South Africa. It records and appraises the many ingenious developments since 1860 when the region's first locomotive saw service.

By the 1890's a vast railway network had been constructed in the area, and mail delivery by rail had become a vital part of economic development. The widespread usage of rail-post systems meant that services flourished, and in no time the standard letter rate was reduced to 1d. Constant innovation improved the speed and efficiency of the expanding rail-post services: postal agencies at railway stations bettered mail-delivery times, and travelling post offices provided postal facilities along rail routes-even on some fairly remote sections of line.

Overseas mail was catered for by special mail trains. Within hours of a mail steamer arriving at Cape Town from Britain, a train wuld be heading inland with postal officials on board sorting the contents of the newly arrived foreign mailbags. By the time the train reached the main centres of Johannesburg and Pretoria, incoming mails were ready for distribution.

Within a vast field the authors have concentrated on the mainstream aspects of railway post history.

Hardback with dustcover over original boards. Half Title, Frontispiece, Title, Contents, List of Illustrations, Foreword, Preface. 279 pages text with numerous illustrations.

Fine.