TPO -> Luxemburg TPOs
Luxemburg TPOs
By Tony Goodbody
Start and finish dates: 1875 to ??
The Grand Duchy of Luxemburg is a small country sandwiched between Belgium, Germany and France. For a small country the collection and study of its TPO postmarks is surprisingly interesting. The first TPO, which operated between Luxemburg City in the south and Ulflingen in the north, commenced in 1875 with the text in German. Note the letter 'V' in the bottom right hand corner which stands for 'vormittag' (morning). The letter 'N' in the same position would indicate 'nachmittag' (afternoon).
Later marks used on the same route were inscribed in French, Troisvierges being the French name for Ulflingen (piece, right).
Note the letter 'M' (matin = morning) after the date. The letter S would indicate 'soir' (evening).
The route LUXEMBURG-KARTHAUS (Germany) (cover below) used a hybrid postmark with the German "BAHNPOST" and the German spelling of Luxemburg but the French "S" (soir).
During the Second World War the occupying Germans used their own style of postmark, the familiar German oval (above). The route here was Fels - Cruchten. Fels is the German name for La Rochette.
After the war circular cancellers inscribed "SERVICE/ AMBT" were introduced. Most routes had ceased operation by about 1980.
The postmark LUXEMBOURG-FOND DE GRAS was used on a special steam hauled trip in 2005.
Mailguards
Mailguards used postmarks with the initials F.C. (Facteurs Convoyeurs)
later to be replaced by the word "convoyage".
The route NOERDANGE-MARTELANGE was operated by a metre gauge steam tram.
The postmark shown below used on the TRÈVES - LUXEMBOURG route has the legend "Convoyage-Ambulant" which appears to be a halfway house between a TPO and a Mailguard (Kidd.). Trèves is the German town Trier. Note the letter "M" (matin) after the date.
Bibliography:
The reader is referred to the article by the late Cyril Kidd which appeared in TPO Vol. 39 No. 4 (Winter 1985) pp 84-94.
