Our next stop on our London tour was to the London Postal Railway and Museum. Unbeknownst to many, London actually had an extensive subterranean rail system connecting different post offices and distribution points across the city. Mail would get loaded onto mail cars on this small gauge railroad and moved across the city by electric locomotives. The whole system would put you in the mind of an amusement park rail system in its size and the concept of design but the system had a role that was beyond mere amusement. The system served a vital role in keeping mail moving from different points through the city, coming and going, even during WW2. Even when bombing caused some disruptions, the system kept moving, and hence, the mail kept moving. Now, as modern tech does what it does, this whole system has been retired and a small portion of it has been restored for use as an actual amusement ride where the mail carts are set up for riders to sit in while the trail is piloted through sections of tunnel. The train stops at different stops that were underground distribution points that are now set up with projector presentations played over an intercom, talking about the history of the mail rail system. At the very beginning, the trains were powered by compressed air supplied by a steam powered system. As the tech advanced, it worked up to battery powered electric locomotives, using large batteries that would put you in the mind of industrial forklifts. As advances continued, the trains became automated, with switchboards controlling the movement of unmanned trains through the tunnels to different stops. The last of these trains ran in 2003, when the whole system was shut down permanently. Concepts were thought up on what to do with the tunnel network but as of right now, the tunnels lay dormant, all except this short run of tunnels, serving as an amusement park ride. After getting our ride on the old mail rail system we made our way to the regular museum where they have displays with all manner of factoids on the forming of the mail system 500 years ago, to the advancements in the system as far as technology and standard operating procedures. Stories of the mail system and the role it played through the ages, especially during the 20th century in WW1 and 2 are all interesting to take in. One gets to see how automotive tech allowed mail to move faster, along with aircraft and ships. Stories of how overseas mail ships had to deal with pirates and would fight to the death if necessary, and in the worst case, ensure mail does not fall into enemy hands. These crews tended to successfully fight off many pirate attacks, even taking prizes in return. Of course with the advancements in electronics, mail processing equipment came to the scene as well. Concepts with decoding machines, even far back before electronics really took hold in the civilian world, made the processing of mail better. The story behind the development of the post code system and the campaign to adopt the new post code system nationwide is told. Mail processing machines, just like in the US, came to the scene, and continue to advance, to allow for rapid processing of large quantities of mail. After the Postal Museum, we hit the subways again and made our way to the London Zoo. This took a bit of a hike to get to, on the trains and on foot. Once there we made our way around, checking out the animal exhibits, many of which were unfortunately vacant. Those that we did get to see were as usual, entertaining. It's always cool to see different animals up close, especially exotic animals that one may not be exposed to in their locale. The zoo was set up to accommodate those animals whose natural habitats may be a lot warmer than the local climate in London. As it was rather cold, those animals that would normally call the hot savannahs of Africa home had indoor facilities available for them to take respite in. This zoo is run by a nature society that dates back to the 1800's with such names as Charles Darwin taking part in its creation and growth. We were able to make it through the zoo and even the gift shop with just a few minutes to spare before closing time. Since it was getting late, rather than walk back the 3/4 mile distance to the subway station, we took a Bolt, UK's other Uber, the short distance back to that point so we could get on the train and back to the hotel that much sooner. The next place we will be hitting up on our last part of the London tour is the National Army Museum, which showcases the beginnings, growth and role the British Army plays in the world, then and now.
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