▁dep ot ▁letter ▁boxes ▁and ▁providing ▁a ▁hand - to - hand ▁rece ipt ▁for ▁registered ▁mail ▁transferred ▁between ▁connecting ▁railway ▁post ▁office ▁routes . ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁transfer ▁offices ▁had ▁a ▁unique ▁post mark ▁to ▁cancel ▁the ▁mail ▁which ▁was ▁sorted ▁by ▁the ▁office , ▁and ▁these ▁can cell ations ▁are ▁still ▁collected ▁by ▁phil atel ists ▁and ▁postal ▁histor ians . ▁ ▁Transfer ▁offices ▁were ▁used ▁by ▁R PO ▁cler ks ▁as ▁a ▁point ▁to ▁read ▁job ▁bullet ins ▁( order ▁books ▁maintained ▁by ▁the ▁Chief ▁C ler k ) ▁before ▁starting ▁on ▁a ▁run , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁location ▁to ▁finish ▁paper work ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁a ▁run . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁almost ▁ 2 0 0 ▁transfer ▁offices ▁were ▁maintained ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁Lar ger ▁cities ▁with ▁multiple ▁rail road ▁stations ▁often ▁had ▁several ▁different ▁transfer ▁offices , ▁one ▁at ▁each ▁station . ▁ ▁As ▁mail ▁transport ation ▁by ▁rail ▁decl ined ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁smaller ▁transfer ▁offices ▁were ▁closed . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁continued ▁er os ion ▁of ▁rail ▁mail ▁operations , ▁and ▁particularly ▁after ▁the ▁dem ise ▁of ▁the ▁railway ▁post ▁office ▁network ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁transfer ▁offices ▁dimin ished ▁and ▁most ▁were ▁closed ▁or ▁merged ▁with ▁other ▁positions ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁O w ney ▁( dog ) ▁ ▁Railway ▁Post