Railway Sorting Office Postmark?

[PinzaC55]

I've a number of old picture postcards in my collection one of which is franked "Eastgate RSO" and another (of Heslerton station) is addressed to "Snainton RSO".
I have tried Googling RSO postmarks and the only thing I could find on a postcard site was that it stood for "either" Railway Sorting Office or Railway Sub Office.
I'm still none the wiser because in the case of the Heslerton card the two stations were only a couple of miles apart by road but if the card was sent by train it would involve it being sent by train to Seamer and then put on a Pickering train via Snainton.
So if somebody could help me I'd like to know -
1) If it was franked "(Station)RSO" does that mean the station was entitled to frank postcards?
2) If it was franked at a station did that mean it was actually sent by train, or was it collected and sent by road?

Thanks in advance!

[harvester]

Cannot really help but you could try a Philately Society, some years ago they were helpful on information about "first day covers" and chasing the West Coast Postal to obtain pre release date frankings.

[PinzaC55]

Thanks Harvester I'll try that. I also have a card franked "Brampton Junction" though confusingly NOT "RSO" though it obviously means the station.

[swhite01]

The RSO's are covered by the Railway Philatelic Group.... I am a member and have a number of RSO marks from my local area GN section of ECML. The group have published a number of documents covering their location and use. Unfortunately this was not an interest of mine, I had joined the group due to an interest in the TPO's and their marks.
The group publish a newletter/magazine and this includes updates to 'finds' of RSO's.... the style and dates etc. It is quite a complex study in its field.

I am sorry but I cant answer your questions directly but I think you are correct in saying the marks were added to cards and letters that were sent from Stations. Bearing in mind that a number of stations were in quite rural areas where there were no Post offices at the time. I have a postcard that includes an RSO mark in Scotland.... the card is a photo of an engine, type escapes me, but the content is the chaps spotting notes for the day... he has sent the card to a colleague for information....from memory the card is in the 20's era!

I will rack down my newsletters and If I can add more info I will post again.

Steve

[PinzaC55]

Thanks for that! Your post jogged my memory a bit and I remembered that in my old reprint of Bradshaws for April 1910 it has a system of symbols for facilities at stations and it seems that for Heslerton and Snainton the "Telegraph Office" was at the station ONLY. It's a bit odd because I would have thought in those days all villages of the size of Heslerton had their own Post Office.It's actually franked "West Heslerton" though?

[Dixie]

RSOs have been extensively researched and I believe that there are book(s) on the subject. The Railway Philatelic Group would be able to help, but I do not know whether they have a website. They should not be confused with Travelling Post Offices.

[redtoon1892]

They have :-

http://railwayphilatelicgroup.com/