Foreign Transorma.

The Post Office Department tested the Gehring Mail Distributing Machine, created by Casimir Gehring 1923, which automatically sorted letters into 120 receiving boxes or “pigeonholes”. They representing cities or states, based on the clerk’s keystrokes. The machine was the brainchild of Casimir Gehring, manager of the Mechanical Efficiency Company of Akron, Ohio. Name of this mashine is not known.

The Transorma machine was demonstrated in 1927 and the first machine was installed in Rotterdam, Holland in 1930. The mashine was used until July 1968. In Brighton, England they installed two Transorma 1935. Other countries using Transorma machines were Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Phillipines, Sweden, USA and Venezuela.  Most of the cyphers are red but there is black too. Even Sweden were testing the machine, but it did not work properly.

The name came from TRANsport and SORting Marchand Andriessen)

 

Quality of cyphers

  

Quality of cyphers
(5) Very choice (4) Very good
(3) Good (2) Legible
(1) Decipherable (-) Missing

Link to devekey

1930-19.?  Transorma - Holland (Picture from unknown source)

1930 Rotterdam, Breda, ´s-Gravenhage , Haarlem, 's-Hertogenbosch, Utrecht.

Tra_DEAZ 1916 Brev från Tyskland med Censur, AZ och REK. Ankom Göteborg 1916-12-01
tra_transrot 1934 2½ cent letter from Rotterdam 7-IV 1934, sent to Sweden, with a red Transorma F (5)
Red  Pajala 1939 Luftpostbrev till Styrman på S/S  Pajala, Rotterdam. Frankerat med 4 x 10 öre Svedenborg stämplat Stockholm 1939-06-04. Transorma a samt även K. Eftersänt till Narvik från Rotterdam 1939-06-06. Ankomststämplat Narvik 1939-06-10.
tra_frNorway 1950 Letter from Norway sent to Utrecht 13.2.1950 with a red Transorma AF  
tra_Utrecht 1950 The sortingmashine in Utrecht 1950. Picture from the museum in "den Haag"
tra_utrHB 1959 Letter from Handelsbanken Sweden with Meterstamp. Value 40 öre, scancelled Stockholm 1959-11-10. Marked VERTRAULICH. Sorted Transorma red TT.
tra_hollzb 1971 Postcard from Holland 1971 to Sweden with red Transorma ZB
tra_45c 1977 Letter Drukwerk from Svenska Sjömanskyrkan. Value 45 c scancelled Rotterdam 1977-10-17. Sorted by |   |||    |   |   |. Pleace tell me about this |||
tra_2006GB 2006 Ett vykort frankerat 10 kr Greta Garbo. Stämplat med inkjetstämpel HEJA  SVERIGE i Karlstad  2006-07-31 till The Netherlands. Längst ned en  mycket senare Holländsk kod för sortering GO2PÅ  9742LT  4

1935-1968 Transorma 5/250 - Brighton

Two machines were installed during the summer of 1935, and were ready for trials in September. The official opening took place  on the 7th October 1935. The machines remained in use until 25th May  1968. In June 1968 it was destroyed because it was too costly to keep in proper working order.

Traeng_HoMus   National Postal Museum Postcard from Brighton & Hove Kongress ´89.
Brighton 1924   British Empire Exhibition 1924 in Brighton, was ewen before the Transorma was demonstrated in Rotterdam. Cancelled 1923-08-09.
Traeng Hove36 1936-11 24 Nov 1936 Brighton & Hove sent to Sweden, with red L  (4)
Traeng_Hove37 1937-11 6 Nov 1937 Brighton & Hove sent to Sweden. Transormasorted with red F  (3)
Traeng_HoveE 1937-12 Tidig Transorma med versal E på magen Frankerad 1 D maskinstämpllad BRIGHTON & HOVE 1937-12-07.
Traeng Hove48 1948-07 Letter from Lund Sweden, 1948-07-25 to Brighton & Hove, with red R and a red d. Forwarded back to Sweden 31 JUL 1948.
Traeng_Hove30 1949-07 4 July 1949 Brighton & Hove with red 30 (2). The Transorma-machine in Linköping started 21 Oct 1949.
Traeng_Hove53 1953-11 Blue envelope 1 + 1½ + 1½ cancelled Brighton & Hove 1953-11-25, Transorma with red R 7 to Sweden.
aumiss Bright 1962-08 Postcard from Brighton & Hove 1962-08-19  to Hälsingborg. Improperly routed to OSLO ank Utland 1962-08-20. Transormacanceled 13
Traeng Brighton 1966-05 Postcard sent 24 MAY 1966 with a red 31 to Gothenburg

1939-19.?  Transorma -  USA 

1939  New York model 5/300?

April 10 1957 the Post Office Department opening a mashine in  Silver Spring, Blair Post Office in Maryland, model 5/300. This mashine could sort 15 000 letters per hour.

New York 1939 1939 only on display during the World Exhibition, no mail serviced
tra_Silverspr   Silver Springs, Maryland: Introduction 8. April 1957 till 1969, dismantled and sold for scrap.  (Thanks to Claus Seelemann) Used letters BB
Silver Spring   Link to Silver Spring postal history

1940-19.? Transorma - Brazil

1940 installed in Rio de Janeiro.  After the war one was installed in Sao Paulo1952, and one in  Belo Horizonte 1954. 

tra_braz_AH 1950 Envelope with 3 pieces Transorma AH, AN, BK (3) cancelled 1950
tra_BrazilAW 1976 Swedish postcard with a black AW sent to Brazil 21.2.1976

1942-1945 Transorma - Germany.

In 1942 the German moved one of the Dutch Transorma-machine to Berlin, Steglitz, Germany.

another machine they moved to Mönchengladbach, Germany. This one was destroyed by bombs 1943.

traStegl_AA 1942 Letter cancelled in Breslau 1942-09-29. Sent to Berlin - Steglitz sorted by AA in Berlin
traStegl_A 1943 Postcard cancelled in  Hamburg 1943-01-20. Sent to Berlin - Steglitz sorted by A? in Berlin
traStegl_AB 1943 "Feldpost" from nowhere sent 1943-01-23 sorted with red AB to Berlin-Steglitz
traStegl_AD 1943 Lokal Postcard to Berlin - Steglitz sent 1943-11-06 with a red AD*
traStegl_-T 1943 "Luftfeldpost" to  Berlin - Steglitz
Mönchenglad. 1943 Lokal letter sorted in Mönchengladbach 1943

1947-19.? Transorma - Belgium These sorting marks are made by the machine called MARK 2

1947  Brussel giro, 1947  Gent X.

tra_Gent AC 1947 Letter with black AC (5) sent from Gent 25.11.1947 to Gothenburg
tra_Antwerp 1954 Postcard with red B and I (3) from Antwerpen 15. X. 1954 sent to Gothenburg. This is not Transorma. These sorting badges are made of a machine called Mark 2. Thank you Mr M. Reginster.

1948-19.? Transorma - Argentina 

1948  Buenos Aires 5/300. 1949  Rosario, model 5/300.  1949  Bahia Blanca 5/300. 1955  Bahia Blanca model 1/160.

traArg_BuenoDB 1953 Letter with red DB (3) sent from Buenos Aires 11.12.1953 to Sweden
traArg_RosaLX 1956 Letter with red LX (3) sent from Villa del Rosario -9 ENE 1956 to Sweden

1949-1951 Transorma - Linköping - Norrköping (type 1/160)

The enormous Transorma-machine was tested in Linköping and Norrköping, the only places where there was a high ceiling, to install the machine. Most of the cyphers are faint strike, but end of 1949 and oct. 1950 they are good.

The Machine 1949 Photo from "Postens årsbok 1949". The machine was handled from a keyboard. 
Tra BA Link 1950 Letter from Linköping 1 7.10.1950 sent to Vadstena with a red BA (3)
Tra AJ Norrk 1949? A black AJ, but the stamp was taking away by a collector. :(  Dated 19??-??-27. Probably 1949

Tra Norrk detail

 1949 There are max. 5 black AJ  Transorma known from Norrköping. All known are from 1949. This is the first colorless. Probably they had forgotten to change the ribbon.

Tra Norrköping

 1950 17.4.1950 Norrköping, 30 öre Meter stamp with a colorless AJ, which normally is in black. See detail
    Copy of a letter sent from Norrköping with a black AJ

1955-1963  Transorma - Canada 

Opening on June 27, 1955  Peterborough, Ontario model 5/300. Sorting 15.000 pieces / per hour

Used letters: AA, AB, AC, AD, AF, AH, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AQ, AS, AT,AU, AV,AW,AX,AZ and BA, BB, BC, BD, BF, BH, BK and BL

Thanks to Claus Seelemann

tra_Peterborough

 1956 Introduction: 27th June, 1955 till end of 1963, sold for scrap early 1964.
    .
Peterborough Link Link to Canada Post Corporation at FactsCanada.ca
Sorting marks Link Link to Charles Livermore's page

1956-19.? Transorma -  Venezuela

1956 Caracas, model  5/300.

tra Venezuela BP Letter  with red BP (1) from Caracas 19 MAR 1957 sent to Sweden
tra Venezuela BA Letter  with red BA  from Correos de Venezuela 29 ABR 1957 sent to Estocolmo Suecia.
tra Venezuela BW Letter  with red BW (2) from Caracas 30 MAY 1957 sent to Frankfurt
tra Venezuela BF Letter  with red BF  from Correos de Venezuela 28 AGO 1957 sent to Estocolmo Suecia.

1965-19.?  Transorma - Philippines.

Manilla.

Manilla

  
   

Unknown Transormaplaces / cyphers:

Tr San Marino Postcard from San Marino with a red BD (3) sent 8.9.1958 to Denmark
Ungern Postcard from Hungary with a red AO (3) sent 1958-06-08 to Holbæk, Denmark
Is this a Transorma or what is this lilac/purple B ? Wiesbaden 12.7.67. Tr_wies_B
Tra_Engl_USA Postcard from England with a red 02 to USA. Cancelled with "Royal Mail - Service to the Public" and in the circel (In Business - to serve you). Paisley 26 AUG 1985.

Internal Link pages:

Main page   PMSC  Flaggaeng    Automation  Flaggaeng   Meterstamp Animal on Sw.Meters Flaggaeng 
Swedish Meters Cinderella Meters (S) Telephone Postcard in Swedish.  Postal collection of curios (S)   Transorma
Postmechanisatie        

Annotation:

 (S) = Links in Swedish  

Flaggaeng

  = Links in English

Interesting External websites:

 
    Postal Museum
Postmuseum SSPD SFF:s Home page
Ptt Postmuseum Holland Only in dutch  
K-frimärken Stamp-Trader Magnus Aronsson   Postcard
CL -Frimärken JUNE - Frimärken Transorma
Postalt hos Kjell Andersson "Samlaren" med många annonser Blanketter i bild - Sören Andersson
VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC EXHIBITION  ==> EXP-O-NET <==A VERY interesting web on the net

Literature.

NPT nr 5 1971 Stockholm Ban Article by Douglas N. Muir
NPT nr 3 1979 Wiesbaden PMSC

 

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