In this episode of pplpod, we break down the Great Train Robbery of 1963, one of the most famous crimes in British history and one that was far messier than the legend suggests. The episode follows Bruce Reynolds and his crew as they planned the robbery of the Royal Mail’s overnight traveling post office train, known as the Up Special, targeting the high-value package carriage after a bank holiday weekend when millions in cash were moving back to London. The discussion explores the insider intelligence supplied by the mysterious “Ulsterman,” the shocking lack of security on the train, the outdated Royal Mail systems, and the analog hacking that stopped the locomotive at Sears Crossing using little more than a glove, a battery, and detailed knowledge of railway signals.

The episode also looks at how the supposedly brilliant operation nearly  ...