A number of different numbering and classification schemes have been used for carriages and wagons on Britain's railways, and this page explains the principal systems that have been used. Carriages and wagons (either not self-propelled, or part of a multiple unit which has power units distributed throughout a semi-permanent formation of carriages) have frequently had similar arrangements for classification and numbering, so are considered together here. There are also links to other pages that deal in greater depth with the particulars of individual types.
Note on Classification
Carriage and wagon classification has never been quite the same as locomotive and multiple unit classification. For most railways, specific types were identified by their Diagram Number. This could simply be arranged by consecutive number, or there could be some greater organisation of numbers so that similar types were grouped together.
However, carriages and wagons have rarely been referred to in general terms by their Diagram Number. Instead, there have been a variety of other codes and designations, which have referred to generic designs rather than specific types. For instance, there were the BR (adapted from the LNER system) and LMS carriage codes, which indicated interior layout or usage. The GWR identified their non-passenger carriages and wagons through a series of animal designations, including sealife for departmental (non-revenue earning) stock, followed by a letter to illustrate detail differences, e.g. Beetle A.
Therefore the majority of the sections below deal solely with carriage and wagon numbering series, though where a particular classification system was used, this is also described.
Pre-Nationalisation Arrangements
Before Nationalisation in 1948, each railway company devised its own numbering arrangements.
- The Southern Railway followed a similar approach, but used two series; one for passenger carriages and one for non-passenger carriages.
- The Great Western Railway Diagram Numbers included a letter to indicate the general layout or usage followed by a serial number issued consecutively.
British Railways
British Railways inherited the stock of the 'Big Four' companies upon Nationalisation in 1948, and also a substantial number of former 'Private Owner' wagons. It also inherited the stock of the Pullman Car Company, when it was nationalised in the late 1950s.
Numbering System
The numbers of inherited carriages were left unchanged, but were differentiated by the addition of a prefix letter to show where they had originated from, as follows:
E: London & North Eastern Railway
M: London Midland & Scottish Railway
S: Southern Railway
W: Great Western Railway
New carriages to the designs of the old companies were numbered in their series.
In 1951, the first carriages built to British Railways' designs appeared, known as the 'Mark I'. From this time, a new approach was adopted, which involved the use of a prefix letter to indicate the region to which the carriage was allocated. The inherited carriages then showed the letter indicating their company of origin as a suffix. Thus new British Railways carriages had no suffix and so were differentiated from the other four series. When the carriages of the Pullman Car Company were added to the mix, their numbers carried only a suffix (indicating regional allocation), and no prefix, as a means of differentiation. The regional allocation letters used were:
E: Eastern Region
GE: Great Eastern lines
M: London Midland Region
NE: North Eastern Region
S: Southern Region
SC: Scottish Region
W: Western Region
British Railways adopted the following numbering system for carriages to its own design:
1-1999 : Restaurant and Kitchen carriages
2000-2999 : Sleeper carriages
3000-3499 : First class Open carriages
3500-3699 : Second class Open carriages
3700-9199 : Third class Open carriages
9200-12999: Third class Brake Open carriages
13000-13999: First class Corridor carriages
14000-14999: First class Brake Corridor carriages
15000-20999: Composite First & Third class Corridor carriages
21000-23999: Composite First & Third class Brake Corridor carriages
24000-33999: Third class Corridor Carriages
34000-39999: Third class Brake Corridor carriages
40000-49999: Non-gangwayed carriages
50000-54999: Single-ended Driving Motor Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit carriages
55000-55999: Double-ended Driving Motor Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit carriages
56000-58999: Driving Trailer Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit carriages
59000-59999: Trailer Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit carriages
60000-60999: Diesel Electric Multiple Unit carriages
61000-67999: Motor Electric Multiple Unit carriages
68000-68999: Parcels Electric Multiple Unit carriages
69000-69999: Restaurant and Kitchen Electric Multiple Unit carriages
70000-74999: Trailer Electric Multiple Unit carriages
75000-78999: Driving Trailer Electric Multiple Unit carriages
79000-79999: Diesel Multiple Unit Carriages (pre-Modernisation Plan types)
80000-80299: Kitchen carriages
80300-80499: Travelling Post Office carriages
80500-99999: Hauled non-passenger carrying carriages
Wagons were allocated numbers from 100000 upwards, and the 9xxxxx series was reserved for deparmental (non-revenue earning) carriages and wagons. Departmental carriages have been numbered in the 963xxx, 975xxx, 977xxx, 998xxx and 999xxx series. Departmental locomotives have been numbered in the 966xxx and 968xxx series, though in recent years those locomotives that remain self-propelled have been allocated locomotive Class 97 rather than use these series.
Initially some non-gangwayed carriages were numbered in the 5xxxx series, but these were soon renumbered to 4xxxx when the Modernisation Plan Diesel Multiple Units started to arrive. Another change came when Third Class was renamed Second Class. There had been very few Second Class carriages before this change (mainly used in Boat Trains since ships still used all three classes), and most were absorbed into the larger mass of former Third Class carriages, although they had many fewer seats.
The same series was used for the 'Mark II' coaches built in the 1960s, but when the 'Mark III' carriage was introduced in the early 1970s new number ranges were carved out of the old series. These new ranges were perpetuated for the 'Mark IV' carriages in the 1980s), and were as follows:
10000-10499: Restaurant and Kitchen carriages
10500-10999: Sleeper carriages
11000-11899: First class carriages
11900-11999: Composite First & Second class carriages
12000-12999: Second class carriages
40000-40999: High Speed Train Restaurant & Kitchen carriages
41000-41999: High Speed Train First class carriages
42000-42999: High Speed Train Second class carriages
43000-43999: High Speed Train Driving Motor carriages
44000-45999: Second class Brake carriages
48000-48999: Advanced Passenger Train Trailer carriages
49000-49999: Advanced Passenger Train Motor carriages
82000-82999: Driving Van Trailer carriages
The new diesel multiple unit builds in the 1980s utilised the 52xxx, 55xxx, 57xxx and 58xxx series for the individual carriages, all of which were motored. The 55xxx and 58xxx contained a mix of driving and non-driving motors, but the 52xxx and 57xxx cars were all driving motors. In addition, some series have been used for conversions of carriages, e.g. 63xx has been used for a variety of miscellaneous carriages, including generator vans and observation saloons. Privately-owned carriages registered to run on British Railways were allocated numbers in the 99xxx series (which they shared with bullion and exhibition vans).
Another major change came in 1983, when the use of prefix and suffix letters was abandoned, and any carriage which had the same number as another carriage or a locomotive was renumbered. The programme worked as follows:
14000-14999 to 17000-17999 to avoid clashing with Southern Railway carriages
16000-16499/15500-15999 to 7000-7999 to avoid clashing with Southern Railway carriages
25000-26999 to 18000-19999 to avoid clashing with Class 25 and 26 locomotives
40000-40099 to 40400-40499 to avoid clashing with Class 40 locomotives
50000-50999 to 53000-53999 to avoid clashing with Class 50 locomotives
56000-56999 to 54000-54999 to avoid clashing with Class 56 locomotives
81000-81999 to 84000-84999 to avoid clashing with Class 81 locomotives
85500-85599 to 94000-94099 to avoid clashing with Class 85 locomotives
86000-86999 to 93000-93999 to avoid clashing with Class 86 locomotives
Subsequently, further renumberings have taken place as new locomotives were introduced. Most have involved only a handful of carriages, but a major one saw carriages in the 920xx series renumbered to 929xx when the Class 92 locomotives were introduced.
This series has been perpetuated by the privatised railway, though the series have been adapted for new generation multiple unit stock. For instance, the latest diesel multiple units have reused the 50xxx and 79xxx series for driving motors and the 56xxx series for non-driving motors. In the electric multiple unit series, Class 390 Pendolinos have reused the 68xxx and 69xxx series.
TOPS Carkind Classification System
When the Total Operations Processing System was introduced by British Railways, 'Carkind' classifications were applied to all carriages and wagons. The classification comprises three letters, the first of which indicates the broad type, as follows:
A: Hauled passenger carrying carriages
B: Bogie Steel wagons
C: Covered bulk wagons
D: Diesel Multiple Unit carriages
E: Electric Multiple Unit carriages
F: Flat wagons
G: High Speed Train carriages
H: Hopper wagons
I: Ferry wagons (International wagons)
J: Private owner bogie wagons (previously bogie steel coil wagons)
K: Private owner special wagons (previously 2-axle steel coil wagons)
L: Advance Passenger Train carriages
M: Mineral wagons
N: Hauled non-passenger carrying carriages
O: Open wagons
P: Private owner 2-axle wagons (originally all private owner wagons)
Q: Hauled departmental (non-revenue earning) carriages
R: Barrier wagons
S: 2-axle steel wagons
T: Tank wagons
U: Uncovered bulk wagons
V: Vans
W: Container wagons
X: Special use wagons
Y: Departmental bogie wagons
Z: Departmental two-axle vehicle (carriage or wagon)
The second letter gave more detailed indication of the design or use of the stock in question, and was different for each series. The tables below lists the variations for carriages only:
A Series
AA: Corridor carriage
AB: Brake Corridor carriage
AC: Open carriage (2+2 seating)
AD: Open carriage (2+1 seating)
AE: Brake Open carriage
AF: Driving Brake Open carriage
AG: Micro-Buffet carriage
AH: Kitchen Buffet carriage
AI: Open carriage (2+2 seating) - end of rake of Mark IV set
AJ: Restaurant Buffet carriage
AK: Kitchen carriage
AL: Open carriage (2+2 seating) - with disabled persons' toilet
AM: Restaurant carriage
AN: Miniature Buffet carriage
AO: Private Owner carriages
AP: Puullman Kitchen
AQ: Pullman Saloon
AR: Pullman Brake
AS: Sleeping carriages
AT: Royal Train carriages
AU: Sleeping carriages (with pantry)
AV-AY: Barrier vehicles
AX: Generator Van (Until 1987: Narrow gauge carriages)
AY: (Until 1987: Narrow gauge Brake carriages)
AZ: Special saloon
D and E Series
xA: Driving Motor
xB: Driving Motor Brake
xC: Non-driving Motor
xD: Non-driving Motor Brake
xE: Driving Trailer
xF: Battery Driving Trailer
xG: Driving Trailer Brake
xH: Trailer
xI: Battery Driving Motor
xJ: Trailer Brake
xN: Trailer Buffet
xO: Battery Driving Trailer Brake
xP: Driving Motor (Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit only)
xQ: Driving Motor Brake (Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit only)
xR: Non-driving Motor (Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit only)
xS: Driving Trailer (Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit only)
xT: Trailer (Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit only)
xU: Trailer Brake (Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit only)
xX: Non-passenger Driving Motor and single-car passenger DMMUs
xY: Non-Passenger Non-driving Motor
xZ: Departmental stock
G and L Series
xC: Motor
xE: Driving Trailer
xF: Barrier Vehicle
xH: Trailer
xJ: Trailer with Guard's compartment
xK: Trailer Kitchen with Buffet
xL: Trailer Kitchen
xM: Trailer Kitchen with Lounge
xN: Trailer Buffet
N Series
NA-NI: Variety of Gangwayed Brake vans
NF: Brake van
NG: Car-carrying flat wagon
NJ-NK: General Utility van
NL-NM: Newspaper van
NN: Courier vehicle
NO-NQ: Parcels van
NR: Container van
NS: Post Office Sorting van
NT: Post Office Stowage van
NU: Post Office Stowage Brake van
NV: Car-carrying van
NW: Bullion van
NX: Motorail van
NY: Exhibition van
NZ: Driving Van Trailer
Q, Y and Z Series
xA-xC: Ballast and sleeper wagons
xD: General materials wagon
xE: Runner wagon
xF: Ballast hopper wagon
xG: General materials wagon
xH: Spoil wagon
xI: Crane
xJ: Tracklayer
xK-xM: Ballast wagon
xN: Steel wagon
xO: Crane (travelling)
xP: Staff or dormitory vehicle
xQ: Tool vehicle
xR: Stores or materials vehicle
xS: Operating vehicle (e.g. barrier, generator)
xT: Brake van
xU: Brake van plough
xV: General equipment vehicle (e.g. flat wagon)
xW: On Track Plant, saloon or self-propelled vehicle
xX: Specialist equipment vehicle
xY: Electrification equipment vehicle
xZ: Miscellaneous vehicle (e.g. snowplough, unpowered former locomotive)
The final letter indicated the braking arrangements. Nowadays, almost all stock is air-braked, but when TOPS was first introduced, there was much greater variety, which made marshalling trains more complicated and, therefore, this information essential. The letters were:
A: Air brake only
B: Air brake plus through vacuum pipe
D: Electronic control
E: Electro-pneumatic brake
F: Vacuum brake (AFI equipment)
G: Vacuum brake plus through air pipe (AFI equipment)
H: Dual brake (AFI equipment)
O: Unfitted (handbrake only)
P: Unfitted, but through vacuum pope
Q: Unfitted, but through air pipe
R: Unfitted, but through air and vacuum pipes
V: Vacuum brake only
W: Vacuum brake plus through air pipe
X: Dual brake (air and vacuum)
Y: Unfitted (Civil Engineer's self-propelled stock)
Useful Links
For further information on individual types of carriages and wagons, see these pages:
Last updated: 05-21-2005 11:12:10
