British Rail coach designations
Encyclopedia
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway
and the London and North Eastern Railway
both developed a system of identifying railway carriages by means of alphabetic codes. When British Railways was formed in 1948, it decided to adopt the former LNER method of carriage classification.
These letters (except for Y and Z) did not usually apply to the wide variety of passenger-rated but goods carrying vans (e.g. parcels vans, horse boxes, milk and fish vans). Their codes were an acronym of their traditional railway description, e.g. GUV for General Utility Vans.
In the original LNER coding system, S stood for "Second", an intermediate class between First and Third (which later became Second). The original Second was more or less abolished in the 1870s (as a result of the Railway Regulation Act 1844
), remaining only in limited use for special services, such as those meeting ships (which retained the three-class system from which railway classifications had originated). In the 1980s, BR renamed Second to Standard. Many of the classifications listed below are no longer used, and some did not survive until the designation "Standard".
Note that in modern usage, composite semi-open vehicles are classified Cso - the s signifying that the Standard portion is open (implying that the First portion is compartments with corridor).
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
and the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
both developed a system of identifying railway carriages by means of alphabetic codes. When British Railways was formed in 1948, it decided to adopt the former LNER method of carriage classification.
Basic principles
The codes are made up from a combination of letters, some of which can indicate more than one word; their meaning can only be determined according to their position, or the presence of other letters, in the code. The letters used are:| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| B | Brake van (prefix) |
| Buffet (suffix) | |
| Battery (prefix for multiple unit vehicles) | |
| C | Composite (i.e. more than one class of accommodation) |
| D | Driving vehicle (prefix) |
| Disabled accommodation (suffix) | |
| E | Either class of accommodation |
| End vehicle (suffix) | |
| F | First Class |
| G | Gangwayed Corridor connection A Corridor connection is a flexible connector fitted to the end of a railway coach to enable passage from one coach to another without falling out of the train.-Coaches:... (e.g. BG - Brake Gangwayed) |
| Griddle (when following R) | |
| H | Handbrake |
| HM | Half-motor (prefix on multiple units) Used for vehicles with one traction motor where the Motor type vehicle in a class usually contained two |
| K | corridor Corridor (rail vehicle) A corridor is a passageway in, and generally between, railway passenger vehicles.-Related terms:* Corridor coach - a coach with corridors between vehicles... |
| Kitchen (when following R) | |
| L | Lavatory (usually shown only in non-gangwayed or diesel multiple unit codes) |
| Lounge (prefix) (but see SL) | |
| M | Motor (powered) vehicle |
| Miniature or Modular (when following R) | |
| O | Open (i.e. no compartments, or no kitchen in Restaurant cars); O not included in diesel multiple unit codes as all are Open |
| o | Semi-open (i.e. mix of compartments and open) |
| P | Pantograph Pantograph (rail) A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire... (prefix for electric multiple units) |
| Pantry (suffix) | |
| Pullman (prefix) | |
| Parlour (suffix for Pullman cars) | |
| R | Restaurant |
| S | Second (later Standard) Class |
| SL | Sleeper |
| T | Third Class |
| Trailer (prefix for multiple unit vehicles) | |
| Trolley buffet (suffix) | |
| Tourist (prefix for hauled carriages; indicates 2+2 seating) | |
| U | Unclassified accommodation |
| Y | Four-wheeled vehicle* |
| Z | Six-wheeled vehicle* |
| * If no such suffix is shown, the vehicle is an eight or twelve-wheeled vehicle. The latter were not common, and were usually special saloons or restaurant vehicles. | |
These letters (except for Y and Z) did not usually apply to the wide variety of passenger-rated but goods carrying vans (e.g. parcels vans, horse boxes, milk and fish vans). Their codes were an acronym of their traditional railway description, e.g. GUV for General Utility Vans.
List of codes used
The following list lists those codes that were actually used on British Railways, cross-referred to the comparable code used by the LMS, with the exception that the letter S ("Second", later "Standard") is used where until 1956 the letter T ("Third") is used. Suffix codes Y or Z are not shown, as these could apply to variants of any or all vehicle types.In the original LNER coding system, S stood for "Second", an intermediate class between First and Third (which later became Second). The original Second was more or less abolished in the 1870s (as a result of the Railway Regulation Act 1844
Railway Regulation Act 1844
The Railway Regulation Act 1844 was a British Act of Parliament introduced as a means of providing a minimum standard for rail passenger travel.-The prior situation:...
), remaining only in limited use for special services, such as those meeting ships (which retained the three-class system from which railway classifications had originated). In the 1980s, BR renamed Second to Standard. Many of the classifications listed below are no longer used, and some did not survive until the designation "Standard".
| LNER Code | Description | LMS Code |
|---|---|---|
| B | Brake | |
| BC | Brake Composite | |
| BCK | Brake Composite Corridor | CBB |
| BCL | Brake Composite Lavatory | |
| BCV | BRUTE British Rail Universal Trolley Equipment British Rail Universal Trolley Equipment was a system of mobile containers used by British Rail from 1964 to the early 1990s to enable the sorting, handling and distribution of parcels, newspapers etc... Carrying Van |
|
| BDMBS | Battery Driving Motor Brake Standard (Open) | |
| BDMSO | Battery Driving Motor Standard Open | |
| BDTCL | Battery Driving Trailer Composite (Open) Lavatory | |
| BFK | Brake First Corridor | E |
| BFO | Brake First Open | |
| BG | Brake Gangwayed | CBR |
| BGP | Brake Gangwayed Pigeon van | |
| BGZ | Brake Gangwayed (6-wheels) | CR |
| BPOT | Brake Post Office Stowage Van Brake Post Office Stowage Van A Brake Post Office Stowage Van is a type of rail vehicle built for use in a Travelling Post Office.British Rail built nine of these vehicles between 1959 and 1968, to two similar designs, both based on the Mark 1 coach design. They were numbered in the range 80450-80458... |
|
| BS | Brake Standard | H |
| BSK | Brake Standard Corridor | CH |
| BSL | Brake Standard Lavatory | LH |
| BSO | Brake Standard Open | VH |
| BSOT | Brake Standard Open Trolley | |
| BUO | Brake Unclassified Open | |
| BZ | Brake (6-wheels) | R |
| C | Composite | BC |
| CCT | Covered Carriage Truck Covered Carriage Truck Covered Carriage Truck was a type of van with end doors used for moving motor cars or parcel traffic. Four wheeled CCT were banned from British Rail in the mid 1960s. These vans were designed to be used for carrying motor cars in Motorail but the tight clearances inside the body of the van and... |
|
| CK | Composite Corridor | CBC |
| CL | Composite Lavatory | LC |
| CO | Composite Open | VC |
| DBSO | Driving Brake Standard Open Driving Brake Standard Open A Driving Brake Standard Open or DBSO is a type of railway carriage, converted to operate as a control car. Fourteen such vehicles, numbered 9701 to 9714, were converted from Mk. 2F Brake Standard Open carriages. Modifications included adding a driving cab and TDM equipment to allow a locomotive... |
|
| DM | Driving Motor | |
| DMB | Driving Motor Brake | |
| DMBC | Driving Motor Brake Composite (Open) | |
| DMBCL | Driving Motor Brake Composite (Open) Lavatory | |
| DMBFL | Driving Motor Brake First (Open) Lavatory | |
| DMBS | Driving Motor Brake Standard (Open) | |
| DMBSK | Driving Motor Brake Standard Corridor | |
| DMBSL | Driving Motor Brake Standard (Open) Lavatory | |
| DMBSO | Driving Motor Brake Standard Open | |
| DMC | Driving Motor Composite (Open) | |
| DMCL | Driving Motor Composite (Open) Lavatory | |
| DMLV | Driving Motor Luggage Van | |
| DMPMV | Driving Motor Parcels & Miscellaneous Van | |
| DMS | Driving Motor Standard (Open) | |
| DMSK | Driving Motor Standard Corridor | |
| DMSL | Driving Motor Standard (Open) Lavatory | |
| DMSO | Driving Motor Standard Open | |
| DTBS | Driving Trailer Brake Standard | |
| DTBSO | Driving Trailer Brake Standard Open | |
| DTCL | Driving Trailer Composite (Open) Lavatory | |
| DTCoL | Driving Trailer Composite Semi-Open Lavatory | |
| DTCOL | Driving Trailer Composite Open Lavatory | |
| DTS | Driving Trailer Standard (Open) | |
| DTSo | Driving Trailer Standard Semi-Open | |
| DTSO | Driving Trailer Standard Open | |
| DTSOL | Driving Trailer Standard Open Lavatory | |
| DVT | Driving Van Trailer Driving Van Trailer A Driving Van Trailer is a purpose-built railway vehicle that allows the driver to operate a locomotive at the opposite end of a train. Trains operating with a DVT therefore do not require the locomotive to be moved around to the other end of the train at terminal stations... |
|
| F | First | L |
| FK | First Corridor First Corridor The First Corridor type of railway coach was one of the standard mid-20th century designs; coded 'FK' by the LNER and BR, and 'CL' by the LMS. The layout of the coach was a number of compartments, all of which were first class, linked by a side corridor.... |
CL |
| FL | First Lavatory | LM |
| FO | First Open | QL |
| FOT | First Open Trolley | |
| GUV | General Utility Van General Utility Van A General Utility Van is a type of rail vehicle built by British Rail and its predecessors, which was primarily used for transporting mail and parcels. They were used by both Express Parcels Systems, the British Post Office and Railtrack. National Rail and some Train Operating Companies still use... |
|
| HB | Horse Box | |
| IFV | Insulated Fish Van | |
| LFK | Lounge First Corridor | |
| M | Motor | |
| MBRSM | Motor Brake Restaurant Standard Modular | |
| MBS | Motor Brake Standard | |
| MBSK | Motor Brake Standard Corridor | |
| MBSO | Motor Brake Standard Open | |
| MFLRK | Motor First (Open) Lavatory Restaurant Kitchen | |
| MLV | Motor Luggage Van | |
| MS | Motor Standard (Open) | |
| MSL | Motor Standard (Open) Lavatory | |
| MSLRB | Motor Standard Lavatory Restaurant Buffet | |
| MSO | Motor Standard Open | |
| OCT | Open Carriage Truck | |
| PCP | Pullman Composite Parlour | |
| PCV | Propelling Control Vehicle Propelling Control Vehicle A Propelling Control Vehicle is a type of British railway carriage for carrying mail. They were converted from Class 307 driving trailers and have a cab at one end. This allows mail trains to be propelled at low speed, with the locomotive at the rear of the train being driven from the... |
|
| PFB | Pullman First Brake | |
| PFK | Pullman First Kitchen | |
| PFP | Pullman First Parlour | |
| PMV | Parcels & Miscellaneous Van | |
| POS | Post Office Sorting Van Post Office Sorting Van A Post Office Sorting Van is a type of rail vehicle built for use in a Travelling Post Office.British Rail built ninety-six of these vehicles between 1959 and 1977, to several similar designs, all based on the Mark 1 coach design. They were numbered in the range 80300–80395... |
POR |
| POT | Post Office Stowage Van Post Office Stowage Van A Post Office Stowage Van is a type of rail vehicle built for use in a Travelling Post Office . Several of these have passed into preservation as they are very useful for storage on the railways.-Preservation:... |
PPR |
| PSB | Pullman Standard Brake | |
| PTSO | Pantograph Trailer Standard Open | |
| RB | Restaurant Buffet | BRC |
| RC | Restaurant Composite | Compo RKC |
| RCO | Restaurant Composite Open | VC Dining |
| RF | Restaurant First | First RKC |
| RFB | Restaurant First Buffet | |
| RFM | Restaurant First Modular | |
| RFO | Restaurant First Open | QL Dining |
| RG | Restaurant Griddle | |
| RK | Restaurant Kitchen | KC |
| RKB | Restaurant Kitchen Buffet | BRC |
| RLO | Restaurant Lounge Open | |
| RMB | Restaurant Miniature Buffet | |
| RS | Restaurant Standard | Third RKC |
| RSO | Restaurant Standard Open | QF Dining |
| RU | Restaurant Unclassified | Common RKC |
| RUB | Restaurant Unclassified Buffet | |
| RUK | Restaurant Unclassified Kitchen | |
| RUO | Restaurant Unclassified Open | |
| S | Standard | F |
| SCV | Special Cattle Van | |
| SK | Standard Corridor Standard Corridor The Standard Corridor type of railway carriage was one of the standard mid-20th century designs, and was coded SK by the LNER and BR, and CF by the LMS... |
CF |
| SLC | Sleeper Composite | CSC |
| SLE | Sleeper Either Class | |
| SLEP | Sleeper Either Class with Pantry | |
| SLF | Sleeper First | SC |
| SLSTP | Sleeper Standard Twin-Berth with Pantry | SCT |
| SLO | Standard Lavatory Open (within carriage) | |
| SO | Standard Open | QF |
| SPV | Special Parcels Van | |
| TBCK | Trailer Brake Composite Corridor | |
| TBF | Trailer Brake First (Open) | |
| TBFK | Trailer Brake First Corridor | |
| TBSK | Trailer Brake Standard Corridor | |
| TBSL | Trailer Brake Standard (Open) Lavatory | |
| TC | Trailer Composite (Open) | |
| TCK | Trailer Composite Corridor | |
| TCL | Trailer Composite (Open) Lavatory | |
| TCoL | Trailer Composite Semi-Open Lavatory | |
| TCOL | Trailer Composite Open Lavatory | |
| TCV | Tiered Car Van | |
| TF | Trailer First (Open) | |
| TFK | Trailer First Corridor | |
| TFKRB | Trailer First Corridor Restaurant Buffet | |
| TFL | Trailer First (Open) Lavatory | |
| TFLRB | Trailer First (Open) Lavatory Restaurant Buffet | |
| TFLRK | Trailer First (Open) Lavatory Restaurant Kitchen | |
| TFOLH | Trailer First Open Lavatory Handbrake | |
| TGS | Trailer Guard Standard (Open) | |
| TRB | Trailer Restaurant Buffet | |
| TRFB | Trailer Restaurant First Buffet | |
| TRFM | Trailer Restaurant First Modular | |
| TRSB | Trailer Restaurant Standard Buffet | |
| TRUB | Trailer Restaurant Unclassified Buffet | |
| TRUK | Trailer Restaurant Unclassified Kitchen | |
| TS | Trailer Standard (Open) | |
| TSK | Trailer Standard Corridor | |
| TSL | Trailer Standard (Open) Lavatory | |
| TSLRB | Trailer Standard (Open) Lavatory Restaurant Buffet | |
| TSo | Trailer Standard Semi-Open | |
| TSO | Tourist Standard Open or Trailer Standard Open | |
| TSOL | Trailer Standard Open Lavatory | |
| TSORB | Trailer Standard Open Restaurant Buffet | |
| TSOT | Tourist Standard Open Trolley | |
| TU | Trailer Unclassified (Open) | |
| VFV | Ventilated Fruit Van |
Note that in modern usage, composite semi-open vehicles are classified Cso - the s signifying that the Standard portion is open (implying that the First portion is compartments with corridor).
- See also: British Carriage and Wagon Numbering and ClassificationBritish carriage and wagon numbering and classificationA 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...