British Rail coach type codes

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:More citations needed British Railways coach designations were a series of letter-codes used to identify different types of coaches, both passenger carrying and non-passenger carrying stock (NPCS). The code was generally painted on the end of the coach but non-gangwayed stock had the code painted on the side.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They have been superseded by TOPS design codes.<ref name=HMRS>Template:Harvnb</ref>

Background

The London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the London and North Eastern Railway developed systems of identifying railway carriages with alphabetic codes. When British Railways was formed in 1948, it adapted the LNER system.

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 in the code or the presence of other letters. The letters are:

Code	Meaning
B	Brake van (prefix)
	Buffet (suffix)
	Battery (prefix for multiple unit vehicles)
C	Composite (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 (e.g. BG - Brake Gangwayed)
H	Handbrake
HM	Half-motor (prefix on multiple units) Used for vehicles with one traction motor or engine where the Motor type vehicle of that class usually had two
K	corridor
L	Lavatory (usually shown only in non-gangwayed or diesel multiple unit codes)
	Lounge (prefix) (but see SL)
M	Motor (powered) vehicle
O	Open (i.e. no compartments, or no kitchen in Restaurant cars); O not used for diesel multiple units as most are Open
o	Semi-open (i.e. mix of compartments and open) Some books have used so in place of o, to avoid confusion with O
P	Pantograph (prefix for electric multiple units)
	Pantry (suffix)
	Pullman (prefix)
	Parlour (suffix for Pullman cars)
R	Restaurant
RG	Restaurant Griddle
RK	Restaurant Kitchen
RM	Miniature/Modular Restaurant
S	Second Class (Standard Class from May 1985<ref name=HMRS-2nd>Template:Harvnb</ref>)
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
W	Wheelchair Area
Y	Four-wheeled vehicleTemplate:Efn
Z	Six-wheeled vehicleTemplate:Efn
Template:Notelist

These letters (except Y and Z) did not usually apply to 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 used on BR 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") was used. Suffix codes Y or Z are not shown, as these could apply to variants of any or all vehicle types.

In the LNER system, S stood for "Second", a class between First and Third (which became Second on 3 June 1956). 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 May 1988 BR reclassified Second to Standard but this did not alter the code.<ref name=HMRS-2nd/>

Multiple unit coaches originally distinguished between open and corridor types by adding the letter O or K at the end (for example, TSO or TSK), and also distinguished coaches with lavatories by adding the letter L at the end (for example DMBSOL) but these fell out of use when corridor stock became less common which enabled the codes to be restricted to no more than four letters.<ref name=RCTS-1982/>

BR Code	Description	LMS Code
B<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref>	Brake (non-gangwayed)
BC	Brake Composite
BCK<ref name=HMRS/><ref name="ABC1989-coaching">Template:Cite book</ref>	Brake Composite Corridor	CBB
BCL	Brake Composite Lavatory
BCV	BRUTE Carrying Van
BDBS<ref name="RCTS-1982">Template:Cite book</ref>	Battery Driving Trailer Brake Second
BDMS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Battery Driving Motor Second
BDTC<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Battery Driving Trailer Composite
BDTC<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Battery Driving Trailer Composite
BDTS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Battery Driving Trailer Second
BFB<ref name=HMRS/>	Bullion Container Flat
BFK<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Brake First Corridor	E
BFO<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Brake First Open
BG<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/><ref name=Larkin/>	Gangwayed Full Brake	CBR
BGP	Brake gangwayed pigeon van
BGZ<ref name=Larkin/>	Brake gangwayed (six-wheels)	CR
BPOT<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Brake Post Office tender
BS<ref name=HMRS/>	Brake Second	H
BSK<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Brake Second Corridor	CH
BSL	Brake Second Lavatory	LH
BSO<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Brake Second Open	VH
BSO(T)<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Brake Second Open Trolley(Micro Buffet)
BTK<ref name=HMRS/>	Brake Third Corridor
BUO	Brake Unclassified Open
BY	Brake (non-gangwayed, four-wheeled)
BZ<ref name=Larkin/>	Brake (non-gangwayed, six-wheeled)	R
C<ref name=HMRS/>	Composite	BC
CCT<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=Larkin/>	Covered Carriage Truck
CK<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Corridor Composite	CBC
CL<ref name=HMRS/>	Lavatory Composite	LC
CO<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Composite Open	VC
CTO<ref name=Larkin/>	Open Carriage Truck
DBSO<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Driving Brake Second Open
DM	Driving Motor
DMB<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Motor Brake
DMBC<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Motor Brake Composite
DMBF<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Motor Brake First
DMBS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Motor Brake Second
DMBSO	Driving Motor Brake Second Open
DMC<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Motor Composite
DMLV<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Motor Luggage Van
DMS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Motor Second
DTBS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Trailer Brake Second
DTC<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Trailer Composite
DTS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Driving Trailer Second
DTV<ref name="MR_1995-04">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	Driving Trailer Van
DVT<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Driving van trailer
FK<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Corridor First	CL
FO<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Open First	QL
FOT	First Open Trolley
GUV<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/><ref name=Larkin/>	General utility van
HB<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=Larkin/>	Horse box
IFV	Insulated fish van
KB<ref name=HMRS/>	Kitchen Buffet(no seats, later RKB)
LFK<ref name=HMRS/>	Lounge First
M<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Motor
MBS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Motor Brake Second
MFLRK	Motor First Lavatory Kitchen<ref name="MRI-176">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
MLV<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Motor Luggage Van
MPSL<ref name="MRI-176"/>	Motor Parlour Second Lavatory
MS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Motor Second
MSLRK<ref name="MRI-176"/>	Motor Second Lavatory Kitchen
NPV<ref name=HMRS/>	Newspaper Van
PCP	Pullman Composite Parlour
PCV	Propelling control vehicle<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> or Parcels Van<ref name=HMRS/>
PFB<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Pullman First Brake
PFK<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Pullman First Kitchen
PFP<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Pullman First Parlour
PMV	Parcels & Miscellaneous Van (NPCS)<ref name=Larkin/> or Pantograph Motor Van (EMU coach)<ref name=MR_1995-04/>
POS<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/><ref name=Larkin/>	Post Office sorting van	POR
POT<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/><ref name=Larkin/>	Post Office stowage van	PPR
PSB	Pullman Second Brake
PSP	Pullman Second Parlour
PTSO	Pantograph Trailer Second Open
PVG<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Packing Van Gangway (newspaper)
RB<ref name=HMRS/>	Restaurant Buffet
BRK<ref name=HMRS/>	Restaurant Buffet (larger kitchen)
RBR<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Restaurant Buffet Refurbished
RBS<ref name=HMRS/>	Restaurant Unclassed (proper buffet)
RC	Restaurant Composite	Compo RKC
RCO	Restaurant Composite Open	VC Dining
RE	Griddle<ref name=HMRS/>
RF<ref name=HMRS/>	Restaurant First	First RKC
RFB	Restaurant First Buffet
RFM<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Restaurant First Modular
RFO<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Restaurant First Open	QL Dining
RK<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Kitchen Car	KC
RKB<ref name=HMRS/>	Kitchen Buffet (no seats)	BRC
RLB<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Restaurant Lounge First Buffet
RMB<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Restaurant Miniature Buffet
RMBT<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Micro Buffet
RS	Restaurant Second	Third RKC
RSO<ref name=HMRS/>	Restaurant Second Open (without kitchen)	QF Dining
RU<ref name=HMRS/>	Unclassified Restaurant<	Common RKC
RUB<ref name=HMRS/>	Restaurant Unclassified (makeshift buffet)
RUK	Restaurant Unclassified Kitchen
RUO<ref name=HMRS/>	Restaurant Unclassified Open (with kitchen)
S<ref name=HMRS/>	Second	F
SCV<ref name=Larkin/>	Special Cattle Van
SD<ref name=HMRS/>	Saloon Discothèque
SK<ref name=HMRS/>	Corridor Second	CF
SLB<ref name=HMRS/>	Bullion Van
SLC<ref name=HMRS/>	Sleeper Composite	CSC
SLCP<ref name=HMRS/>	Sleeper Composite with Pantry
SLE<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Sleeper Either Class
SLEP<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Sleeper Either Class with Pantry
SLF<ref name=HMRS/>	Sleeper First	SC
SLO<ref name=HMRS/>	Open Second with Lavatory (Non-gangwayed)
SLSC<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Sleeper Support Coach
SLSTP<ref name=HMRS/>	Sleeper Second Twin-Berth with Pantry	SCT
SLO	Second Lavatory Open (within carriage)
SO<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Open Second	QF
SO(NG)<ref name=HMRS/>	Second Open (non-gangwayed)
SPV	Special Parcels Van
TAV<ref name=MR_1995-04/>	Trailer Auxiliary Van
TBC<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Trailer Brake Composite
TBF<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Trailer Brake First
TBS<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Trailer Brake Second
TC<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Trailer Composite
TCC<ref name="MRI-208"/>	Trailer Composite Conductor
TCV<ref name=HMRS/>	Tiered Car Carrier
TF<ref name=RCTS-1982/><ref name="MRI-208">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	Trailer First
TFLRK<ref name="MRI-176"/>	Trailer First Lavatory Kitchen
TG<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Trailer Griddle
TGS<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>	Trailer Guard Second
TOV<ref name=HMRS/>	Third Open Vestibuled (Later reclassified TSO)
TPFL<ref name="MRI-176"/>	Trailer Parlour First Lavatory
TRB<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Trailer Restaurant Buffet Unclassified
TRFB<ref name="MRI-208"/>	Trailer Restaurant First Buffet
TRFM	Trailer Restaurant First Modular
TRSB<ref name=RCTS-1982/><ref name="MRI-208"/>	Trailer Restaurant Second Buffet
TRUB<ref name=RCTS-1982/><ref name="MRI-208"/>	Trailer Restaurant Unclassified Buffet
TRUK<ref name=RCTS-1982/>	Trailer Restaurant Unclassified Kitchen
TS<ref name="RCTS-1982" /><ref name="MRI-208" />	Trailer Second
TSCD<ref name="MRI-208"/>	Trailer Second Conductor Disabled
TSO<ref name=HMRS/><ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Tourist Second Open
TSOD<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Tourist Standard Open Disabled
TSOE<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Tourist Standard Open End Coach
TSO(T)<ref name=ABC1989-coaching/>	Tourist Second Open Trolley (Micro Buffet)
TU	Trailer unclassified
VFV	Ventilated fruit van

See also

British carriage and wagon numbering and classification

Further reading

• Template:Cite magazine

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