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. They have been superseded by TOPS design codes.

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: CodeMeaningBBrake van (prefix)Buffet (suffix)Battery (prefix for multiple unit vehicles)CComposite (more than one class of accommodation)DDriving vehicle (prefix) Disabled accommodation (suffix)EEither class of accommodation End vehicle (suffix)FFirst ClassGGangwayed (e.g. BG - Brake Gangwayed)HHandbrakeHMHalf-motor (prefix on multiple units)Used for vehicles with one traction motor or engine where the Motor type vehicle of that class usually had twoKcorridorLLavatory (usually shown only in non-gangwayed or diesel multiple unit codes)Lounge (prefix) (but see SL)MMotor (powered) vehicleOOpen (i.e. no compartments, or no kitchen in Restaurant cars);O not used for diesel multiple units as most are OpenoSemi-open (i.e. mix of compartments and open)Some books have used so in place of o, to avoid confusion with OPPantograph (prefix for electric multiple units)Pantry (suffix)Pullman (prefix)Parlour (suffix for Pullman cars)RRestaurantRGRestaurant GriddleRKRestaurant KitchenRMMiniature/Modular RestaurantSSecond Class (Standard Class from May 1985)SLSleeperTThird Class Trailer (prefix for multiple unit vehicles)Trolley buffet (suffix)Tourist (prefix for hauled carriages, indicates 2+2 seating)UUnclassified accommodationWWheelchair AreaYFour-wheeled vehicleZSix-wheeled vehicle

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.

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.

BR CodeDescriptionLMS CodeBBrake (non-gangwayed)BCBrake CompositeBCKBrake Composite CorridorCBBBCLBrake Composite LavatoryBCVBRUTE Carrying VanBDBSBattery Driving Trailer Brake SecondBDMSBattery Driving Motor SecondBDTCBattery Driving Trailer CompositeBDTCBattery Driving Trailer CompositeBDTSBattery Driving Trailer SecondBFBBullion Container FlatBFKBrake First CorridorEBFOBrake First OpenBGGangwayed Full BrakeCBRBGPBrake gangwayed pigeon vanBGZBrake gangwayed (six-wheels)CRBPOTBrake Post Office tenderBSBrake SecondHBSKBrake Second CorridorCHBSLBrake Second LavatoryLHBSOBrake Second OpenVHBSO(T)Brake Second Open Trolley(Micro Buffet)BTKBrake Third CorridorBUOBrake Unclassified OpenBYBrake (non-gangwayed, four-wheeled)BZBrake (non-gangwayed, six-wheeled)RCCompositeBCCCTCovered Carriage TruckCKCorridor CompositeCBCCLLavatory CompositeLCCOComposite OpenVCCTOOpen Carriage TruckDBSODriving Brake Second OpenDMDriving MotorDMBDriving Motor BrakeDMBCDriving Motor Brake CompositeDMBFDriving Motor Brake FirstDMBSDriving Motor Brake SecondDMBSODriving Motor Brake Second OpenDMCDriving Motor CompositeDMLVDriving Motor Luggage VanDMSDriving Motor SecondDTBSDriving Trailer Brake SecondDTCDriving Trailer CompositeDTSDriving Trailer SecondDTVDriving Trailer VanDVTDriving van trailerFKCorridor FirstCLFOOpen FirstQLFOTFirst Open TrolleyGUVGeneral utility vanHBHorse boxIFVInsulated fish vanKBKitchen Buffet(no seats, later RKB)LFKLounge FirstMMotorMBSMotor Brake SecondMFLRKMotor First Lavatory KitchenMLVMotor Luggage VanMPSLMotor Parlour Second LavatoryMSMotor SecondMSLRKMotor Second Lavatory KitchenNPVNewspaper VanPCPPullman Composite ParlourPCVPropelling control vehicle or Parcels VanPFBPullman First BrakePFKPullman First KitchenPFPPullman First ParlourPMVParcels & Miscellaneous Van (NPCS) or Pantograph Motor Van (EMU coach)POSPost Office sorting vanPORPOTPost Office stowage vanPPRPSBPullman Second BrakePSPPullman Second ParlourPTSOPantograph Trailer Second OpenPVGPacking Van Gangway (newspaper)RBRestaurant BuffetBRKRestaurant Buffet (larger kitchen)RBRRestaurant Buffet RefurbishedRBSRestaurant Unclassed (proper buffet)RCRestaurant CompositeCompo RKCRCORestaurant Composite OpenVC DiningREGriddleRFRestaurant FirstFirst RKCRFBRestaurant First BuffetRFMRestaurant First ModularRFORestaurant First OpenQL DiningRKKitchen CarKCRKBKitchen Buffet (no seats)BRCRLBRestaurant Lounge First BuffetRMBRestaurant Miniature BuffetRMBTMicro BuffetRSRestaurant SecondThird RKCRSORestaurant Second Open (without kitchen)QF DiningRUUnclassified Restaurant<Common RKCRUBRestaurant Unclassified (makeshift buffet)RUKRestaurant Unclassified KitchenRUORestaurant Unclassified Open (with kitchen)SSecondFSCVSpecial Cattle VanSDSaloon DiscothèqueSKCorridor SecondCFSLBBullion VanSLCSleeper CompositeCSCSLCPSleeper Composite with PantrySLESleeper Either ClassSLEPSleeper Either Class with PantrySLFSleeper FirstSCSLOOpen Second with Lavatory (Non-gangwayed)SLSCSleeper Support CoachSLSTPSleeper Second Twin-Berth with PantrySCTSLOSecond Lavatory Open (within carriage)SOOpen SecondQFSO(NG)Second Open (non-gangwayed)SPVSpecial Parcels VanTAVTrailer Auxiliary VanTBCTrailer Brake CompositeTBFTrailer Brake FirstTBSTrailer Brake SecondTCTrailer CompositeTCCTrailer Composite ConductorTCVTiered Car CarrierTFTrailer FirstTFLRKTrailer First Lavatory KitchenTGTrailer GriddleTGSTrailer Guard SecondTOVThird Open Vestibuled (Later reclassified TSO)TPFLTrailer Parlour First LavatoryTRBTrailer Restaurant Buffet UnclassifiedTRFBTrailer Restaurant First BuffetTRFMTrailer Restaurant First ModularTRSBTrailer Restaurant Second BuffetTRUBTrailer Restaurant Unclassified BuffetTRUKTrailer Restaurant Unclassified KitchenTSTrailer SecondTSCDTrailer Second Conductor DisabledTSOTourist Second OpenTSODTourist Standard Open DisabledTSOETourist Standard Open End CoachTSO(T)Tourist Second Open Trolley (Micro Buffet)TUTrailer unclassifiedVFVVentilated fruit van

See also British carriage and wagon numbering and classification

References

Further reading