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. 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. 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, referring 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 Great Western Railway (GWR) identified some of their non-passenger carriages and wagons through a series of animal designations, including sea life for departmental (non-revenue earning) stock, followed by a letter for detail differences, e.g. Beetle A.
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 had its own numbering arrangements.
The Great Western Railway and London, Midland and Scottish Railway (from 1933) adopted a system which allocated number ranges within a series for different types. The Southern Railway followed a similar approach, but used two series; for passenger carriages and for non-passenger carriages. The London and North Eastern Railway numbered its carriages with the first digit indicating the area it was allocated to. 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' and a substantial number of 'Private Owner' wagons. It also inherited the stock of the Pullman Car Company when it was nationalised in the late 1950s.
Numbering system
Arrangements at Nationalisation The numbers of carriages and wagons inherited from the 'Big Four' companies were left unchanged, but with a prefix letter to show where they had originated from, as follows:
E: London & North Eastern RailwayM: London Midland & Scottish RailwayS: Southern RailwayW: Great Western Railway
A "D" prefix in front of the regional prefix indicated departmental (non-revenue earning) stock. Departmental stock (including locomotives) inherited from the Southern Railway carried numbers with an "S" suffix (indicating Service stock, an alternative term for departmental) which was deleted and replaced with the "DS" prefix.
Former 'Private Owner' wagons, owned by industrial concerns rather than the railway companies, had a prefix letter "P" but were renumbered into a new series commencing at 3000.
Some carriages and wagons built by British Railways to the designs of the 'Big Four' companies were numbered in their series and carried the appropriate letter prefix. BR then introduced its own number series, for wagons beginning with B. Initially most designs were based on, or similar to, those of the pre-Nationalisation companies.
Arrangements from 1951 In 1951, the first production carriages built to British Railways' designs appeared, known as the Mark I. Numbers had a prefix letter (or letters) to indicate the region to which the carriage was allocated, and responsible for the maintenance. The inherited carriages then had a suffix letter indicating the company of origin.
New carriages had no suffix: when Pullman Company carriages were added, their numbers carried both prefix and a suffix (indicating regional allocation), as did the 2 tier car carriers built for the East Coast services.
The regional allocation letters used were: E: Eastern RegionGE: Great Eastern linesM: London Midland RegionNE: North Eastern RegionS: Southern RegionSC: Scottish RegionW: Western Region
Wagons retained the existing prefixes indicating their origin, and new stock built to British Railways designs was given a "B" prefix.
British Railways adopted the following numbering system for carriages and wagons built to its own designs (a small number of types built to pre-Nationalisation designs were later allocated numbers in this series, but only following rebuilding to new types). Note that in this table, reference is made to first, second and third class; from June 1956, second class was abolished and third class was renamed second class (and again to standard class in 1987). The few BR-design second class carriages (intended for use in Boat Trains since ships had three classes of accommodation) were designated as first class or unclassified.
Numbers Description Notes 1-1999 Restaurant and catering cars 1-999 first class and 1000-1999 third and unclassified; restaurant cars without kitchen facilities took the lowest numbers in each range. Pullman cars, after nationalisation of the Pullman Company, took numbers from 500 upwards. 2000-2899 Sleeping cars 2000-2399 first class, 2400-2499 composite, 2500-2799 third. Conversions of third class cars to "either class" took numbers in the 28xx series. 2900-2999 Royal saloons All Royal Train vehicles numbered in this series from 1977. The Discotheque car (for use in football excursion special trains) took number 2990. 3000-8999 Open cars 3000-3499 first class, 3500-3599 second class, 3700-6199 third class. Declassified first class cars took numbers in the 36xx, 62xx, 64xx and 68xx series. Cars fitted with buffet facilities took numbers in the 352x, 65xx, 66xx and 67xx series. Various special vehicles took numbers in the 626x, 63xx and 69xx series. The 7xxx series was used for Composite Corridor cars renumbered from 15xxx and 16xxx. 9000-12999 Brake open cars 9200-9599 third class. Cars fitted with buffet facilities took numbers in the 90xx and 91xx series. Cars fitted with a driving cab took numbers in the 97xx series. Open cars rebuilt with a brake compartment took numbers in the 98xx series. 10000-12999 used for Mark 3 vehicles onwards (see below). 13000-14999 First class corridor cars Cars with brake compartments numbered 14xxx. 15000-23999 Composite corridor cars Cars with brake compartments numbered 21xxx. The 17xxx series was used for Brake First Corridor cars renumbered from 14xxx and Mark 3 Brake First Open cars. The 18xxx/19xxx series was used for Standard Corridor cars renumbered from 25xxx/26xxx. 24000-39999 Third class corridor cars Cars with brake compartments numbered 34xxx/35xxx. Post-privatisation, the 38xxx/39xxx series have been used for electric multiple unit vehicles. 40000-59999 Non-gangwayed cars 41xxx composite, 43xxx composite (lavatory), 46xxx third class, 48xxx third class (open), 53xxx third class (brake compartment). After the 5xxxx series was reallocated for diesel mechanical multiple unit cars in 1955, the Brake Thirds were renumbered 43100 upwards. After withdrawal of all these cars, the 4xxxx series was reused for InterCity 125 and Advanced Passenger Train vehicles (see below). 50000-54999 Single-ended Driving Motor Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit cars The 53xxx series was used for cars renumbered from 50xxx and the 54xxx series for cars renumbered from 56xxx, with 549xx later used for Driving Trailers converted to carry parcels. 55000-55999 Double-ended Driving Motor Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit cars Parcels cars numbered in the 559xx series (later including single-ended Driving Motors converted from passenger stock). 56000-58999 Driving Trailer Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit cars 59000-59999 Trailer Diesel Mechanical Multiple Unit cars 60000-60999 Diesel Electric Multiple Unit cars Motor vehicles from 60000 upwards and trailer vehicles from 60500 upwards. 61000-67999 Motor Electric Multiple Unit cars Cars numbered below 64000 were mainly, but not all, non-driving motors; those numbered 64xxx or 65xxx were all driving motors. 68000-68999 Parcels Electric Multiple Unit cars 69000-69999 Restaurant and catering Electric Multiple Unit cars 70000-74999 Trailer Electric Multiple Unit cars 75000-78999 Driving Trailer Electric Multiple Unit Some 78xxx numbers used for diesel electric multiple unit cars with one engine removed. 79000-79999 Diesel Multiple Unit cars (pre-Modernisation Plan designs) Post-privatisation, the 790xx series has been used for electric multiple unit vehicles. 80000-80199 Kitchen cars 80200-80499 Travelling Post Office cars Conversions of vehicles used in postal trains numbered in 802xx series. 80500-99999 Hauled non-passenger carrying cars 80500-81999 full brake vans, 85xxx newspaper vans; 86xxx general utility vans, 87000-88999 fish vans, 92xxx fruit vans, 94xxx covered carriage trucks, 95xxx and 96xxx car carriers and horse boxes, 992xx and 995xx bullion vehicles, 996xx exhibition vans. 82xxx used for Mark 3 vehicles onwards (see below). There was considerable renumbering of cars in this series to reflect conversions, including reuse of the 92xxx and 94xxx series.
Numbers 100000 to 999999 were used for non-passenger rated stock (including wagons, vans and departmental (non-revenue earning) carriages), while internal user vehicles (stock used for internal purposes (e.g. stores) at specific locations and unlikely to move) took numbers in the 0xxxxx series. For more details see below.
The same series was used for Mark 2 coaches built in the 1960s, but when Mark 3 carriage was introduced in the early 1970s new number ranges were carved out of the old series. These new ranges were perpetuated for Mark 4 carriages in the 1980s, and were as follows:
10000-10499 Restaurant and Kitchen 10500-10999 Sleeper 11000-11899 First class 11900-11999 Composite First & Second class 12000-12999 Second class 40000-40999 High Speed Train Restaurant & Kitchen 41000-41999 High Speed Train First class 42000-42999 High Speed Train Second class 43000-43999 High Speed Train Driving Motor 44000-45999 High Speed Train Second class Brake 48000-48999 Advanced Passenger Train Trailer 49000-49999 Advanced Passenger Train Motor 82000-82999 Driving Van Trailer
Diesel multiple unit builds in the 1980s utilised the 52xxx, 55xxx, 57xxx and 58xxx series for 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. 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.
A major change came in May 1983 when prefix and suffix letters was abandoned, and any carriage that had the same number as another carriage or a locomotive was renumbered. The programme worked as follows: 14000-14999to17000-17999to avoid clashing with Southern Railway carriages16000-16499/15500-15999to7000-7999 to avoid clashing with Southern Railway carriages25000-26999 to 18000-19999 to avoid clashing with Class 25 and 26 locomotives40000-40099 to 40400-40499 to avoid clashing with Class 40 locomotives50000-50999 to 53000-53999 to avoid clashing with Class 50 locomotives56000-56999 to 54000-54999 to avoid clashing with Class 56 locomotives81000-81999 to 84000-84999 to avoid clashing with Class 81 locomotives85500-85599 to 94000-94099 to avoid clashing with Class 85 locomotives86000-86999 to 93000-93999 to avoid clashing with Class 86 locomotives