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 (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 or engine where the Motor type vehicle in a class usually contained two |
| K | corridor |
| 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) N.B. 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 |
| 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.
Read more about this topic: British Rail Coach Designations
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