Structure
Whereas the Whyte notation counts wheels, the UIC notation counts axles.
- Upper-case letters
- the number of consecutive driving axles, starting at A for a single axle. C thus indicates three consecutive pairs of driving wheels.
- Numbers
- consecutive non-driving axles, starting with 1 for a single axle.
- Lower-case "o", suffixing the driving wheel letter
- axles are individually driven by electric traction motors.
- Prime sign " ′ "
- the axles are mounted on a bogie.
- Plus sign "+"
- the locomotive or multiple unit consists of permanently coupled and mechanically separated individual vehicles.
- Brackets
- groups letters and numbers describing the same bogie. For example, (A1A) indicates a three-axle bogie with the outer two axles driven. When brackets are used a prime is not needed to indicate a bogie. Mallet locomotives can be indicated by bracketing the front power unit — for example, the Union Pacific Big Boy, 4-8-8-4 in Whyte notation, is (2′D)D2′ in UIC notation.
Garratt-type locomotives are indicated by bracketing or placing plus signs between all individual units.
- Other suffixes
-
- h: Superheated Steam (German: Heißdampf)
- n: Saturated Steam (German: Nassdampf)
- v: Compound (German: Verbund)
- Turb: Turbine
- number: number of cylinders
- t: Tank locomotive
- G: Freight (German: Güterzug – freight train). Also used to indicate shunting locomotives
- P: Passenger (German: Personenzug – passenger train)
- S: Fast passenger (German: Schnellzug – express train)
The most common wheel arrangements in modern locomotives are Bo′Bo′ and Co′Co′.
Read more about this topic: UIC Classification Of Locomotive Axle Arrangements
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