The LNER Society JOURNAL - Summer 2013

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CARRIAGE CODES and How to Decipher ThemCARRIAGE CODES and How to Decipher ThemCARRIAGE CODES and How to Decipher ThemCARRIAGE CODES and How to Decipher Them - Mike Bootman and Robert Carroll

An explanation is often sought for the telegraphic codes used by the LNER to describe the various

types of Coaching Rolling Stock and how the codes introduced by British Railways differ from them.

Since these codes were used in many of the carriage working books to detail the carriages required

for a given service as well as their position in the train, an authoritative explanation is appropriate.

Lists provided in publications on the subject of LNER carriages and train services are usually lists

compiled for that publication, and do not necessarily include all of the codes nor present them in the

correct way; using BR codes for the LNER period (Harris), or mixing LNER and BR codes together

(Banks & Carter). The only way to ensure accuracy and completeness is by reference to the ‘General

Instructions relating to the Control and Distribution of Coaching Rolling Stock’, and by reproducing

the relevant pages from carriage workings; we have selected two that were prepared for the same

Section and as close to the official changeover date of 1st January 1949 as is practicable, these being:

1. Western Section - Southern Area, 6th October 1947 until further notice, and

2. Western Section - Southern Area, 5th June to 24th September 1950

1st and 3rd classes of accommodation were most common, but 2nd class accommodation was provided

in general service, in London area suburban services until 1937, and for those boat trains, e.g. ‘The

Hook Continental’, where the ship - and possibly trains on the Continent - provided three classes (3rd

class was restricted to the ‘relief’ train). BR still used 1st and 3rd class (and provided 2nd class for those

boat trains) until 3rd June 1956 when 3rd officially became 2nd class. On 11th May 1987 ‘Second’ became

‘Standard’ class, with ‘Tourist’ continuing to be used to describe open coaches with 2+2 seating.

Glossary - some notes concerning LNER carriage nomenclature:

Carriage - the correct LNER term for a passenger-carrying vehicle, collectively referred to as ‘coaching rolling

stock’ or sometimes ‘coaching stock’;

Vestibuled - GNR and hence LNER term for carriages with flexible connections between adjoining carriages,

derived from the original Pullman Car terminology. Vestibules were usually of the ‘Pullman’ type with central

buffing and coupling gear, but sometimes of the ‘British Standard’ type used by most other railways and also by

most constituent companies of the LNER. An Adaptor (code ‘A’) was required to couple the types together;

Non-vestibuled - not having vestibules;

Corridor - the passageway along a part or the full length of a carriage providing access to compartments;

Open - with seating arranged either side of a central aisle, often sub-divided by transverse partitions;

Semi-open - part corridor and part open, the open section usually being intended for passengers dining or

taking refreshments. The open seating end is usually positioned adjacent to a catering vehicle;

Coupé - a half-compartment with fixed seating one side only, appearing as ‘½’ in carriage workings;

End Door - not having any intermediate doors or any external door to compartments;

Transverse Corridor (Post-war Stock) - doors with corridors also placed between every 2 or 3 compartments;

Fixed seating - arranged in compartments or in open carriages to suit the class and standard of seating required,

which could vary by use and by Area. May or may not have fixed or folding armrests, and the actual number of

seats for a specific type of carriage appears on the Diagrams and is specified in the carriage workings;

Loose chairs - usually found in the sections of carriages used for dining or taking refreshments;

Bucket seating - shaped pairs of adjacent seats fitted in Tourist and some other stock (see below);

Tourist - seating arranged 2+2 either side of the central aisle in the distinctive Tourist stock. Later applied to

standard teak open carriages with 2+2 seating that provided 64 seats capacity (but not so used by all Sections);

Van - a vehicle, or a section of it, for the carriage of luggage, parcels and other passenger-rated goods;

Locker - a separate compartment at the end of a carriage to hold passengers’ bulky luggage.

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Comparison Table Comparison Table Comparison Table Comparison Table ---- TelegraphicTelegraphicTelegraphicTelegraphic CodeCodeCodeCode LetterLetterLetterLetters used by LNERs used by LNERs used by LNERs used by LNER,,,, and and and and by by by by BR BR BR BR from 1from 1from 1from 1stststst January 1January 1January 1January 1949949949949

LNER CODE BR (only shown where it differs)

LNE BR

British Standard with Pullman Adapter A

Articulated Twin, Triplet, Quadruple, or

Quintuple set ART - TWIN, TRIPLE, QUAD, or QUINT

Brake B

British Standard vestibules BS British Standard gangways

Composite (with two or three classes) C

Dual-brake fitted carriage; Diesel type Railcar D D Dual-brake

Electric lighting E - Not used

First class F

Locker G G Gangwayed

Invalid I

Incandescent Gas lighting IG - Not used

Corridor (vestibuled and non-vestibuled) K Corridor (gangwayed stock only)

Lavatory (vestibuled and non-vestibuled) L Lavatory (non-gangwayed stock only)

Milk M

Miscellaneous Traffic Van MTV PMV Parcels and Motor Van

Non-lavatory NL - Not used

Open O

Pigeon P

Pullman Vestibules PV PG Pullman Gangways

- - POS Post Office Sorting Van

- - POT Post Office Tender

Restaurant or Buffet R

Railcar - with type suffix for Steam or Diesel RL - Not used

Saloon; Second class; Steam type Railcar S Saloon; Second class

Steam heater fitted SH - Not used

Sleeper SL

Slip carriage SLIP - Not used

Third class; Tourist; Twin T Third class; Tourist

Unclassed U

Vestibuled, when any type suitable V - Not used, replaced by ‘G’ for Gangway

Westinghouse brake fitted W

Six-wheeled X Z Six-wheeled

Four-wheeled Y

When describing passenger carriages, the codes were constructed in a recognised order:

(1) Purpose, e.g. Brake, Restaurant, Sleeper, Tourist

(2) Class, i.e. Composite, First, Second, Third, Unclassed

(3) Type, e.g. K Corridor (= Compartment) or Kitchen (used with R only), Open

(4) Additional information, e.g. Lavatory, Vestibuled (or specific type of vestibule ‘PV’ or ‘BS’), etc.

Pullman Cars were generally referred to by their full description, the carriage working identifying the

train, or portion of it, as such: First Parlour, First Kitchen, Third Parlour, Third Kitchen, Third Brake.

An instruction was issued by BR that, from 1st January 1949, the telegraphic codes were to be painted

in 1½ in. high letters on gangwayed vehicles on the ends, in the bottom left-hand corner about 18 in.

above the buffer, and on non-gangwayed vehicles on the right-hand bottom side of each vehicle.

Photographic evidence shows the LNER was already doing this; more detailed research is required.

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Comparison Tables - Carriage Descriptions/Codes used by LNER, and by BR from 1st January 1949

[Note: BR presented the vehicle types in a more logical order and that has been adopted here.]

A. A. A. A. SALOONS and VESTIBULED (GANGWAYED) SALOONS and VESTIBULED (GANGWAYED) SALOONS and VESTIBULED (GANGWAYED) SALOONS and VESTIBULED (GANGWAYED) PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER VEHICLESVEHICLESVEHICLESVEHICLES

LNER CODE BR

Type/Description LNE BR Type/Description

SALOON SaloonsSaloonsSaloonsSaloons

First SF SF First

Third ST ST Third

Invalid SI SI Invalid

RESTAURANT CAR/BUFFET CAR Restaurant Kitchen CarsRestaurant Kitchen CarsRestaurant Kitchen CarsRestaurant Kitchen Cars

First Kitchen RF RF First

Compo Kitchen RC RC Composite

Either Class Kitchen RU RU Either Class

Third Kitchen RT RT Third

Kitchen only RK RK Kitchen only

Triplet Set RTS RTS Triplet

Pantry Third (not in official Code List) PT RTP Pantry Third

Buffet Car RB RB Buffet Car

SLEEPING CAR Sleeping CarsSleeping CarsSleeping CarsSleeping Cars

First SLF SLF First Class

Compo SLC SLC Composite

Twin First SLFT Twin SLF First Class (Twin)

Third SLT SLT Third Class

Sleeper Twin Compo SLCT Twin SLC Composite (Twin)

Open StockOpen StockOpen StockOpen Stock

First Open FO FO First Class

Composite Open CO CO Composite

Third Open TO TO Third Class

Brake Third Open BTO BTO Third Class Brake

First Semi-Open Semi FO Semi FO Semi-Open First

Second Open SO SO Second Class

TOURIST Tourist StockTourist StockTourist StockTourist Stock (Bucket Seats)

Third Open (Teak) TTO TTO Third Open

Brake Third Open (Teak) TBTO TBTO Brake Third Open

Buffet Car TRB - Reclassified as RB

Twin Third Open (Green & Cream) TT Twin TTO Third Open (Twin)

Brake Third Open (Green & Cream) TBT TBTO No distinction in type of construction

Corridor StockCorridor StockCorridor StockCorridor Stock

First Corridor Lavatory FKL FK First Class

Brake First Corridor Lavatory BFKL BFK First Class Brake

Second Corridor Lavatory SKL SK Second Class

Composite Corridor Lavatory CKL CK Composite

Brake Composite Corridor Lavatory BCKL BCK Composite Brake

Composite Locker CG - -

Third Corridor Lavatory TKL TK Third Class

Brake Third Corridor Lavatory BTKL BTK Third Class Brake

Brake Third Corridor Non-Lavatory BTKNL - -

Third Locker TG - -

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B. NONB. NONB. NONB. NON----VESTIBULED (NONVESTIBULED (NONVESTIBULED (NONVESTIBULED (NON----GANGWAYED) PASSENGER GANGWAYED) PASSENGER GANGWAYED) PASSENGER GANGWAYED) PASSENGER VEHICLESVEHICLESVEHICLESVEHICLES

LNER CODE BR

Type/Description LNE BR Type/Description

NonNonNonNon----Corridor Stock (Bogies)Corridor Stock (Bogies)Corridor Stock (Bogies)Corridor Stock (Bogies)

First Non-Corr. Non-Lavatory F First Class

First Non-Corr. Lavatory FL First Class (Lavatory)

Brake First Non-Corr. Non-Lavatory BF First Class Brake

Brake First Non-Corr. Lavatory BFL First Class Brake (Lavatory)

Composite Non-Corr. Non-Lavatory C Composite

Composite Corridor Lavatory CKL CL Composite (Lavatory)

Brake Comp. Non-Corr. Non-Lavatory BC Composite Brake

Brake Composite Non-Corr. Lavatory BCL Composite Brake (Lavatory)

Third Non-Corr. Non-Lavatory T Third Class

Third Corridor Lavatory TKL TL Third Class (Lavatory)

Brake Third Non-Corr. Non-Lavatory BT Third Class Brake

Brake Third Non-Corr. Lavatory BTL Third Class Brake (Lavatory)

ARTICULATED ART Articulated StockArticulated StockArticulated StockArticulated Stock

Twin - TWIN LNER and BR required set number to

be shown where necessary; else LNER

wanted painted numbers of vehicles to

be stated.

Triplet - TRIPLE

Quadruple - QUAD

Quintuple - QUINT

C. VANS (ALL TYPES)C. VANS (ALL TYPES)C. VANS (ALL TYPES)C. VANS (ALL TYPES)

POST OFFICE VEHICLESPOST OFFICE VEHICLESPOST OFFICE VEHICLESPOST OFFICE VEHICLES

- - POS Post Office Sorting Van

- - POT Post Office Tender

PASSENGER VANSPASSENGER VANSPASSENGER VANSPASSENGER VANS

Brake VansBrake VansBrake VansBrake Vans

Brake Van (Four-wheeled) YB BY 4-wheeled

Brake Van (Six-wheeled) XB BZ 6-wheeled (without gangways)

- - BGZ 6-wheeled (with gangways)

Brake Van B B Bogie (without gangways)

Brake Van (vestibuled) BV BG Bogie (with gangways)

Pigeon Van P BP Pigeon Van (Braked)

Milk Van M BM Milk Van (Braked)

Milk Van (Six-wheeled) XM - -

Miscellaneous Traffic VansMiscellaneous Traffic VansMiscellaneous Traffic VansMiscellaneous Traffic Vans

Miscellaneous Traffic Van MTV PMV Parcels and Motor Vans

HB Horse Boxes

SCV Special Cattle Vans

CTO Open Carriage Truck

CCT Covered Carriage Truck

RAILCARS

Railcar - Steam RLS -

Railcar - Diesel RLD -

Notes: LNER codes evolved over time and the above represent the final set. Not all Areas applied the

codes exactly as instructed. Revised BR codes included the instruction: ‘In the case of British Standard

coaching vehicles fitted with Pullman “adaptors”, the letter “A” should be added after the Code.’

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Extracted from: LNER - Western Section, Southern Area - 6th October 1947 until further notice

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Extracted from: BR Eastern Operating Area (Western) - 5th June to 24th September 1950

Note the references to the new Regions, and also to End Door and Transverse Corridor Vehicles.