The LNER Society JOURNAL - Summer 2013

CARRIAGE 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 1 st January 1949 as is practicable, these being: 1. Western Section - Southern Area, 6 th October 1947 until further notice, and 2. Western Section - Southern Area, 5th June to 24 th 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 (3 rd 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 11 th 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 --- Telegraphic Code LetterLetterss used by LNERLNER,,,, and by BR from 1 ststst January 11949949949949 LNER CODE BR ( only shown where it differ s) LNE BR British Standard with Pullman Adapter A Articulated Twin, Triplet, Quadruple, or ART - TWIN, TRIPLE, QUAD, or QUINT Quintuple set 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 1 st 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.

Page 54.3 The LNER Society JOURNAL - Summer 2013

Comparison Tables - Carriage Descriptions/Codes used by LNER, and by BR from 1 st January 1949 [Note: BR presented the vehicle types in a more logical order and that has been adopted here.] A. SALOONS and VESTIBULED (GANGWAYED) PASSENGER VEHICLES LNER CODE BR Type /Description LNE BR Type /Description SALOON Saloons First SF SF First Third ST ST Third Invalid SI SI Invalid RESTAURANT CAR/BUFFET CAR Restaurant 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 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 Stock 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 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 Stock Lavatory FKL FK First Class Brake First Corridor Lavatory BFKL BFK First Class Brake Second Corridor Lavatory SKL SK Second Class 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. NONNON----VESTIBULEDVESTIBULED (NON(NON----GANGWAYED)GANGWAYED) PASSENGER VEHICLES LNER CODE BR Type /Description LNE BR Type /Description NonNon----CorridorCorridor Stock () 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 Stock Twin - TWIN LNER and BR required set number to Triplet - TRIPLE be shown where necessary; else LNER Quadruple - QUAD wanted painted numbers of vehicles to be stated. Quintuple - QUINT C. VANS (ALL TYPES) POST OFFICE VEHICLES - - POS Post Office Sorting Van - - POT Post Office Tender PASSENGER VANS Brake 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 (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 Vans Miscellaneous Traffic Van MTV PMV Parcels and Motor Vans HB Horse Boxes SCV Special Cattle Vans CTO Open Carriage Truck CCT 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 24 th September 1950 Note the references to the new Regions, and also to End Door and Transverse Corridor Vehicles.

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