Southern Railway multiple unit numbering and classification: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:54, 26 July 2019

Latest revision as of 15:47, 16 July 2025

(40 intermediate revisions by 24 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{short description|Classification and number system by Southern Railway of British Rail}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}

{{Refimprove|date=March 2009}}

The [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] created '''classification and numbering systems''' for its large fleet of [[electric multiple unit]]s, perpetuated by the Southern Region of [[British Rail]] until the early 1980s, when the impact of [[TOPS]] was felt. Some stock is still allocated Southern-style classifications in a semi-official manner.

==Classification==

The early AC electric multiple units were referred to by a two-letter code. This was adapted for the DC third-rail system that was adopted by the Southern Railway, with units being given a three-letter code (sometimes two letters) prefixed by the number of cars in each unit, e.g. 4SUB for a 4four-car suburban unit.

The Southern Region perpetuated this, and the same principles were adopted for diesel-electric multiple units but with single-letter codes. The last type to be officially allocated a designation in this series was the PEP stock of the early 1970s. Some types built since have been given semi-official designations in this style.

''This is different from the system used by British Rail (adopted from the LNER) to indicate the type of non-powered coach — see [[British Rail coach designationstype codes]].''

===AC EMUs===

{| class="wikitable"

!SR Designationdesignation

!Meaning

|-

Line 29 ⟶ 30:

===DC EMUs===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!SR Designationdesignation

!BR Classclass

!Meaning

|-

Line 42 ⟶ 43:

|-

|align=center|TLV

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 499 (Luggage Van)|499]]

|'''T'''railer '''L'''uggage '''V'''an

|-

Line 60 ⟶ 61:

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 414|414]]

|'''Ha'''lf lavatory with electro-'''P'''neumatic Brake<ref>[[#IanAllan1968|Ian Allan ABC, 1968]] ''British Railways Motive Power Survey'', p.15 "The 2HAP provides similar accommodation to a 2HAL, but is fitted with electro-pneumatic brakes"</ref>

|-

|align=center|4CIG2HIL

|align=center|5JUP-

|Unit 2611: 2HAL DMBT #10729 paired with 2BIL DTCL #12146

|-

|align=center|[[SR Class 2Nol|2NOL]]

Line 121 ⟶ 126:

|'''C'''orridor '''E'''lectro-'''P'''neumatic Brake

|-

|align=center|4CIG<ref name="444SWT">{{cite magazine|title=Class 444<br>SWT|magazine=[[Modern Locomotives Illustrated]]|issue=178|date=August 2009|pages=44–53}}</ref>

|align=center|4CIG

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 421|421]]<ref name="444SWT"/>

|'''C'''orridor Br'''ig'''hton<ref name=4BIG />

|-

Line 147 ⟶ 152:

|align=center|4HIT

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 455|455]]

|'''HHI'''igh-capacitygh with '''I'''ntermediatedensity, '''T'''railerightlock coupling.<ref>https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/30085523305/in/photolist{{cite magazine |magazine=Live Rail |issn=0142-jxuZQY-MQyaV4-x2x4jf7326 |publisher=Southern Electric Group |page=180 |date=December 1982 |title=Regional Review }}</ref>. Proposed for the class, but not used.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |magazine=Live Rail |issn=0142-7326 |publisher=Southern Electric Group |page=231 |date=April 1983 |title=Rolling StockEditor's NotesNote }}</ref>

|-

|align=center|4JOP<ref name="MLI"/>

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 458|458/0]]<ref name="MLI"/>

|'''J'''uniper '''O'''utersuburban '''P'''orterbrook.<ref name="MLI">https://www.flickr.com/photos/dave58282/6190227922/{{cite magazine|title=Alstom 'Juniper' Platform|magazine=[[Modern Locomotives Illustrated]]|issue=223|date=February 2016|pages=49–59}}</ref>

|-

|align=center|4JUP

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 458|458/4]]

|'''Ju'''ni'''p'''er

|-

|align=center|[[SR Class 4Lav|4LAV]]

Line 193 ⟶ 202:

|'''VE'''P '''G'''atwick Express

|-

|align=center|4VEP<ref name="444SWT"/>

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 423|423]]<ref name="444SWT"/>

|'''V'''estibule '''E'''lectro-'''P'''neumatic Brake

|-

Line 213 ⟶ 222:

|'''Des'''iro (Unofficial)

|-

|align=center|5JUP<ref name="Fleetlist">{{cite magazine|title='Juniper' Fleet List|magazine=[[Modern Locomotives Illustrated]]|issue=223|date=February 2016|pages=70–71}}</ref>

|align=center|5JUP

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 458|458/5]]<ref name="Fleetlist"/>

|'''Ju'''ni'''p'''er<ref>https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/40684950_2026912793997129_4172825448373288960_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeFuTohCYD4fmQGXuuTVmkTXOIpVqk7ODUb4PTD2c1JjDoA_QCpIBL-qxsuCABbVLmGrkDBVpGGBVjC7Y9BrbGaDRXdN04T8YYGUmER-e2fjFg&oh=1b1cedc7fcf07c08baa0ee6cfa494be9&oe=5BF85B83 {{dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

|-

|align=center|5TCB

Line 257 ⟶ 266:

|'''D'''edicated Br'''ig'''hton

|-

|align=center|8GAT<ref name="MLI"/>

|align=center|[[British Rail Class 460|460]]<ref name="MLI"/>

|'''Gat'''wick Express.<ref Unofficial classification.name="MLI"/>

|-

|align=center|8MIG

Line 273 ⟶ 282:

===Diesel-electric multiple units===

{| class="wikitable"

!SR Designationdesignation

!BR Classclass

!Meaning

|-

Line 308 ⟶ 317:

==Unit numbering==

Unit numbers were allocated from 1001, following the 1-10001–1000 set numbers of semi-fixed formations of hauled coaching stock. Different types of unit were given numbers:

{| class="wikitable"

|-

| 1001–1200

| Unpowered trailer units for working with 3SUB stock (this series was later expanded to include 989-1000989–1000)

|-

| 1201–1800

| 1201-1800

| 3SUB (ex-LSWR units with 1200 added to their original numbers)

|-

Line 321 ⟶ 330:

| Two-car inner-suburban (e.g. 2NOL)

|-

| 2001–2899

| 2001-2899

| Two-car outer-suburban (e.g. 2BIL)

|-

| 2901–2999

| 2901-2999

| Four-car outer-suburban (4LAV)

|-

| 3001–3999

| 3001-3999

| Four, five and six-car express (e.g. 4COR, 5BEL and 6PUL)<ref>The three 5BEL units were originally numbered 2051-3, but later renumbered 3051-3 to conform with the general scheme (''Southern Electric'' by G. T. Moody, Ian Allan Ltd., various dates).</ref>

|-

| 4001–4999

| 4001-4999

| Four-car inner-suburban (4SUB and 4DD)

|-

| 5001–5599

| 5001-5599

| British Railways four-car inner-suburban (4EPB)

|-

| 5601–6999

| 5601-6999

| British Railways two-car (e.g. 2HAP)

|-

| 7001–7999

| 7001-7999

| British Railways four-car outer-suburban (e.g. 4CIG)

|-

Line 345 ⟶ 354:

| Temporary eight-car (8VAB)

|-

| S1–S101

| S1-S101

| Departmental (non-revenue earning)

|}

Line 353 ⟶ 362:

{| class="wikitable"

|-

| 001–099

| 001-099

| Parcels and departmental (Sxxx units renumbered)

|-

| 301–999

| 301-999

| Trailer Controlcontrol (first digit indicated number of cars, e.g. 301 = 3TC)

|-

| 1001–1499

| 1001-1499

| Diesel Electricelectric Multiplemultiple Unitsunits (e.g. 6S)

|}

2PEP reused number 2001, 4REP from 3001 and 4PEP 4001/4002. This series was abandoned in 1983, when units were renumbered to fit in with the TOPS classification system, which had nominally been in use for a decade. Even then, many units displayed only the last four digits, dropping the first two digits -– e.g. unit [[British Rail Class 412|412]] 301 would have the number "2301" applied. Only with later units and 2xx series DEMUs were the full numbers shown, e.g. Classes [[British Rail Class 456|456]], [[British Rail Class 458|458/5]], [[British Rail Class 465|465]] and [[British Rail Class 466|466]], and some [[British Rail Class 455|Class 455]] sets, carry full 6six-digit numbers.

==See also==

Line 373 ⟶ 382:

==References==

*{{cite book |title=British Rail Locomotives and other motive power |year=1968 |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]] |___location=London |isbn=0-7110-0008-5 |ref=IanAllan1968 }}

*[http://www.bloodandcustard.com/bournemouth1966.html History of the TC /REP stock on BloodandCustard]

{{British railway rolling stock numbering and classification}}

[[Category:Southern Railway (Great BritainUK)]]

[[Category:Rolling stock classification systems]]