Standard BR Coaching
Stock Type Codes
Prior to May 1956 the classes available on BR trains were First & Third. Third class vehicles would have carried a 'T' in place of the 'S' shown in the list. There is one exception to this, the SOs with 2+1 seating seem to have been built to provide 2nd class travel on boat trains thus providing all three classes of travel to match the equivalent trains on the Continent.
These codes were utilised from 1957 until the adoption of the computer TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) codes in 1985. The list below is not exhaustive.
| Gangwayed Stock | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Description | Code |
| Corridor Coaches | 1st Class | FK |
| 2nd Class | SK | |
| Composite | CK | |
| Brake 1st | BFK | |
| Brake 2nd | BSK | |
| Brake Composite | BCK | |
| Open Coaches | 1st Class | FO |
| 2nd Class (2+1 seats) | SO | |
| Tourist 2nd Class (2+2 seats) | TSO | |
| Brake 2nd | BSO | |
| Catering Vehicles | Restaurant 1st (No Kitchen) | RFO |
| Restaurant 2nd (No Kitchen) | RSO | |
| Unclassified (No Kitchen) | RUO | |
| Restaurant 1st | RF | |
| Unclassified | RU | |
| Buffet Car | RB | |
| Kitchen Buffet (Larger Kitchen) | RBK | |
| Kitchen Buffet (No seating) | KB or RKB | |
| Restaurant Miniature Buffet | RMB | |
| Kitchen Car | RK | |
| Non-Passenger Coaching Stock | Gangwayed Full Brake | BG |
| General Utility Vehicle | GUV | |
| Covered Carriage Truck | CCT | |
| Horse Box | HB | |
| Non-Gangwayed Stock | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | Code | |
| Composite | C | |
| Lavatory Composite | CL | |
| Second | S | |
| 2nd Open with Lavatory | SLO | |
| Open 2nd | SO(NG) | |
| Brake Second | BS | |
Corridor or Gangwayed? The term corridor stock is often used to describe gangwayed stock and British Railways themselves do not appear to have been consistent in their use of the terms. A reasonable explanation would appear to be:
- Gangwayed stock allows access between vehicles.
- Corridor stock has separate compartments joined by a corridor and may or may not be gangwayed.
- Open Stock has no compartments, again it may or may not be gangwayed.
