TOPS codes

BRBritish Rail or British Railways introduced the American TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. (Total Operations Processing System) system for managing rolling stock in the late 1960s. Under TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock., every item of rolling stock was required to have a unique ID and and was allocated a classification code.

TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. classification

TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. locomotive classification and numbing

BRBritish Rail or British Railways steam had finished before the introduction of TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock.. BRBritish Rail or British Railways Diesel locomotives were allocated numbers forming the unique ID in the form xxyyy, with xx being the class and yyy one of up to 999 members of it, for example 50031 Hood would have been the 31st Class 50 locomotive while in service.

Heritage diesel locomotives working on the main line are allocated numbers in the 89yyy series. SVRSevern Valley Railway locomotives with such TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. numbers include:

• D821: 89421

Heritage steam locomotives working on the main line are allocated numbers in the 98yyy series. SVRSevern Valley Railway locos with such TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. numbers include:

• 45110: 98510
• 48773: 98873

For heritage locomotives, the TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. number was used for reporting purposes and was commonly displayed inside the cab.

TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. carriage and wagon classification codes

TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. classifications were applied to all carriages and wagons and recorded in a field called CARKND. For most rolling stock the classification comprises three letters, the first letter indicating the broad type, the second letter giving more detailed information of that type (different for each series) and a suffix giving the braking arrangements. The last was an important aid to marshalling trains at a time when BRBritish Rail or British Railways had a mixture of air, vacuum and other braking arrangements.

Passenger carrying stock (type A) included a digit after the first two letters to specify the class of passenger accommodation (1=First, 2=Second, later Standard, 3=CompositeCarriage having more than one class of seating, ie First and Third or latterly First and Standard., 4=Unclassified, 5=None). The suffix indicated the build rather than the braking arrangement (1=Mk 1, Z=Mk 2, A=Mk 2a, etc.)

Examples of the main classification codes (first letter) after 1984 were:

• A: Hauled passenger carriages
• B: Bogie Steel wagons
• C: Covered bulk wagons (except CA: goods brake vans)
• D: Diesel Multiple Unit carriages
• F: Flat wagons
• H: Hopper wagons
• M: Mineral wagons
• N: Hauled non-passenger carriages
• O: Open wagons
• Q: Hauled departmental (non-revenue) carriages
• S: 2-axle steel wagons
• T: Tank wagons
• V: Vans
• W: Flat wagons
• Y: DepartmentalRolling stock used for the railway’s own functions (engineering etc.) rather than for general passenger or goods traffic. bogie wagons
• Z: DepartmentalRolling stock used for the railway’s own functions (engineering etc.) rather than for general passenger or goods traffic. two-axle vehicle (carriage or wagon)

Examples of braking codes (third letter) were:

• A: Air brake only
• B: Air brake plus through vacuum pipe
• O: Unfitted (handbrake only)
• P: Unfitted with through vacuum pipe
• Q: Unfitted with through air pipe
• V: Vacuum brake only
• W: Vacuum brake plus through air pipe
• X: Dual brake (air and vacuum)

SVRSevern Valley Railway rolling stock with TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. codes

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See also

• List of carriages
• List of wagons
• Locomotive numbering
• Carriage and Wagon numbering

References

Links

• Wikipedia: TOPS
• Wikipedia: British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification
• Wikipedia: British carriage and wagon numbering and classification