Difference between revisions of "Telegraph codes"
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==War Department telegraph codes== | ==War Department telegraph codes== | ||
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| − | + | {| class="wikitable" | |
| − | + | ! Code !! Rolling stock type !! Examples ||Notes | |
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| + | |RECTANK ||Tank Carrier wagon || [[WD 4607 'Rectank' Tank Carrier Wagon|WD 4607]]|| | ||
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| + | |PILLBOX ||Brake van (25 ton) || [[WD 55577 Brake Van (fictitious number)|WD 55577]] || | ||
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| + | |WARWELL || Well wagon (50 ton) || [[WD 314153 Well Wagon|WD 314153]] || | ||
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==BR Era Telegraph Codes== | ==BR Era Telegraph Codes== | ||
Revision as of 16:22, 28 August 2018
Telegraph codes were used to shorten the telegraphic messages sent between the stations and offices of the railway. They were commonly painted on the side of Goods Wagons.
History
In the mid-nineteenth century, single and double needle telegraph machines were introduced on railways. The primary purpose was to relay information on train workings for safety purposes, but they were also used to pass messages between the staff. Code words were used to replace complicated or regularly used phrases in these messages, for reasons of brevity and clarity.
By 1922 most railways has adopted common standard code words, however the GWRGreat Western Railway continued to use an extended list of codes within its own network until 1943 when all railways were brought into a common system.
GWRGreat Western Railway Telegraph Codes
The 1939 GWRGreat Western Railway Telegraph Code Book included the following introduction: To facilitate the transmission of Telegraph Messages, a code of Phrases in common use in telegrams sent on the Company’s business has been prepared, each phrase being represented by a distinctive word, and that word only to be sent instead of the complete phrase which it represents.[1]
Codes were used for all sorts of administrative matters, for example LIMA meant "can you spare a horse for a few days". However it is the codes used to describe types of carriage and wagon that are still used on the SVRSevern Valley Railway today. Some carriage and Brown Vehicle types and most wagon types were assigned telegraph codes, although engineers’ vehicles were usually not. Wagon codes often had a suffix letter added to distinguish variants within a particular type, eg LORIOT A, LORIOT B etc. Frequently the code would be painted on the wagon, although this was not done on the most common types such as OPEN and MINK.[1]
The following examples of rolling stock on the SVRSevern Valley Railway were assigned GWRGreat Western Railway telegraph codes:
| Code | Rolling stock type | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLAY | China clay wagon | 94059 | Diagram O (Open wagons) |
| CONE | Gunpowder van | 58725 | Diagram Z (Gunpowder vans) |
| CONFLAT | Flat wagon for containers | 39860 | Diagram H (Flat wagons) |
| FRUIT | Fruit van | 2303, 2424, 2815, 3429, 3467 , 92080, 92090, 134290 | Diagram Y (Fruit vans) |
| GANE | Wagons | 60841, 996730 (BRBritish Rail or British Railways) | Diagram J (Rail and timber bolster wagons) |
| LORIOT | Wagons | 41990, 42138, 42272, 42343 | Diagram G (Flat and well wagons for carrying road vehicles, covered vehicle trucks etc) |
| MACAW | Bolster rail and timber wagon | 107291 | Diagram J (Rail and timber bolster wagons) |
| MICA | Meat van | 105873 | Diagram X (Meat vans) |
| MINK | Covered goods wagon | 93016, 93045, 95353, 101961, 103592, 104621, 112889 | Diagram V (Covered goods and grain wagons) |
| MOGO | Covered goods van for one motor car | 65801 | Diagram G (Flat and well wagons for carrying road vehicles, covered vehicle trucks etc) |
| OPEN | Open wagon | 13154, 14428, 25190, 41277, 97398, 98480, 99965, 102691, 108085 | Diagram O (Open wagons) |
| SIPHON | Milk Van | 1257, 2926 | Coach Diagram O (Milk vans) |
| SNAKE | Passenger Brake | 261, 1145 | Coach Diagram K (Brake vans) |
| TOAD | 20 Ton brake van | 17410, 68501 | Diagram AA (Brake vans) |
| VANFIT | Covered goods van | 65620 | Diagram V (Covered goods and grain wagons) |
War Department telegraph codes
| Code | Rolling stock type | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RECTANK | Tank Carrier wagon | WD 4607 | |
| PILLBOX | Brake van (25 ton) | WD 55577 | |
| WARWELL | Well wagon (50 ton) | WD 314153 |
BRBritish Rail or British Railways Era Telegraph Codes
Use of 'telegraph codes' to describe wagon types continued into the BRBritish Rail or British Railways era. Many BRBritish Rail or British Railways era Civil Engineering wagons were allocated ‘Fish’ codes. A more formal classification system was later adopted using TOPS codes, with both codes appearing on some wagons.
Examples of codes from this era are:
- DOGFISH
- FLAT
- MACKEREL
- MERMAID
- PARR
- PRAWN
- RUDD
- SEACOW
- SHARK
- TUNNY
- WELTROL
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Atkins, Beard & Tourret (2013) p. 9.
Links
- Wikipedia: Great Western Railway telegraphic codes
