VR had a system ????? As far as I can work out they used any available
letter, not necessarily in alphabetical order, and then road numbers began
at 01 or 00 depending on the direction of the wind except the T class which
began at 320.
SAR had random numbers that began at either 00 or 30 (is an 830 a
derivative of an 800? What about a 930 and a 900?)
CR has two or three random letters that sometimes were the same as the tea
ladys initials. Road numbers is a bit of a disaster - some classes begin at
1, some begin where the last class left off, and some seem random (DE90,
NSU51, NB30 etc)
WAGR had a half decent alpha system - At least they were in alphabetical
order and the AAs and ABs were developed from the A class. They even
managed to fit the MRWA locos in. Road numbers were a bit erratic, though
(is that one an X or an XB ;-)).
QR some classes roughly equalled horsepower and some didn't. Road numbers
began at 00 except the 1502 class.
TGR kept almost in alphabetical order and derivatives had an A suffix (XA,
VA, ZA). Road numbers began at 1 except derivatives and upgrades.
The prize for the silliest numbering system would have to go to NZRs four
digit TMS numbers. Huge four digit numbers painted on the side of the cab
but actually it is a three digit road number followed by a check digit. For
example the Dc class numbers run from 4006 to 4951 but there is/was only 85
of them not 945. Some rebuilds get an R suffix and some get a new class.
The DFT class are DFs with turbos.
NSWGR had 20s for little engines, 30s for passenger engines, 40s for
non-steam road engines, 50s for goods engines, 60s for articulateds, 70s
for non-steam shunters and 80s for rail tractors. The rail tractors were
reclassified X100 and X200 so that they were no longer locomotives and no
longer required a full loco crew.
>Then there's the 451 class which became the 35 class. Or, just to confuse
everyone, the 48 class is
> numbered from 4801 to 48165.
>
Don't forget the sole member of the 441 class - 44100 ;-)
BTW have you ever tried to get a computer programme to sort NSWGR locos in
numerical order? In two words IM POSSIBLE ;-)
-- Cheers KrelThe Law of Inverse Proportions - The chances of the signal clearing without having to get out of the cab and go to a lineside phone is inversly proportional to the amount of rain falling at the time :-)