> Does anyone happen to know the reason for the check letters which
> Australian National added to its locomotive numbers a few years ago?
> (I assume it is part of a computerised management system, but do
> they have any other function, such as trackside detection)
It is so that when something is typed into the computer, there is a much reduced
chance of the wrong rollingstock being entered. For instance, if someone said
"Due to the Beresfield accident, scrap 8119" (meaning 8219) then a perfectly
good loco would be scrapped by mistake. If, however, they said "Due to the
Beresfield accident, scrap 8119-J", the computer would come back with an error,
because the check digit for 8119 is C.
> The check letters do not bear any obvious relation to the loco
> numbers that I can see. Are they random, or is there a formula
> for deciding a particular letter?
It is calculated. There is a calculator in a link off my home page. It is
quite complex in the way it is worked out.
-- David Johnson CityRail Guard trainman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/