Rollingstock Classification

Original codes

All standard gauge Commonwealth Railways rollingstock was divided into the following groups

• locomotive
• cranes
• passenger stock
• goods brake vans
• wagon stock

The vehicles in each group were numbered consecutively in order of introduction regardless of class. Narrow gauge rollingstock had similar classifications and groupings to standard gauge except all stock was prefixed with "N". When a vehicle was converted from one class to another in the same group (say from a ballast wagon to a tank wagon) it would retain the same number, but the class letters would be changed to reflect its new use. When a vehicle was converted from one group to another group (say from goods to a passenger vehicle) it would have both number and class changed. It would be struck off the list of the original group. An example of this was "NHRB 57" which when transferred to standard gauge was recoded "HRC 109".

Arrangement of wagon stock classification was based on bogie stock (ie. all stock was assumed to be of bogie design unless stated otherwise). When the design of a particular class of vehicle was altered in any important particular, such as extension of length, or introduction of some new feature the suffix "A" was used. In event of a still further alteration the suffix "B" as used and so on.