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European coaching stock identification

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sftfan1909

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8 Aug 2018
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Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone was able to explain the logic behind naming different types of coaches, such as Bee, Ampz, etc. I know that A and B refer to 1st/2nd class but no idea about the rest.
Thanks :)
 
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StephenHunter

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WL and WR originate from the French for sleeper (Wagon-Lit) and restaurant car (Wagon-Restaurant). Before the 1970s, most of those carriages in Western Europe were operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits or CIWL for short, most famous for the Orient Express, but by no means their only train.
 

DanielB

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Amersfoort, NL
Some classifications are country-unique.
It also differs from country to country how widespread the adoption of UIC classification is. In Germany one will find the classification on almost any type of coach, while NS for example has only relatively recently adopted the UIC classifications on their ICR coaches. These were originally marked with slightly different markings, especially in the lower case letters.
For example what's now marked as Bpmbdzf was formerly marked as BDs (s means "stuurstand" = driving trailer). And the double deck coaches of the original DDM stock had a Bk in which the k didn't indicate a kitchen, but instead meant "koprijtuig" (as another definition of a driving trailer).
 
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