Coach Suffixes

[Jawfin]

Hello all

 

Does anyone have a list of GSR (or CIÉ anyway) suffixes and their meanings? I know that M is for MGWR, B for CBSCR, T for T&D, W for W&T, D for DSE, N for GNR, and A for departamental, but there many others?

I recently saw a picture of MGWR coach No. 84 in Clifden with its GSR livery showing - the number was 84MS: any idea what the S means?

[minister_for_hardship]

From memory..

L - C&LR

P - CB&PR

K - C&MLR

R - C&MDR

S - S&SLR

C - WCR

 

The T&CLR had an oddball section letter as well that escapes me now.

Edit ....think it was 'J'.

Edited August 7, 2015 by minister_for_hardship

[minister_for_hardship]

Going out on a limb here, maybe the added 'S' a reference to braking?

Think it may have had a manual wheel to apply the brakes inside, a la a brake van?

[Glenderg]

B - Cork Bandon & South Coast

D - Dublin and South Eastern

J - Timoleague & Courtmacsherry

R - Cork & Macroom

W - Waterford & Tramore

 

Rolling stock from GNR(I) had the suffix N with the strange proviso that coaching stock had also a prefix "C"

 

I've seen early CIE wooden panelled departmental coaches with the JL suffix also -

 

 

Edited August 7, 2015 by Glenderg

[Jawfin]

Thanks very much all

Going out on a limb here, maybe the added 'S' a reference to braking?

Think it may have had a manual wheel to apply the brakes inside, a la a brake van?

Possibly... It has a brake inside, but that would have been added in departamental service - quite a while after this S was applied (there's CIÉ green on top of the GSR red)

[jhb171achill]

Wasn't so sure about the "JL" - departmental stock was always numbered with an "A" suffix.

 

The vehicles quoted by that photographer who Glenderg quoted were vehicles i saw myself, and they didn't have "JL" an two-digit numbers when I saw them - maybe the original photographer had it wrong?

 

Incidentally, those carriages shown are an exceptionally interesting quarter and it's a real shame they didn't survive.

 

The grey one pictured at North Wall was the very last surviving MGWR bogie coach - originally Dining Car No. 1 (later 1M), and which was converted to an ordinary coach some years later. It had consequently been in the famous MGWR "Tourist Train". It was built in 1901 or 1902, and survived until the 80s at N Wall, where it was broken up.

 

The three pictured at Mullingar are from left to right, WLWR No. 935 (the last surviving W LWR bogie; the exceptionally interesting Director's Saloon of theirs, of 1897). Then 1110, a 1915 GSWR bogie corridor third, and in the distance, 13M, a late 1880s MGWR six wheeler, the chassis of which is now at Downpatrick underneath their GNR six wheel body.

[hurricanemk1c]

Cravens had 'TL' after their numbers - did that mean Twin Lavatory or something else?

[ttc0169]

Cravens had 'TL' after their numbers - did that mean Twin Lavatory or something else?

 

Morning Kieran-TL= Train Line-equipped with a cable for lighting throughout the train.

[Mayner]

Cravens had 'TL' after their numbers - did that mean Twin Lavatory or something else?

 

TL suffix dating from the early 70s for conventional coaches fitted with Train Line lighting system powered by a generator in the guards van rather than battery and dynamo under each coach.

 

Suffix carried by BR & Dutch Vans, Brake Generator Steam Vans, Cravens, Park Royal, some Laminate & Buffet cars.

[jhb171achill]

And then there were "S" and "SA" on 141 class locos...

[hurricanemk1c]

Thanks folks - wondered what it meant.

 

S= CAWS fitted, SA = CAWS and Train Air Brake fitted. I think.....

[h gricer]

Wasn't so sure about the "JL" - departmental stock was always numbered with an "A" suffix.

 

The vehicles quoted by that photographer who Glenderg quoted were vehicles i saw myself, and they didn't have "JL" an two-digit numbers when I saw them - maybe the original photographer had it wrong?

I thought it's very obvious what the initials ''JL'' stand for, it's not unusual for photographers to initial their own photos, the initials JL!!!! stand for JOHN LAW, nothing to do with coach suffixes, photographers initial their own photos all the time, the splendid photographer John Law is no different.

Kind Regards

h.gricer

[jhb171achill]

I knew I'd never seen "JL" on anything!!!

 

The low numbers (just two-digit) were another giveaway.

[Jawfin]

Thanks very much JB - I was wondering what that first coach was.

Cravens had 'TL' after their numbers - did that mean Twin Lavatory or something else?

Some coaches had TLA, meaning train line with through air brakes fitted. It was on around 8 BR (including 3189 at Downpatrick) vans for stock transfers and TPOs (including 2978 at Downpatrick) for easy transfer on freight trains.

[Mayner]

Thanks very much JB - I was wondering what that first coach was.

 

Some coaches had TLA, meaning train line with through air brakes fitted. It was on around 8 BR (including 3189 at Downpatrick) vans for stock transfers and TPOs (including 2978 at Downpatrick) for easy transfer on freight trains.

 

BR Vans & TPOs on Galway Night Liner/Mail were piped to run with 62'9" air braked container wagons.

[josefstadt]

The 2-digit number in the photos linked to by Richie (post #4) is the year the photo was taken. JL is the photographer's initials.

[josefstadt]

Bogie van 2562 carried the suffix G. I think that this refered to heating by gas but I can't be sure. Anyone able to confirm or correct this?

[DiveController]

The 2-digit number in the photos linked to by Richie (post #4) is the year the photo was taken. JL is the photographer's initials.

The coach in Richie's photo appears to have the number 518A, and is sitting next to 519A. They appear to be departmental stock hence the 'A' suffix as described in the posts above.

[jhb171achill]

Yes,all of those vehicles had ended their days in departmental service. The grey livery was evidence of this. Prior to that they were coach green.

[DiveController]

Thanks very much JB - I was wondering what that first coach was.

 

Some coaches had TLA, meaning train line with through air brakes fitted. It was on around 8 BR (including 3189 at Downpatrick) vans for stock transfers and TPOs (including 2978 at Downpatrick) for easy transfer on freight trains.

Like 3180 TLA here;

 

Edited August 10, 2015 by DiveController