France Data Set
Numbering of French rolling stock is confusing: we've done our best to understand it. If anyone can point out errors and explain how the numbers should be listed, please get in touch through the forum.
Classes
French classes are a mixture of Letters and Numbers.
For example, Diesel classes: A1AA1A 68000, BB 63000 etc (where the first two letters represent the wheel arrangment). Electric classes BB7200, BB8500. Again the letters represent the wheel arrangement.
EMUs classes are numbered Z----, eg Z7300, Z24500 etc
DMUs or railcars are numbered in the X series, eg X2100
Bimode units (Eletric and Diesel) are classes B--- etc, eg B82500
TGVs classes have names rather than numbers.
Loco/Unit numbering
Locomotives are numbered in sequence from the class number, thus the loco's of class BB 7200 are numbered 7201, 7202, 7203 etc.
The loco's are sometimes referred to as BB 7201 or BB 7203 etc, but the number carried is 7201 not BB7201 etc (Except as below).
Some loco's have a number prefix, the prefix is according to the business sector the loco is (nominally) allocted to. The prefixes are:
- Mainline
- Corail Intercity
- -not used-
- Freight
- TER (Regional passenger)
- Infrastructure
- -not used-
- Transilien (Paris area suburban)
- -not used-
The prefix is used to make up a six-digit number. Thus loco BB7204, allocted to TER sector, carried number 507204.
Loco's can sometimes be found carrying both the six-digit and the four-digit numbers:
Diesel BB67415 showing "67415" on the front and "567415" on the side
In contrast, here BB67605 carries "567605" on the end
In the Spotlog datalists
For SpotLog we store the class as BB 7200 etc. Individual loco's are numbered 7201, 7202 etc. Where the sector prefix is known, the six-digit number is stored in the alternative number field.
Information on the sector prefix has not always been available, corrections and additions are welcomed.
MRG 24/01/2016 09:10:08