When did train codes cease to be displayed on trains?

[nw1]

As is well known, trains of all sorts (locos, DMUs and EMUs) used to display the train code (1A01 etc) while in service, on blinds of the same design as was used by Southern Region EMUs for their two-digit headcodes right into the current century. I'm just wondering, however, when this stopped.

With the exception of the Southern two-digit headcodes which remained until 2004, it had definitely ceased by 1982 on the WR and LMR, at least. However a number of Ian Allan books from that period showed (oldish) photos of various loco and MU classes still showing these in view. They seemed to be particularly popular on GEML units, and there was even a photo of a 315 showing the train code (on much smaller blinds, it has to be said).

So I'm wondering at what stage was displaying the train code dropped? Perhaps it varied by region, as (on the one hand) I have seen a photo of a 315 showing the code, and they were introduced in 1980 and (on the other) I have seen photos of loco-hauled services from the late 70s with the blinds removed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

As a slight aside, the side displays of Pendolinos show the headcode in the "train number" field.

 

[Irascible]

Very early 70s, I think - I certainly can't remember any WR train I went on as a kid having one. The 87s arriving then didn't have a headcode box.

 

[The exile]

As is well known, trains of all sorts (locos, DMUs and EMUs) used to display the train code (1A01 etc) while in service, on blinds of the same design as was used by Southern Region EMUs for their two-digit headcodes right into the current century. I'm just wondering, however, when this stopped.

With the exception of the Southern two-digit headcodes which remained until 2004, it had definitely ceased by 1982 on the WR and LMR, at least. However a number of Ian Allan books from that period showed (oldish) photos of various loco and MU classes still showing these in view. They seemed to be particularly popular on GEML units, and there was even a photo of a 315 showing the train code (on much smaller blinds, it has to be said).

So I'm wondering at what stage was displaying the train code dropped? Perhaps it varied by region, as (on the one hand) I have seen a photo of a 315 showing the code, and they were introduced in 1980 and (on the other) I have seen photos of loco-hauled services from the late 70s with the blinds removed.

Think the 87s were the first locos without headcode panels - so on the way out by the early 70s.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

As a slight aside, the side displays of Pendolinos show the headcode in the "train number" field.

And Voyagers (maybe on XC too).

 

[nw1]

Very early 70s, I think - I certainly can't remember any WR train I went on as a kid having one. The 87s arriving then didn't have a headcode box.

A couple of days ago I saw a Flickr photo of Maiden Newton in 1975 and both DMUs on the photo (including a bubble-car on the Bridport branch, which was just about still open) had them. But the 87s were already introduced by then, so all in all perhaps a gradual process through the 70s and into the very early 80s? I do wonder whether the GEML out of Liverpool Street retained them much later than anywhere else.

 

[tbwbear]

Interestingly, the April 1971 cover of Modern Railways has this artists impression of an "87" as part of an English Electric / AEI advert.

 

[JonathanH]

Class 345s show a reporting code on the side display.

 

[pdeaves]

Display on the front to convey information to the signaller faded out in the 1970s (as already stated above). However, that didn't mean they stopped displaying info; sometimes the crew put the code in 'for fun'; sometimes they were simply left in whatever state they were in (so showing 'rubbish' as far as that particular service is concerned). Gradually the boxes were plated over.

 

[Ash Bridge]

January 1976 for some reason is sticking in my mind and this was across the whole BR network, from what I can remember the majority of locomotives and units from that month had their 4 character headcode boxes set to display 0O00.

(Just found this)

HEADCODES

British Railways Train Headcodes

www.2d53.co.uk

 

[D6130]

IIRC, the display of four character train reporting numbers on the front of locos and units was discontinued as from the May 1976 timetable.

 

[Class800]

When I was young (probably mid-1990s?), I remember trains and timetables showing the route code - I even remember many of them! E.g. 80 Dartford to London Charing Cross via Greenwich. I think they were a big loss - kept me on the correct route and made it far faster to board and interchange

 

[tbwbear]

IIRC, the display of four character train reporting numbers on the front of locos and units was discontinued as from the May 1976 timetable.

That makes sense.

Photographs dated from 1974 and 1975 featuring the WCML electrics all seem to have Class 81-86 showing correct headcodes alongside Class 87s showing none.

Seems odd but does make sense.

 

[Class800]

That makes sense.

Photographs dated from 1974 and 1975 featuring the WCML electrics all seem to have Class 81-86 showing correct headcodes alongside Class 87s showing none.

Seems odd but does make sense.

Yes the ones I saw were always 2 numbers not 4 numbers

 

[Bletchleyite]

And Voyagers (maybe on XC too).

I thought Voyagers still showed the rarely-used "Retail Service ID" rather than headcodes?

 

[43096]

Think the 87s were the first locos without headcode panels - so on the way out by the early 70s.

The two Class 41s (prototype HST) were the first without headcode panels.

 

[Cowley]

The two Class 41s (prototype HST) were the first without headcode panels.

Were they originally planned to have them or am I imagining that?

 

[hexagon789]

Consideration was given as early as 1970, as the maintenance of the displays was costing BR a fortune.

It was initially decided that Deltics would be exempted from displaying headcodes, as their displays were among the most unreliable and they operated on a fairly limited sphere of routes compared to other locos. They were exempted during 1972.

Their headcode displays were modified to the so-called "domino" starting from 1973.

During the construction of the 87s it was decided that headcode displays would likely be abolished in the near future, hence they did not have them.

In 1975 it was decided to abolish the requirement to display reporting numbers effective from 1st January 1976, with the instruction for blinds to be wound to '0000'.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jan 2022 ==

Were they originally planned to have them or am I imagining that?

A design mock-up from 1969 had them carrying a 4 character display in a similar manner to the 309 EMUs with a 2×2 box of the class and route identifier digits above the individual train two digit number, rather than the usual 4-wide display locos had.

 

[Cowley]

Thanks @hexagon789

 

[The exile]

That makes sense.

Photographs dated from 1974 and 1975 featuring the WCML electrics all seem to have Class 81-86 showing correct headcodes alongside Class 87s showing none.

Seems odd but does make sense.

Old habits die hard! Suppose there were still a few manual boxes under the wires who would have benefitted - and no doubt some drivers knew that some passengers appreciated them as well. Westerns in their final years sometimes displayed the loco number in the head code box ( the only class that still could in its entirety)

 

[43096]

Were they originally planned to have them or am I imagining that?

The early images showed them with headcode panels.

 

[Royston Vasey]

View attachment 109027

Interestingly, the April 1971 cover of Modern Railways has this artists impression of an "87" as part of an English Electric / AEI advert.

Looks like an 86 crossed with a 57/6

 

[hexagon789]

Took a little finding but @Cowley:

 

[43096]

Took a little finding but @Cowley:

View attachment 109036

It’s a good thing Kenneth Grange got involved!

 

[jon0844]

I think if you look carefully at the bottom left of the internal screens on a Desiro City you will see information about the service. It's a very small font so you'll need to stand under to see it! It might also vary from 700 to 707 to 717 as they have different software builds.

 

[Cowley]

Took a little finding but @Cowley:

View attachment 109036

Blimey!

It’s a good thing Kenneth Grange got involved!

I’ll say. It looks surprisingly 1980s in style, but it definitely isn’t pretty.

 

[SargeNpton]

I thought Voyagers still showed the rarely-used "Retail Service ID" rather than headcodes?

That rarely used Retail Service ID is extremely important for all seat/sleeper reservations (including counted quotas), so every passenger train does have one. Just that it is rarely displayed in public.

When originally conceived, it was intended to appear in passenger timetables and be printed on the reservation coupon - in a similar fashion to the train numbers used on the continent.

 

[hexagon789]

It’s a good thing Kenneth Grange got involved!

Undoubtedly

Blimey!


I’ll say. It looks surprisingly 1980s in style, but it definitely isn’t pretty.

From 1969, one of a number of proposed design options. This one featured 4-character headcode display and an autocoupler.

 

[Magdalia]

It was initially decided that Deltics would be exempted from displaying headcodes, as their displays were among the most unreliable and they operated on a fairly limited sphere of routes compared to other locos. They were exempted during 1972.

Their headcode displays were modified to the so-called "domino" starting from 1973.

The Napier Chronicles website gives the dates of the domino headcode mod for each Deltic:

9 18-11-72 (napier-chronicles.co.uk)

9009 was the prototype and number 1 end was done before the end of 1972, though the actual date is not certain.

 

[hexagon789]

The Napier Chronicles website gives the dates of the domino headcode mod for each Deltic:

9 18-11-72 (napier-chronicles.co.uk)

9009 was the prototype and number 1 end was done before the end of 1972, though the actual date is not certain.

Fair enough, they are the eminent source on matters Deltic related so I've little doubt they are correct. I'm going off memory having read it either in a magazine or book, so it'll be me misremembering the dates a bit probably. That or my source was wrong to start with!