A class of

locomotives A locomotive is a rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for longer and heavier freight train ...

is a group of locomotives built to a common design, typically for a single

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

or railway. Classes can vary between country, manufacturer, and

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

. For example, the United States generally used the Whyte notation for

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

classification, but the

Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) was an American manufacturer of railway locomotives from 1825 to 1951. Originally located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it moved to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania, Eddystone in the early 20th century. The com ...

had their own classification system. A list of locomotive classification systems follows:

United States of America

Whyte notation The Whyte notation is a classification method for steam locomotives, and some internal combustion locomotives and electric locomotives, by wheel arrangement. It was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte, and came into use in the early twenti ...

AAR wheel arrangement The AAR wheel arrangement system is a method of classifying locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pu ...

* Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive classification * List of Milwaukee Road locomotives * List of Norfolk and Western Railway locomotives

Britain

British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification #REDIRECT British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification {{R from other capitalisation ...

List of British Rail classes A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...

Locomotives of the Caledonian Railway A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

* Locomotives of the Great Northern Railway * Locomotives of the Midland Railway *

GWR locomotive numbering and classification The Great Western Railway, GWR was the longest-lived of the pre-nationalisation railway companies in Britain, surviving the 'Grouping' of the railways in 1923 almost unchanged. As a result, the history of its numbering and classification of loco ...

* SR locomotive numbering and classification * Southern Railway multiple unit numbering and classification *

LMS locomotive numbering and classification A number of different numbering and classification schemes were used for the locomotives owned by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and its constituent companies. The LMS, formed on 1 January 1923 from many smaller companies include ...

* LNER locomotive numbering and classification * Steam locomotives of British Railways

Ireland

* Steam locomotives of Ireland * Diesel locomotives of Ireland * Multiple units of Ireland

Germany

List of Bavarian locomotives and railbuses This List covers the locomotives and railbuses of the Bavarian railways, excluding those of the Palatinate (region), Palatinate (''Pfalz''). The locomotives and railbuses of the Palatinate when it belonged to Kingdom of Bavaria, Bavaria are in th ...

* German locomotive classification * DRG locomotive classification * DR locomotive classification * DB locomotive classification *

UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements, sometimes known as the German classification''The Railway Data File''. Leicester: Silverdale, 2000. p. 52. . or German system,Kalla-Bishop P.M. & Greggio, Luciano, ''Steam Locomotives'', Cr ...

Finland

* List of Finnish locomotives

France

* List of SNCF classes

Indonesia

* List of locomotives in Indonesia

Russia

* List of Russian steam locomotive classes

China

* List of locomotives in China

Switzerland

* List of stock used by Swiss Federal Railways * Swiss locomotive and railcar classification

South Africa

* South African locomotive numbering and classification * List of South African locomotive classes

Japan

* Japan Railways locomotive numbering and classification

New Zealand

Locomotives of New Zealand Locomotives of New Zealand is a complete list of all locomotive classes that operate or have operated in Rail transport in New Zealand, New Zealand's railway network. It does not include locomotives used on List of New Zealand railway lines#Bus ...

References

{{Reflist Locomotive classification systems Rail transport-related lists