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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'', Crescent, 1985, p. 226. describes the wheel arrangement of
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–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...
s, multiple units and
tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
s. It is used in much of the world, notable exceptions being the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. The classification system is managed by the International Union of Railways (UIC).


Structure

The UIC uses the following structure: ; Upper-case letters : Indicate driving axles, starting at A for a single axle. B thus indicates two and C indicates three consecutive pairs of driving wheels. ; Lower-case "o" : Related to driving axles (minimum 2, "B"), indicates they are individually driven by separate traction motors. ; Numbers : Consecutive non-driving axles, starting with 1 for a single axle. ; Prime symbol " ′ " : The axles indicated by a single letter or number are mounted on a bogie. ; Parentheses : Groups letters and numbers describing the same bogie. For example, (A1A) indicates a three-axle bogie with the outer two axles driven. When parentheses are used around a single letter or number, a prime is not needed to indicate a bogie. Articulated locomotives can be indicated by bracketing the front power unit — for example, the Union Pacific Big Boy, 4-8-8-4 in Whyte notation, is (2′D)D2′ in UIC notation. ; Plus sign "+" : The locomotive or multiple unit consists of permanently coupled but mechanically separate traction units. Garratt locomotives are indicated by bracketing or placing plus signs between all individual units. ; Other suffixes: :* h: superheated steam () :* n: saturated steam () :* v: compound () :* Turb: turbine :* number: number of cylinders :* t: tank locomotive :* tr: tram (urban) locomotive :* E: Engerth-type locomotive :* G: freight (). Also used to indicate shunting locomotives :* P: passenger () :* S: fast passenger () The most common wheel arrangements in modern locomotives are Bo′Bo′ and Co′Co′.


Examples

The following examples are based on the UIC classification: ; (A1A)(A1A) : Two bogies or wheel assemblies under the unit. Each bogie has one powered axle, one idle axle, and one more powered axle. All powered axles are individually driven by traction motors. ; BB : Four powered axles all mounted in the locomotive's frame, driven in pairs, i.e. each pair of axles is connected by driving rods or gears. Compare with "D" below. (Whyte notation: 0-4-4-0) ; B′B′ : Two bogies or wheel assemblies under the unit. Each bogie has two powered axles, connected by driving rods or gears. ; Bo′(A1A) : Two bogies or wheel assemblies. The "Bo′" bogie is under one end of the unit, and has two powered axles, while the "(A1A)" bogie under the other end of the unit has one powered axle, one idle axle, and another powered axle. All powered axles are individually driven by traction motors. ; Bo′Bo′ : Two bogies or wheel assemblies under the unit. Each bogie has two powered axles individually driven by traction motors. Three-quarters of all modern locomotives (and power cars of self-propelled trains) are configured in either this or the "B′B′" arrangement. ; Bo′Bo′Bo′ : Three bogies or wheel assemblies under the unit. Each bogie has two powered axles individually driven by traction motors. ; C : Three powered axles, connected by driving rods or gears, all mounted in the locomotive's frame (Whyte notation: 0-6-0). ; C′C′ : Two bogies or wheel assemblies under the unit. Each bogie has three powered axles, connected by driving rods or gears. One such example of this type is Southern Pacific 9010. ; Co′Co′ : Two bogies or wheel assemblies under the unit. Each bogie has three powered axles individually driven by traction motors. ; (2Co)() : A locomotive with two bogies, each with two leading axles and three individually powered axles. A number of Japanese electric locomotives used this wheel arrangement, including the JNR Class EF58, and the PRR GG1. ; D : Four powered axles, connected by driving rods or gears, all mounted in the locomotive's frame (Whyte notation: 0-8-0). ; 1′D1′ : One leading idle (non-driven) axle mounted in a bogie, four driven axles mounted in the frame and connected by driving rods or gears, followed by one trailing idle axle mounted in a bogie (Whyte notation: 2-8-2). ; E : Five powered axles, mounted in the locomotive's frame (Whyte notation: 0-10-0). ;Cn2Gt : No leading axle, three driven axles mounted in the frame, no trailing axle, simple steam expansion, saturated steam, two cylinders, for freight trains/shunting duties, tank engine (Whyte notation: 0-6-0 T). ; 2′D1′h3S : Two front leading axles grouped in a bogie, four driving axles, one trailing axle in a bogie, simple steam expansion, superheated steam, three-cylinders, for fast trains (Whyte notation: 4-8-2). ; 1′E1′h2Gt : One front leading axle in a bogie, five driving axles, one rear trailing axle, simple steam expansion, superheated steam, two-cylinder machine, for freight trains, tank engine (Whyte notation: 2-10-2 T). ; 1′Dn4vP : One front leading axle in a bogie, four driving axles, saturated steam, four-cylinder machine, compound (double steam expansion), for passenger trains (Whyte notation: 2-8-0). ; D′Dh4vtG : No front leading axle, four driving axles in a bogie, four more driven axles mounted in the frame (Mallet locomotive), superheated steam, four-cylinder machine, compound (double steam expansion), tank locomotive, for freight trains (Whyte notation: 0-8-8-0 T).


See also

* AAR wheel arrangement * Class (locomotive) * Co-Co locomotive * International Union of Railways * List of UIC country codes * Swiss locomotive and railcar classification * UIC classification of goods wagons * UIC classification of railway coaches * UIC identification marking for tractive stock * Wheel arrangement


References


External links

* {{Locostyles Rail transport standards
Classification Classification is the activity of assigning objects to some pre-existing classes or categories. This is distinct from the task of establishing the classes themselves (for example through cluster analysis). Examples include diagnostic tests, identif ...
Locomotive classification systems Rail transport in Europe de:Bauartbezeichnung von Triebfahrzeugen#VDEV/VMEV/UIC-System