PKP classification system

PKP classification system (Polish locomotive designation) is a system of assigning letters and numbers to series and individual locomotives used by the PKP - Polish national railroad operator.

The system was introduced in 1923, shortly after Poland regained her independence (1918), when the Polish railroads inherited a variety of German, Austrian and Russian steam locomotives, each with its own type convention. The adopted solution allows telling the locomotive type (passenger/freight/mixed), wheel arrangement, origin and some other information from the type designation. After World War II a similar system was also adapted for diesel and electric locomotives.

Electric and diesel locomotives

First letter

E - electric locomotive (Polish: elektryczna)
S - diesel locomotive (Polish: spalinowa)

Second letter

Locomotives

P - passenger locomotive (Polish: pasażerska)
T - freight locomotive (Polish: towarowa)
U - mixed-traffic locomotive (Polish: uniwersalna - universal)
M - shunting locomotive (Polish: manewrowa)

Electric multiple units

W - for high platforms (Polish: wysoki)
N - for both high and low platforms (Polish: niski)
D - for long distance traffic (Polish: dalekobieżny)

Diesel railcars and multiple units

D - for long-distance traffic
N - for suburban traffic
R - special purpose (mobile workshops, emergency use etc.)
A - railbus (Polish: autobus szynowy)

Numbers

Electric locomotives

01-14 - four axles, Bo-Bo, direct current, 3 kV
15-19 - four axles, Bo-Bo, alternating current
20-34 - six axles, Co-Co, direct current, 3 kV
35-39 - six axles, Co-Co, alternating current
40-49 - other types

In the case of electric and diesel locomotives consisting of two cars, the letters A and B were added after the serial number for each car but the number is still the same for both the cars.

Electric multiple units

51-64 - three car sets, direct current, 3 kV
65-69 - three car sets, alternating current
70-74 - four car sets, direct current, 3 kV
75-79 - four car sets, alternating current
80-89 - single electric car, any current
90-93 - two car sets, direct current, 800 V
94-99 - other types

Every car in a multiple unit has got it own suffix,

  s - (silnikowy) propelled car
  d - (doczepny) trailer car
  r - (rozrządczy) cab car, non-propelled
  If there are more than one car it is identified with letter a or b, for example a typical 3 car unit En-57 contains car:
  - EN57-830ra
  - EN57-830s
  - EN57-830rb
  that means a unit contains a propelled car between two cab cars.
  In the latest constructions the suffixes are reduced to simple a, b, c, d and further.

Diesel locomotives

01-09 - mechanical transmission, single steering
10-14 - mechanical transmission, multiple steering
15-24 - hydraulic transmission, single steering
25-29 - hydraulic transmission, multiple steering
30-39 - electric transmission, single steering
40-49 - electric transmission, multiple steering

Diesel railcars and multiple units

51-59 mechanical transmission, single steering
60-69 mechanical transmission, multiple steering
70-79 hydraulic or hydrauli-mechanical transmission, single steering
80-89 hydraulic transmission, multiple steering
90-94 electric transmission, single steering
95-99 electric transmission, multiple steering

Steam locomotives

First letter

The upper case letter means:

P - fast train locomotive (Polish: pospieszna)
O - mixed/stopping train traffic (Polish: osobowa - passenger)
T - freight locomotive (Polish: towarowa)

Second letter

Second letter (lower case) indicates the wheel arrangement, in increasing order of the number of driving axles.

a - one driving axle, any number of unpowered axles
b - 0-4-0
c - 2-4-0 or 0-4-2
d - 4-4-0 or 0-4-4
e - 2-4-2
f - 4-4-2 or 2-4-4
g - two driving axles, more than three unpowered axles,
h - 0-6-0
i - 2-6-0 or 0-6-2
k - 4-6-0 or 0-6-4
l - 2-6-2
m - 4-6-2
n - 2-6-4
o - three driving axles, more than three unpowered axles
p - 0-8-0
r - 2-8-0 or 0-8-2
s - 4-8-0 or 0-8-4
t - 2-8-2
u - four driving axles, more than two unpowered axles
w - 0-10-0
y - 2-10-0
z - five driving axles, more than one unpowered axle

-=-=-=-=-

x - narrow gauge, all axle arrangements ("x" also could mean six driving axles, but such locomotives were not used in Poland)

Third letter

In the case of tank engines, the letters designating the type of engine and the wheel arrangement are separated by a 'K'. Thus TKt48 is a 2-8-2 tank of Polish design introduced in 1948.

Number

1-9 - German production steam engine
10-19 - Austrian production steam engine
20-99 - Polish steam engine, number stood for the last two digits of the year in which the type was approved for production
100 - private steam engine that is not in PKP stock
101-199 - Other foreign steam engine, acquired by PKP between 1918 and 1939
200-299 - Other foreign production steam engine, acquired by PKP after 1945

Serial numbers

Following the letters and numbers described above, the serial number of each individual locomotive is stated. This consists of several digits, separated from the type designation characters by a dash.

Tenders

First number

First number of tender classification described water capacity in cubic meters.

Letter

Letter described the number of axles, i.e.:
- C - three axles
- D - four axles

Second number

This referred to the year of construction, so number 23 means the construction was approved in 1923.

An example

A tender numbered 22D23 can carry up to 22 m³ of water, has four axles, and its construction was approved in 1923.

PKP classification system

Contents

Electric and diesel locomotives

First letter

Second letter

Locomotives

Electric multiple units

Diesel railcars and multiple units

Numbers

Electric locomotives

Electric multiple units

Diesel locomotives

Diesel railcars and multiple units

Steam locomotives

First letter

Second letter

Third letter

Number

Serial numbers

Tenders

First number

Letter

Second number

An example

See also