Additional numbers and how they are handled on LTSV
Posted by Thomas Young in category

at 23:23 on 26/11/2022

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Rather confusingly, some items of current rolling stock carry two different numbers. Examples include refurbished HKA hoppers, MXA box wagons and various types of on-track plant. Each item has a number in the 'domestic' series and an additional EVN (European Vehicle Number). In most cases the domestic number was applied first, though the opposite applies to some track machines. Nevertheless I have decided that the way to handle these items on LTSV-RD will be to class the domestic number as being the primary identity of the vehicle. The secondary identity will be referred to as an 'additional number'.

There is not always a direct correlation between the domestic and Euro numbers, so I wanted to allow users to find one number given the other (for example finding the 95xxxx number for MXA 82.70.4703.xxx-x). This meant adding the numbers to the renumbering table, but this requires both numbers (before and after) to exist in the numbers table. So, I am adding the 'additional numbers' to the database, these being indicated by a (+) after the number.

There was then an issue with synchronicity. For example, if we learned that MXA 950966 had been scrapped, would we need to update the status of both numbers (950966 and 82.70.4703.147-7)? To avoid this, I have added another number status code for additional numbers. Given that most of the code letters had already been used, I have picked + as being the most logical indicator, meaning that some of the pages have had to be revised to allow this character to be used!

The idea is that any sightings or notes about (or photos of) one of these vehicles should be logged against the primary number, though I won't be enforcing this. I am in the process of adding the MXA number tie-ups and will look at the other cases shortly.

It should be mentioned that there are numerous other items of rolling stock that technically also have two numbers. EVNs have been allocated to most coaches in recently-built multiple units, and are also believed to have been assigned to many older wagons. In these cases, the EVN is not normally displayed, but is usually correlated to the domestic number. As such, I may give reference to the series of EVNs allocated, but the individual numbers will not be added to the database.