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A guide to trainspotting: how to record trainset numbers

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 10:43 pm
by SG1201T Citaro
North South Line(NSL) and East West Line(EWL)
Rolling stock on the North South Line(NSL) and the East West Line(EWL), comprimising of the C151, C651, C751B, C151A, C151B and the recently-introduced C151C, share a common numbering system and are hence the easiest to record. All carriages use a 4-digit numbering system, with the first digit representing the carriage type and the subsequent 3 digits representing the trainset number a carriage is part of. Note that as a trianset comprimises of only 3 carriages, a typical 6-car train running on the NSL/EWL will be made up of 2 trainsets, usually with running numbers, except in the rare event that 2 trainsets are cross-coupled, with odd-numbered train carriages paired with even-numbered carriages.

The last 3 digits are also important in determining the type of train. C151s have trainset numbers ranging from 001-132(132 total trainsets, 66 trains), C651s have trainset numbers ranging from 201-238(38 trainsets, 19 trains), C751Bs have trainset numbers ranging from 311-352(42 trainsets, 21 trains), C151As have trainset numbers ranging from 501-570(70 trainsets, 35 trains) and C151Bs have numbers ranging from 601-690(90 trainsets, 45 trains).

Thus, with a sample train carriage identifier of 1201, the first number, 1, represents the carriage type(in this case, a Motor Car, numbered M1), while the last 3 digits, 201, represent the trainset number this carriage is part of. Hence, this carriage is from a Siemens C651 train with the train number 201/202, unless trainset no. 201 has been cross-coupled with another trainset.

Some visual examples can be seen below:

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Carriage no. 3132. The first digit 3 represents the carriage identifier(3 being a Driving Trailer, DT), and the last 3 digits, 132, represents the trainset number, thus, this carriage is from a Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151, train no. 131/132. Note that train no. 131/132 is special; it is one of 6 C151s refitted with PMSM motors.

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Carraige no. 3131. As above, this carriage is a DT cab, belonging to trainset 131 and part of train no. 131/132.

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#3095

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#3096

North-East Line(NEL)

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#73037
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#73038

C151C


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#3703

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#1703

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#2703

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