I've never done much in the way of passenger service, but I'd like to start. What confuses me is the terminology used for passenger cars. I mean, I understand the basic coach/combine/diner stuff, but how do you decipher the number designations? I see things like 10-6 and 4-4-2 and the like, which sound like CB slang and fertilizer mixtures for all I know (couple the 10-4 and the 24-7-365 to the 5-10-10??). Where can I go to figure all this out? Thanks! Ray
Usually the number combinations have to do with the sleeper configurations for Pullman sleepers. A 6-6-4 means six sections, six roomettes and four bedrooms. Usually I look them up in a book I have about Santa Fe cars but many different books may have listings. I am sure there is a place on the web somewhere but I don't know exactly where right off. You can probably find the information on this page as it pertains to N scale but you may have to dig. http://www.trainweb.org/fredatsf/
I compiled a sampling of terms here. These are by no means all that there were. There really was no standard code so just seeing the numbers did not really tell you which number corresponded with a section, a drawing room, a compartment, a bedroom, a roomette or whatever. You just have to be familiar with the different combinations to know what was what. Heavyweight 8-1-2 = 8 section, 1 drawing room, 2 compartment 6-3 = 6 compartment, 3 drawing room 10-1-2 = 10 section, 1 drawing room, 2 compartment 10-2 = 10 section, 2 drawing room 6-1-4 = 6 section, 1 drawing room, 4 bedroom 12-1 = 12 section, 1 drawing room Lightweight 8-2-2 = 8 section, 2 compartment, 2 bedroom 8-2-1 = 8 section, 2 compartment, 1 drawing room 6-6-4 = 6 section, 6 roomette, 4 bedroom 6-2-2 = 6 bedroom, 2 compartment, 2 drawing room 4-4-2 = 4 compartment, 4 bedroom, 2 drawing room 10-5 = 10 roomette, 5 bedroom 10-6 = 10 roomette, 6 bedroom 14-4 = 14 roomette, 4 bedroom 10-3-2 = 10 roomette, 3 bedroom, 2 compartment
