German railway wagon classes

On the formation of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the system became mandatory across the whole of Germany.

It was finally replaced between 1964 and 1968 when the two German railway administrations - the Deutsche Bundesbahn and the Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany) - adopted the internationally standard UIC classifications for passenger coaches and goods wagons.

Today, the system is still regularly being used for narrow gauge goods wagons, because these were not generally given UIC designations, as well as on many historical vehicles.

In order to distinguish bogie wagons, the last letter of the main class was doubled to begin with, e.g. BC → BCC, G → GG (exceptions were the Post, Salon, Schlaf und Speise where there was no difference).

That now made it possible to distinguish passenger coaches with three axles or more.