Swiss locomotive and railcar classification

For more than a century, the Swiss locomotive, multiple unit, motor coach and railcar classification system, in either its original or updated forms, has been used to name and classify the rolling stock operated on the railways of Switzerland.

Unlike the Whyte notation and AAR system, both of which are used to classify wheel arrangements, and the UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements, the Swiss system, in both its original and updated forms, takes into account a number of other variables, including track gauge, motive power type, and maximum speed.

However, all of Switzerland's powered rolling stock initially retained its Swiss type classification or class designation.

HG would therefore be a narrow gauge locomotive, with a mix of adhesion and rack rail drive.

Several locomotives were later given approval for higher cornering speeds, to which their type designation had not yet been adapted (e.g. the BLS ABDe 4/8 or the Schweizer Hochleistungstriebwagen).

The Swiss Federal Railways Tilt Train RABDe 500 (InterCityNeigezug) also achieves this norm, but the train itself was given the designation R. Technically, locomotives of the class R can also operate to the standards of class N, but in practice the maximum cornering speeds are lower, to improve passenger comfort by reducing lateral forces.

(Example: rack rail railcar Bhe 4/4, mixed Beh 4/4) In a combined multiple unit train, the individual carriages of which cannot be uncoupled, all axles are taken into account, e.g. RABDe 8/16 (Multiple unit train with 4 carriages).

Notwithstanding the rules described here, the TEE railcars were classified as RAm or RAe, although they also had a luggage compartment, a restaurant and various other special features.

If the railcar is a pure cogwheel drive vehicle, the symbol h is placed before the means of propulsion designator (e.g. the Bhe 2/4 of the Gornergratbahn).

If a cogwheel drive vehicle can also operate in adhesion mode, the symbol h is placed after the means of propulsion designator (e.g. the ABDeh of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn).

The superscript indices in the existing scheme (e.g. Re 4/4IV, V, VI...) presented a particular problem for this draft new system's planned method of data collection.

Under the first draft revised system, the first five digits were each designated as nil, as was already the case with various other European railway companies.

Under the latter draft, the indication of the numbers of a vehicle's axles in fractional form was abandoned, but the designation of the traction type was retained.

The new numbering was supposed to take into account all vehicles that, as at 1988, were still in service with the Swiss Federal Railways.

In the Draft '92, the significance of the digits in their individual places was further diversified, and became no longer readily comprehensible without a key table.

For a long time, however, existing locomotives and railcars received the new seven digit numbers only in conjunction with major rebuilding work (e.g. RABDe 510, RBe 540).

The Swiss Federal Railways has therefore not so far abandoned its general practice of continuing to operate the older vehicles under their old classifications, and it is likely that many locomotives will be withdrawn still bearing their old numbers.

Many private railways have reclassified their motive power fairly consistently with the revised system.

Examples: In 2005, with the onset of international movement of Swiss-based locomotives, there had to be a move to allocate twelve digit numbers for them.