Great Western Railway telegraphic codes were a commercial telegraph code used to shorten the telegraphic messages sent between the stations and offices of the railway. The codes listed below are taken from the 1939 edition of the Telegraph Message Code book unless stated otherwise.
History The Great Western Railway (GWR) pioneered telegraph communication over the 13 miles (21 km) from Paddington to West Drayton on 9 April 1839 using the Cooke and Wheatstone telegraph equipment. Although this early system fell into disuse after a few years, from 1850 a new contract with the Electric Telegraph Company saw double-needle telegraphs working at most stations on the line; these were replaced by single-needle machines from 1860. Although used primarily as a safety device to regulate the passage of trains, it was also used to pass messages between the staff. In order to do this quickly and accurately, a number of code words were used to replace complicated or regularly used phrases. The codes were changed from time to time to reflect current needs. By 1922 most railways in the country had agreed on standard code words, although the GWR had an extended list of codes that could only be used within its own network. In 1943 all railways were brought into a single system of codes and the GWR special codes were discontinued.
Wagons
Note: many of these codes could have an extra letter to identify variations, such as Mink A (a 16 ft (4.9 m) ventilated van), or Mink G (a 21 ft (6.4 m) ordinary van). Most of these codes were painted onto the wagons for easy identification.
Aero – airscrew wagon (from 1941) Ale – cattle wagon converted for beer barrels (from 1940) Asmo – covered motor car truck Beaver – flat truck Beetle – prize cattle wagon. Bloater – large fish van Bocar – covered truck for car bodies Cone – gunpowder van Conflat – flat wagon for containers Coral – glass wagon Cordon – gas reservoir truck Covcar – covered carriage truck Crocodile – well trolley
Damo – covered motor car truck Fruit – fruit van Gadfly – aeroplane truck Gane – engineers rail truck Grano – covered grain hopper Hydra – passenger rated well truck Loriot – machine truck Macaw – timber truck Mayfly – transformer truck
Mex – ordinary cattle wagon Mica – meat van Mink – covered goods van Milta – milk tank Mite – twin timber trucks Mogo – covered motor car wagon Morel – propeller truck Open – open wagon Parto – covered van with movable partitions
Pollen – girder or boiler truck Rectank – trolley for machinery. Roder – flat truck for road vehicles (to 1935) Rotruck – road-rail truck for milk tanks Serpent – carriage truck Tadpole – open fish wagon Tevan – converted Mica for special traffic Toad – goods brake van, which became the standard designs nickname Totem – armour plate and girder wagon Tourn – eight-wheeled open (to 1934)
Carriages
Note: many of these codes could have an extra letter to identify variations, such as Scorpion C (a 45 ft (14 m) carriage truck), or Scorpion D (a 21 ft (6.4 m) carriage truck).
Beetle – special cattle truck Bloater – covered fish truck Catox – cattle box Chafer – invalid carriage Chintz – family carriage Chub – third saloon Cricket – composite carriage Emmett – brake third carriage First – first class carriage Gnat – slip coach Goliath – bogie open scenery truck
Hydra – well truck for road vehicles Melon – brake third carriage Mex – cattle wagon Monster – theatrical scenery truck Paco – horse box Python – covered carriage truck Scorpion – carriage truck Siphon – milk van Snake – passenger brake van Termite – third class carriage
Road motor vehicles and trailers Brockhouse – 15 ton Brockhouse trailer Dido – four-wheeled trailer Dixton – 10 ton cartage motor vehicle Dyak – two-wheeled trailer Forton – 4 or 5 ton cartage motor vehicle Jason – tipping trailer Lydus – pipe trailer Mentor – six-wheeled trailer Nico – cattle trailer Numa – container trailer Sixate – 6 or 8 ton cartage motor vehicle Toner – 1 or 1½ ton cartage motor vehicle Tooton – 2 ton cartage motor vehicle Vibo – timber trailer
Standard phrases The 1939 Telegraph Message Code book contains in excess of 900 code words (around half of which were standard codes also used by other railways) yet very few were the familiar codes seen painted on the side of goods wagons. By using these codes long and complex sentences could be sent using just a few words. Some examples of the codes representing phrases include:
Adex – Advertised day excursion. Boyne – There is no water at the following station. Instruct drivers. Chicory – Cannot trace delivery. Wire full description, marks, and contents, and say who complains. Cynic – Can only offer ordinary service. Wire what decided. Earwig – Following urgently wanted. Lough – Shunting horse ill. Send relief. Osage – Send men here for undermentioned engine to leave at ... Palm – Report fully by next train with reference to delay. Smoke – Owing to fog in London Division restriction train service to operate in accordance with current fog-working notice. Stork – We have no trace of your invoice; send copy next train. Zola – Can you send engine and men to undermentioned station? If so, state time leaving.
See also Australian railway telegraphic codes Commercial code Great Western Railway wagons
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