British Rail departmental wagons are wagons used by British Rail and their successors Railtrack and Network Rail for departmental purposes. Many vehicles are named after aquatic creatures (including fish, mammals, birds and mythical creatures), these names started life as telegraphic codes.^[1]

List of Codes

Name	TOPS Code [2]	Wagon Type	Image	Note
Barbel	ZKV	4 Wheel Open Wagon [2]		Converted from MSV Iron Ore Tippler[2]
Bass	ZDA	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Bream	ZEA / ZEB / ZEX	Runner Wagon
Brill	YAA	Bogie Flat Wagon[2]
Carp	ZBA	Open Wagon
Catfish	ZEV	4 Wheel Ballast Hopper
Chubb	ZCX	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Clam	ZCV	4 Wheel Spoil Wagon [2]
Coalfish	MHA / MPA	4 Wheel Open Wagon		Converted from redundant HAA wagons[1]
Cockle	-	Brake Van with Ballast Ploughs
Cod	ZAV	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Conger	YVQ / YXA
Crab	ZBV / ZCV	4 Wheel Open Wagon		Converted from Lamprey wagons[1]
Crayfish	-	A variant of a Mermaid Wagon		Never built[1]
Dace	ZCV	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Dogfish	ZFV / ZFW	4 Wheel Ballast Hopper
Dolphin	YAO	Bogie Flat Wagon
Eel	YMA	Bogie Flat Wagon [2]
Egret	ZCV	4 Wheel Spoil Wagon		Modified from Grampus wagons[1]
Falcon	JNA	Bogied Open Wagon
Gane	YLO / YLP	Bogied Flat Wagon
Gannet	-	4 Wheel Ballast Hopper
Grampus	ZBO / ZBP / ZBQ / ZBV / ZBW	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Gudgeon	-	Ballast Wagon
Haddock	ZCO	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Hake	ZBA	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Halibut	YCA	Bogie Open Wagon
Heron	YCV	Bogie Open Wagon [2]		Based on a Turbot Wagon[1]
Herring	ZLV	4 Wheel Ballast Hopper
Lamprey	ZBO	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Limpet	MKA / ZKA	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Ling	ZCO	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Lobster	ZVV	Engineer's Support Wagon
Minnow	ZCO	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Mackerel	ZMV	4 Wheel Ballast Hopper with Centre chutes
Manta	YKA	Converted passenger carriage		Used as part of a long welded rail train
Marlin	YKA	Converted passenger carriage		Used as part of a long welded rail train [1]
Merdog	ZFV	Ballast Hopper [2]
Mermaid	ZJV	4 Wheel Tipping open wagon
Mullet	YLA	Bogie Flat Wagon
Octopus	YDA	Bogie Ballast Hopper [2]
Osprey	YKA	Bogie Flat Wagon [2]		A modified Salmon wagon [1]
Otter	YXA	Bogie Wagon [2]		Used as part of a long welded rail train [1]
Oyster	ZUP	4 Wheel Brake Van with Ballast Ploughs
Parr	YMA / YQA	Bogie Flat Wagon [2]
Perch	YEA	Bogie Flat Wagon		Used as part of a continuous welded rail train [1]
Pike	ZAA	4 Wheel Open Wagon [2]
Pilchard	YCO	Bogie Open Wagon
Piranha	PNA	Open Wagon		Unnofficial Name [1]
Plaice	ZCV	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Pollock	ZCA	Open Wagon
Porpoise	YEA	Bogie Chute Wagon		Used as part of a continuous welded rail train [1]
Prawn	YNO	Bogie Flat Wagon
Puffin	ZCV	4 Wheel Spoil Wagon		Converted from a Catfish wagon [1]
Roach	ZDA	4 Wheel Open Wagon [2]
Rudd	ZBA	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Salmon	YFA / YMA / YMB / YMO / YSA / YWA / YXA	Bogie Flat Wagon
Sea Urchin	ZCA	4 Wheel Spoil Wagon
Seacow	YGA / YGB	Bogie Ballast Hopper
Seahare	YCA	4 Wheel Open Wagon [2]
Seahorse	ZCA	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Seal	ZGA	Open Wagon
Sealion	YGH	Bogie Ballast Hopper
Shark	ZUA / ZUB / ZUP / ZUV / ZUW	Brake Van with Ballast Ploughs
Shrimp	YNP	Bogie Flat Wagon [2]
Skate	YDA	Bogie Skip Wagon
Sole	ZCA / ZCO	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Squid	ZDA	4 Wheel Open Wagon [2]
Starfish	ZCO	4 Wheel Open Wagon
Stingray	ZGA / YGB	Bogie Ballast Hopper with Generator		A Seacow wagon fitted with a generator
Sturgeon	YBA / YBB / YBO / YBP / YBQ	Bogie Open Wagon
Super Trench	FJA	Bogie Container Flat
Tope	ZCV / ZDV	4 Wheel Spoil Wagon
Trident	-	Side Rail Loader
Trout	ZFO	4 Wheel Ballast Hopper
Tunny	ZCO / ZCV	4 Wheel Dropside wagon
Turbot	ZCV / ZCW	Bogie Open Wagon
Urchin	ZCA	Bogie Open Wagon
Walrus	YGV	Bogie Ballast Hopper
Whale	YBA / YHA	Bogie Ballast Hopper
Whelk	YNO	Open Wagon
Whiting	ZVV	4 Wheel Open Wagon		Use for the transportation of signaling equipment[1]
Winkle	ZVV	4 Wheel Open Wagon		Use for the transportation of signaling equipment[1]
Zander	zKV	4 Wheel Open Wagon

References