The Correct Abbreviations for Railroad Names....


Greg@mnrr

Greg@mnrr

Section Hand
I am planning to order decals for my Chicago, Milwaukee & Northern Railroad, but I question what is the correct abbreviations for a railroad's name if there are any correct ways to abbreviate a railroad name.

My railroad is named the Chicago, Milwaukee & Northern Railroad, should the abbreviation be:

CM&NR
C.M.&N.R.
CM&NRR

or?

I prefer the CM&NR myself. What is correct or doesn't it matter and its personal choice?

Thanks.

Greg
 
Abbreviations can be anything that you want, but I believe that the reporting marks would be CMNR without the ampersand.
 
Reporting marks are established by the AAR, and do not include the Ampersand.

From CSX:

Reporting marks are the initials stenciled on the sides and ends of freight cars to identify car owners. Reporting marks, in conjunction with the car number, uniquely identify every rail car. The marks are assigned by the Association of American Railroads. The reporting marks shown here are for CSX Transportation rail cars only.


  • ACL
  • AWP
  • BO
  • CO
  • CRR
  • CSXT
  • GA
  • IERR
  • LN
  • MON
  • MQT
  • NC
  • NYC
  • PHD
  • RJCV
  • SAL
  • SBD
  • SBS
  • SCL
  • WA
  • W
Boris
 
I think maybe since the Chicago, Milwaukee & Northern is a regional line, the reports marks could be four digits, CMNR. The CM&NR would be used for equipment identification.

I think....?

Greg
 
Greg@mnrr said:
I think maybe since the Chicago, Milwaukee & Northern is a regional line, the reports marks could be four digits, CMNR. The CM&NR would be used for equipment identification.

I think....?

Greg
Click to expand...

The reporting marks are used for equipment identification, so a CM&NR boxcar would be e.g. CMNR 123456

Reporting marks can be any 1-4 alpha digits. (Single letter reporting marks are extremely rare, but Rutland Railway's was actually "R" for example.) It can't end with an "X" for a railroad-owned mark, as that represents a non-railroad owner (private shippers, leasing companies, etc.). That's why CSX's reporting mark is CSXT not CSX.

csxt251892.jpg
 
Last edited:
The "R" is optional. Very few railroads have an R on the end of their reporting marks. For example in the list above only 2 end in R, although all of them are "railroads" or "railways"
 
Greg@mnrr said:
Willie:

I believe you are correct about the ampersand.

The CMNR it will be.

Thanks.

Greg
Click to expand...
It is your railroad. To those who would eliminate the ampersand, I would remind you that a number of railroads used the ampersand, but without the periods after the letters. For the most part they didn't use the R alone, if at all. For example: The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad showed
C B & Q on most of their engines and rolling stock. Their subsidiaries, the Colorado & Southern used C & S ; the Fort Worth and Denver City was just the F W & D . Likewise, the Chicago and North Western showed C & NW or C & NW RR. IIRC, the Great Northern Railway was abbreviated GN Ry . As I said, though, it is your railroad. Whatever you decide will be right!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top