Car Types

Railroader uses AAR-like codes to identify car types. Each car has one type, and that type may be used in other contexts, usually as a query or filter.

The code prefix determines how the game classifies a car for gameplay (e.g. whether it counts as freight, a locomotive, etc.). Custom car types that share a prefix with built-in types are classified automatically — for example, a custom car with type HM would be treated as a hopper and as freight.

Built-in Car Types

Every car type the base game’s rolling stock uses:

Type	Description	Classified as
CBS	Baggage car	Baggage
FB	Flatcar with bulkheads	Freight, flatcar
FL	Skeleton log car	Freight, flatcar
FM	Flatcar	Freight, flatcar
GB	Gondola	Freight, gondola
GS	Drop-bottom gondola	Freight, gondola
HM	Hopper, 2 bay	Freight
HMA	Hopper, ore	Freight
HMR	Hopper, covered	Freight
HT	Hopper, 3 bay	Freight
LD	Diesel locomotive	Locomotive, diesel
LS	Steam locomotive	Locomotive, steam
LT	Tender	Tender
MWX	Maintenance-of-way car	Maintenance of way
NE	Caboose	Caboose
PB	Passenger car	Coach
PBO	Passenger car, observation	Coach
TM	Tank car	Freight, tank car
XM	Boxcar	Freight

Locomotive types start with L, with one exception: LT (tender) is not classified as a locomotive. A tender is a separate car type of its own, since gameplay code often needs to tell a locomotive and its tender apart (for example, when checking whether a car can run under its own power). Custom locomotive types should start with L (but not LT) to pick up locomotive classification automatically.

Classification by Prefix

A mod is free to introduce codes beyond the list above. These are the prefixes the game tests, and what each one makes a car:

Prefix	Classified as
X, H, T, F, G	Freight
T	Tank car
F	Flatcar
G	Gondola
L (except LT)	Locomotive
LS	Steam locomotive
LD	Diesel locomotive
LT	Tender
PB	Coach
CB	Baggage
NE	Caboose
MW	Maintenance of way

A code can pick up more than one classification: TM is both freight and a tank car. Anything outside these prefixes is classified as none of them, which is what you want for a car that shouldn’t turn up in freight operations.

The Equipment Placer groups cars by prefix too, under its own set of headings — X is “Box Car”, H is “Hopper”, and so on, with the longest matching prefix winning. A custom XM-prefixed car lands under Box Car alongside the base game’s.

Car Type Filters

Car type filters are comma-separated patterns used to match rolling stock by their AAR car type code. They appear in style definitions, industry components, and load model definitions.

Syntax

A filter is a comma-separated list of patterns. Each pattern is either an exact match or a prefix wildcard (ending in *):

Pattern	Matches
XM	Exactly XM
XM,FM	Exactly XM or FM
HM,HT	Hoppers: HM or HT
H*	Any type starting with H (e.g. HM, HT, HMR, HMA, etc.)
G*,TM	Any kind of gondolas, or TM tank cars.
*	Anything

Exact matches are case-insensitive. An empty or absent filter matches all car types.

Examples

Industry	Filter	Why
Coal loader	HM,HT	Accepts open and covered hoppers
Diesel fueling	TM	Only tank cars
Pulpwood loading	FB	Only bulkhead flatcars
Log loading	FL	Only skeleton log cars
Ballast	HM,HT,G*	Hoppers and gondolas
General freight	XM,G*,FM	Boxcars, gondolas, and flatcars
Interchange	*	Accepts any car