Railroad car codes?

Railroad cars are identified by two, three, or four letters and by a number of up to six digits.

The letters, known as reporting marks, indicate the owner of the car, while the number places it in the owner's fleet. Reporting marks ending in X indicate ownership by a private company as opposed to a railroad.

In a process similar to granting "vanity" auto license plates, the Association of American Railroads assigns reporting marks. A car owner requests a set of letters, usually based on its name or initials. If the desired combination is already in use, or is otherwise unsuitable, the AAR and owner work together to find a substitute set of letters.

The field is more limited than you might think - the initials of motor, water, and air carriers are avoided, as are other railroads and car companies.

Official reporting marks may contain any letter of the alphabet, but not the ampersand (&), although the ampersands are often stenciled on the cars for clarity. Despite the proliferation of four-letter marks, particularly among short lines, the AAR has never required that reporting marks be four letters in length.

The AAR charges a $350 administrative fee to record a mark, which a car owner may retain indefinitely.

In mergers, the new company assumes rights to the old one's reporting marks. The survival of "fallen flag" initials on many cars is the result of the long time it takes to restencil a vast car fleet.

Some owners, such as TTX Co., maintain several sets of marks so that families of cars with similar equipment may be readily identified.

The AAR encourages car owners to "retire" reporting marks when they no longer need them. A set of initials may be reassigned after it has been unused for 5 years.

Here is a link to the entire list

http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=195

Railroad Reporting Marks

Its not a code.. That would be the "reporting marks" of the carrier that owns the car - normally, they are also the initials of the railroad, carrier, leaser, or company. It doesn't have to be four letters - I've seen 2, 3, or 4 letter marks.

UTLX is Union Tank Car Co (they lease tank cars to shippers). Its a quick way of ID'ing the car - i.e. UTLX 599888 vs. Union Tank Car Company 599888....

You can find a complete list here:

http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=195

Aar Reporting Marks

Two cents worth here. When an "X" is part of the reporting marks, it indicates a rail company as explained above, but it further identifies that company as owning no locomotives.

That just means it's hazmat if it has a skull and crossbones. Rick is right with what it is.