New Numbering System of the South Western Railway

The "New Numbering System of the South Western Railway" was an experimental numbering scheme introduced on the 1st July 1897, through to May 1898. It was created to aid with the classification of the newest locomotives introduced by the company as they had a motley collection of locomotives, some dating back to the 1850s. The scheme introduced would be similar to that used on Oliver Bulleid's Light Pacifics and Q1s nearly 50 years later.
  The first two numbers designate the number of unpowered axels, the first letter is the UIC designated letter for the wheel arrangement with the final letter and the number immediately following denoting the class and the last numbers being the loco's class number.
  The test was deemed unsucessful and was only ever carried by two classes of locomotive. Those being the L9 4-4-2Ts and the C1 class 0-4-4Ts.