East Coast trains Missing coach A

[Trestrol]

Having had a lovely trip to York today to view Mallard and sisters we returned on a 225. Can anybody tell me why there is no coach A on these train sets? the first is coach B the quiet coach.

[StevieG]

If you look along the whole train next time, you'll find one (possibly two?) more letter(s) missing by the time you get to M(?) at the other end.
I've a feeling it's something like that the seat reservation system uses coach letters for what's presumably the maximum likely scheduled train length envisaged (at one time, if not now), and/or perhaps the general coach type. - E.g. I've noticed that in the 225 (Mk.IV) sets the coach next south of the kitchen, a full-length First saloon, is K (there's no J), but the 125s (HSTs), with the southern half of the coach with the kitchen being a small First saloon section, is J (no K).
I seem to recall that EC HSTs used to (& do now?) have a coach A, but I suppose it was a TGS (incorporated the Guard's compartment), whereas 225s Guard's compartments are not in a passenger coach(?), so perhaps A is for a TGS, hence not being in a 225?
[So do HSTs perhaps not have a B?]

But possibly someone else on here can give a more authoritative explanation.

[Andy W]

Coach A on an ECML HST is the brake compartment in the TGS. The rest of the coach is classified as Coach B. On a 225 set the DVT is Coach P.

The lettering is type driven and done for commercial reasons. You can view them on the East Coast web site in the section where you want to book a seat. I found it a bit strange to look at first but there is a sort of logic to it.

[strang steel]

Well at least they seem to have the coaches that they are booked to have. Unlike when Virgin used to operate the cross country services; on weekend my son was booked on coach E from Bristol to Leeds and when the train arrived at Temple Meads there was no coach E.

[Trestrol]

Thanks for the replys it all makes sense now.

[65447]

A similar arrangement applies on the Greater Anglia Class 90-hauled sets; the DVT van accommodation at the country (Norwich) end is coach A and usually any 'missing letter' coaches are either side of the buffet, but its usually the 1st class coach that is absent.