I am a new owner and I would like to know what the different numbers (usualy separated by dashes) mean.
Thanks,
NLH
If you're talking about steam locos the numbers represent the wheel arrangement of the loco, e.g., 4-6-2 would mean a 4-wheel pilot truck, 6 driving wheels, and a 2-wheel trailing truck. A loco with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement is generally known as "Pacific".
This identification system was developed by Fredrick Whyte.
More info on the system can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyte_notation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyte_notation)
Len