Template:LocoTypeInfobox

Template:LocoTypeInfobox

Infobox for Loco Type category pages. A single template handles both steam and non-steam variants — the loco_category parameter drives the color scheme and controls whether the Wheel Arrangement field renders as a navigational link (steam) or plain descriptive text (non-steam).

Requires: ParserFunctions extension (ships with MediaWiki 1.39, enabled by default). Does NOT require the Variables extension.

Usage

{{LocoTypeInfobox
| loco_category      = 
| wheel_arr          = 
| proto_manufacturer = 
| era                = 
}}

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Values	If Empty
loco_category	Drives color scheme and steam/non-steam behavior. Linked to Loco Category page (displayed as "[Value] Locomotives").	Steam / Diesel / Electric / Other	—
wheel_arr	Steam: linked to Wheel Arrangement category page. Non-steam: plain descriptive text, no link.	e.g. 4-6-2, B-B	—
proto_manufacturer	Prototype builder. Non-steam: linked to Proto Mfg category page. Steam: plain text, informational only — no category tag.	e.g. EMD, GE, Baldwin	—
era	Years the prototype was in active production or primary service. Drawn from the Prototype Era column of the Loco Types sheet.	e.g. 1945–1949, 1918–1960s	—

Parameter Values

The loco_category parameter uses the SHORT form (no "Locomotives" suffix). The template constructs the full category page name and display text internally.

Spreadsheet value	Category page linked	Display text
Steam	Category:Steam Locomotives	Steam Locomotives
Diesel	Category:Diesel Locomotives	Diesel Locomotives
Electric	Category:Electric Locomotives	Electric Locomotives
Other	Category:Other Locomotives	Other Locomotives

Steam vs Non-Steam Behavior

Field	Non-Steam (Diesel / Electric / Other)	Steam
Wheel Arr.	Plain text — no link	Linked to Wheel Arrangement category page
Proto. Manufacturer	Linked to [[:Category:[Name] Locomotives]]	Plain text — informational only, no category tag
Color scheme	Gray / Amber / Navy (by loco_category)	Burgundy

Color Reference

Colors are applied automatically via the short-form loco_category value. Do not set manually.

loco_category value	Header (dark)	Alt rows (light)
Steam	#6B1E2A	#F5E6E8
Diesel	#4A4A4A	#F0F0F0
Electric	#8B6914	#FDF6D8
Other / default	#1E2B7A	#D0D5F0