The use of a single gauge for both rail and vehicles blurs the line between vehicles and rolling stock, particularly in some of the more abstract themes such as the BRIO Network, Curious George, and Busytown. This database takes a strict approach to classification: it’s only considered rolling stock if it resembles a traditional rail car; everything else is categorized as a vehicle. And while the term can technically refer to any car that moves on a railway, this database limits the definition to unpowered rail cars only, specifically excluding locomotives.

Until the early-to-mid 1990’s BRIO did not sell rolling stock as individual products—even the caboose could not be purchased separately until 1991. You either bought a train set such as the Freight Express, Tipping Truck Train, or Goods Train, or purchased an accessory set that bundled one or more cars along with it.