Trainee train drivers wanted...

[wobman]

It's great the 2am starts in this heat, then working 9hr shifts in a greenhouse. Hopefully the new trains my TOC are getting have good air con for a more comfortable cab environment.

I'm glad to get home to have a cold shower in this heat

[r44flyer]

What traction are you on at the moment?

[wobman]

r44flyer said:

What traction are you on at the moment?

A good old class 150 & 153 in this heat is not a nice experience, the cab cooling added to the 158's fails with the air con system in this heat.....

[itcaptainslow]

wobman said:

It's great the 2am starts in this heat, then working 9hr shifts in a greenhouse. Hopefully the new trains my TOC are getting have good air con for a more comfortable cab environment.

I'm glad to get home to have a cold shower in this heat

I’m generally a driver who prefers the older traction, but I do concede the air con in the newer stock is bloody lovely when the weather is like this

[valiant]

itcaptainslow said:

wobman said:

It's great the 2am starts in this heat, then working 9hr shifts in a greenhouse. Hopefully the new trains my TOC are getting have good air con for a more comfortable cab environment.

I'm glad to get home to have a cold shower in this heat

I’m generally a driver who prefers the older traction, but I do concede the air con in the newer stock is bloody lovely when the weather is like this

Tube driver here. Hold my beer…


which I can’t drink due to rulz init

[wobman]

valiant said:

Tube driver here. Hold my beer…


which I can’t drink due to rulz init

Hold your perrier water you mean lol

[P5BNij]

On Saturday night I brought a ballast train down from Crewe to Rugby with the cab side windows open all the way, I was still too hot, the air-con in our 66s is often worse than useless!

On the DSD thing - on Class 70s the vigilance alarm is very quiet, if you're going at full chat (especially through a tunnel) you can barely hear it so you have to keep looking at the computer screen looking out for the red flashing warning instead.

[r44flyer]

wobman said:

A good old class 150 & 153 in this heat is not a nice experience, the cab cooling added to the 158's fails with the air con system in this heat.....

I definitely don't miss 153s, particularly in this weather! They are painful. Much respect to anyone pulling a shift in one at the moment.

[wobman]

r44flyer said:

I definitely don't miss 153s, particularly in this weather! They are painful. Much respect to anyone pulling a shift in one at the moment.

A few years ago I had a 153 with the heating stuck on in the summer, the local fitter taped up the vents and solved the problem. Then it went onto the depot and they reinstated it ! Even though I booked it in the book they said NFF on depot....

[ChocolateFrog]

My first unsociable start tomorrow

[AJB88]

Will have 4 hours left of my shift when you start.

[jaybarts]

ChocolateFrog said:

My first unsociable start tomorrow

That’s a lay in for us freight men

[r44flyer]

ChocolateFrog said:

My first unsociable start tomorrow

That's far too early, how dare they! Remember to book 12 to make up for it

[wobman]

ChocolateFrog said:

My first unsociable start tomorrow

Welcome to the world of the railway 🚂 I'm up at 1.45am Wednesday morning 😳 people are baffled that trains are running around at 2am. You then explain that they need cleaning and fueling or travelling to start services at remote depots.

[Stedman]

ChocolateFrog said:

My first unsociable start tomorrow

I really struggle getting up before 0300 but rarely have to. God, I feel it by 2pm though

[wobman]

The depot I'm based at has 6-7 jobs starting before 4am, plus the 2 night shed drivers one finish at 4am the other 6am. It's the variation in shifts that I find the hardest, one day 3am next 9am then 11am then a 4am !
In one week I can finish 11am one day then start 11am the next but finish at 8-9pm......
It wrecks your body clock, then there's the change from earlies to lates.

Nobody can prepare you for the shift patterns and having you lunch at 7am lol

[Stedman]

wobman said:

one day 3am next 9am then 11am then a 4am !

That's completely naff.

[wjwren]

I'm 42 in IT. Any chance of becoming a trainee driver?

[itcaptainslow]

wjwren said:

I'm 42 in IT. Any chance of becoming a trainee driver?

Apply and find out! There’s no other way of knowing than to go through the application process.

[wobman]

There's nothing to lose by applying, it's just a case of once a vacancy pops up apply quickly as they get filled not long after the vacancy appears nowadays.