Evening all..
Posted: 12 Sep 2013, 20:27
Hi guys,
Just thought I'd check in and say hello. Especially as its been quite some time since I last posted.
Things have been very busy over the last 17 weeks.
I can safely say that my head hasn't been away from a railway rule book since the middle of May.
At the moment I go to sleep thinking about the railway, wake up thinking about the railway and even dream about the railway.
Anyway, so far, so good.
I've just had my third assessment on rules and procedures and thankfully have passed a big milestone which takes me onto the next part of the training.
So, I know about rules, procedures, traction and what to do when things go wrong.
Now I have to apply all that information and theory into a practical sense.
So, finally, the bit I've been itching to do, the juicy stuff, is about commence within the next few weeks....The driving!
I've now got to be instructed on day/night driving and require at least 240 hours before I can take the final assessment and pass out as a fully qualified train driver. That should be sometime in Feb/Mar 2014 all being well.
With this comes the route learning. I have to absorb several core routes in minute detail. I will be learning every signal, feature, hazard, station, bridge, tunnel, junction, braking point and christ knows what else so that I know everything there is to know. Basically so I can react and be just as safe during darkness/fog etc.
Drivers must be fully competant and 'passed-out' on a route before being let loose on their own on it.
So at this stage the bottom line is, I kind of know what to do, just don't know where I'm going or when to do it!
Got a weeks holiday now, which the wife and I desperately need, especially after such an intensive 17 weeks through the summer.
When I get back, I've got a three week Electric Traction conversion course, as I've only learnt on diesels so far. That should be interesting as its a completely different animal to everything I've driven at this stage.
Glad I've popped in again. I've missed it.
Stay safe chaps..
Just thought I'd check in and say hello. Especially as its been quite some time since I last posted.
Things have been very busy over the last 17 weeks.
I can safely say that my head hasn't been away from a railway rule book since the middle of May.
At the moment I go to sleep thinking about the railway, wake up thinking about the railway and even dream about the railway.
Anyway, so far, so good.
I've just had my third assessment on rules and procedures and thankfully have passed a big milestone which takes me onto the next part of the training.
So, I know about rules, procedures, traction and what to do when things go wrong.
Now I have to apply all that information and theory into a practical sense.
So, finally, the bit I've been itching to do, the juicy stuff, is about commence within the next few weeks....The driving!
I've now got to be instructed on day/night driving and require at least 240 hours before I can take the final assessment and pass out as a fully qualified train driver. That should be sometime in Feb/Mar 2014 all being well.
With this comes the route learning. I have to absorb several core routes in minute detail. I will be learning every signal, feature, hazard, station, bridge, tunnel, junction, braking point and christ knows what else so that I know everything there is to know. Basically so I can react and be just as safe during darkness/fog etc.
Drivers must be fully competant and 'passed-out' on a route before being let loose on their own on it.
So at this stage the bottom line is, I kind of know what to do, just don't know where I'm going or when to do it!
Got a weeks holiday now, which the wife and I desperately need, especially after such an intensive 17 weeks through the summer.
When I get back, I've got a three week Electric Traction conversion course, as I've only learnt on diesels so far. That should be interesting as its a completely different animal to everything I've driven at this stage.
Glad I've popped in again. I've missed it.
Stay safe chaps..
Coincidentally, I was thinking of posting a day or so ago to ask if anyone had heard from you and here you are 
