Questions about driving trains.

[Domh245]

In the case of DB, if you are a driver for DB Schenker, do you get free travel on the services listed? I doubt many TOC drivers try and get a lift in the cab of a 66!

 

[Minilad]

How in depth is the route knowledge? I know you need to know where signals spreed restrictions, etc are, but is it knowing that after the bridge there's a left curve and then a signal, then there's another one then a speed restriction, or is it the bridge carrying the whatever road then a left past the white house the line of trees and then it straightens slightly before the signal then there's a factory on the left and a fence that by the side of the railway for half the distance to the next signal.....

Basically is it like me knowing that one road comes after another joined by these roundabouts on the way to my dads, or is it the road goes slightly left up then down straight and right again before the round about?

How in depth is it :P

Obviously you don't need to know where all the houses are!!
But sometimes houses or other structures can be good markers for braking points and such like.

 

[Donny Dave]

Obviously you don't need to know where all the houses are!!
But sometimes houses or other structures can be good markers for braking points and such like.

Although from a story* I've heard in the dim and distant past, don't rely on objects that can be moved as braking markers!

* I can't remember all the details, but it does involve a recently passed out driver. His instructor pointed out a pile of ballast and mentioned that if you put the brakes into step 1 as you pass it, it brings you down nicely to the next speed restriction. Several weeks later the new driver is going along the route, and he's looking out for the ballast. However, it had been used the previous weekend and so he ended up having to use full service braking as the restriction came into view, and entered it at something like 15mph above it ....

 

[Whistler40145]

I would like to know why a driver stays on a dead electric locomotive whilst it's being dragged over a non-electrified route?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

AWS and/or TPWS perhaps, if there's no one in the cab to acknowledge/cancel the warnings then the brakes might get applied a lot.

 

[Domh245]

AWS and TPWS aren't active if the cab has been shut down. No idea what he would be doing in there though!

 

[Jamesb1974]

A driver can travel free whether or not it is work related as long as their travel card allows, usually within TOC's within a group for example. Driver who work for DB have good travel privileges you have ATW, XC, Chiltern, Tyne & wear, Lorol and some busses that are all free, there may be one I missed but I think that the facilities for any DB group staff is excellent.

Are you sure? I am a driver for DB and I don't get (or haven't been told about) free travel. The only 'free' travel I get is when there is a PASS is on my diagram. Even then, I should have my Freight driver's duty pass with me.

The only blokes who get free travel at DB are ex BR.

Unless I'm missing something huge, I've never heard of what you say.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

AWS and/or TPWS perhaps, if there's no one in the cab to acknowledge/cancel the warnings then the brakes might get applied a lot.

Was that a guess?

Once the 'key' (BR drivers key on a 60 & 92 or the reverser handle key on a 66) has been removed, it automatically disables AWS and TPWS. The cab is shut down once you remove the 'key'. It disables AWS and TPWS and also drops the train brake to zero (applying the brakes fully).

When a locomotive is hauled DIT (Dead In Train), the driver of the leading loco operates the E70 valve on the loco he is hauling DIT. This is an isolating valve on the brake frame which basically turns the locomotive into a wagon in braking terms. So when a 92 etc is hauled by a diesel, the E70 is isolated and the braking control goes to the loco hauling the train. The hauled loco becomes in effect a wagon with the braking characteristics of just another wagon.

 

[Mintona]

Are you sure? I am a driver for DB and I don't get (or haven't been told about) free travel. The only 'free' travel I get is when there is a PASS is on my diagram. Even then, I should have my Freight driver's duty pass with me.

The only blokes who get free travel at DB are ex BR.

Unless I'm missing something huge, I've never heard of what you say.

I believe the poster was referring to staff who work for DB-owned TOCs (ATW, XC, Chiltern, LOROL), rather than DB Schenker freight drivers. Which rather sucks for you boys, as you work for the same company so should get the same benefits.

 

[RPM]

The lack of travel facilities for unsafeguarded freight drivers sucks big time. It is something that has definitely put me off going for a job with a freight company. ASLEF did at one time have an active campaign focussed on getting equal travel benefits for all but I believe it has been put on the back burner, because it was getting ridiculously difficult to make any sort of progress. I often wonder what the rail industry as a whole feel they really have to lose by offering priv travel to all rail staff?

 

[PermitToTravel]

The revenue from those staff buying tickets, theoretically.

 

[RPM]

The revenue from those staff buying tickets, theoretically.

Which in the scheme of things amounts to the square root of b*gger all.

 

[Beveridges]

I don't use my Northern pass much, free travel on local stopping services doesn't amount to much for me.

When I use the train I normally drive my car to the nearest station that has express services and use other TOC's trains that are faster as they don't stop everywhere.

ATOC/Priv Discounts (50% of the normal fare on other TOC's trains) are far, far more useful to me however.

Do you get ATOC/PRIV on the freight ?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Freight companies aren't members of ATOC, so no.

 

[455driver]

ATOC/Priv Discounts (50% of the normal fare on other TOC's trains) are far, far more useful to me however.

75% off the full walk up fare only which can work out more expensive than buying an Advance ticket.

Freight drivers get the same as NR staff which is sweet Fanny Adam and is a ridiculous situation and merely serves to try and divide the (railway) family, shame it failed (mostly).

 

[TDK]

In the case of DB, if you are a driver for DB Schenker, do you get free travel on the services listed? I doubt many TOC drivers try and get a lift in the cab of a 66!

Could well be acting as a fireman if the loco catches fire as the fire detection system (if it has one) will not be active if the loco is hauled dead. Sorry to reply to the wrong post

 

[Lockwood]

I thought it was only steam engines that had a fireman?

 

[FQ]

I thought it was only steam engines that had a fireman?

Unless a diesel has caught fire.

 

[TDK]

I thought it was only steam engines that had a fireman?

2 types of firemen, WSMR used a person in the rear loco of the 67's when running if the loco didn't have fire systems in place. It may not be the reason but that is the only reason I can think of for having a 2nd person in the rear loco.

 

[Jamesb1974]

2 types of firemen, WSMR used a person in the rear loco of the 67's when running if the loco didn't have fire systems in place. It may not be the reason but that is the only reason I can think of for having a 2nd person in the rear loco.

Not heard of that one before. It was certainly never mentioned during my classroom training. The only bit of fire advice we got for a 66 was to use the hand held extinguishers if it was small enough. If not, get off and let it burn! On a 60, pull the fire handle, but stay out of the engine compartment due to the nature of the fire fighting gas.

Going back to the question about a 2nd person in the rear loco, there are some diagrams out there that have two drivers on them. The Clitheroe cement tanks is one that springs to mind. Warrington driver takes the train as far as Blackburn, where he is relieved by a Healey Mills driver. Warrington driver then stays on the loco, while the HM man takes it up to Castle Cement, shunts it to be loaded, fetches it out and then the Warrington driver wakes from his slumber and takes it back to Warrington again!

 

[PermitToTravel]

On a 60, pull the fire handle, but stay out of the engine compartment due to the nature of the fire fighting gas.

Is it Halon?

 

[Jamesb1974]

Is it Halon?

No, I don't think it is. I think its Co2, as Halon is now banned.

 

[flash]

Halon still used on cl 373's...

 

[Nym]

And in power stations and some sub stations.

 

[Bigfoot]

75% off the full walk up fare only which can work out more expensive than buying an Advance ticket.

Freight drivers get the same as NR staff which is sweet Fanny Adam and is a ridiculous situation and merely serves to try and divide the (railway) family, shame it failed (mostly).

Unless you work for NR Wessex. One of the benefits for the NR staff and the alliance with SWT.

 

[Jamesb1974]

Halon still used on cl 373's...

And in power stations and some sub stations.

Perhaps it would have been more correct to say that production of Halon is banned, not the use of it.

I distinctly recall my classroom trainer saying it WASN'T Halon on a 60, but he could have been wrong.

 

[carriageline]

Unless you work for NR Wessex. One of the benefits for the NR staff and the alliance with SWT.

Yes, this keeps getting bought up lol!

 

[jopsuk]

I wouldn't want to be in an enclosed compartment with any fire fighting as- the way they work is by asphyxiating the fire. Anything that can asphyxiate a fire will asphyxiate you!

 

[dcsprior]

I wouldn't want to be in an enclosed compartment with any fire fighting as- the way they work is by asphyxiating the fire. Anything that can asphyxiate a fire will asphyxiate you!

Also, they're released at a great speed. A former colleague of mine was in a server room when the Inergen gas was released due to a system fault - he had ringing in his ears for a few days after that.

 

[carriageline]

It's only come to my attention since I left my precious employment, that systems like that should be disabled before working in comms rooms. I have worked in a few that never had the system isolated, very big companies they were too, doing data cabling!

 

[Feathers44]

My first real job involved installing airport RADAR systems and I always remember when working in the control tower at Frankfurt the local engineering manager being at great pains to make sure we understood to leave the door wedged open. Apparently, if we tripped the halon system, chances were that we wouldn't be around long enough to get the door open and get out.

They didn't disable the system for us...