Are drivers/guards expected to know the units in their consist?

[DasLunatic]

I took myself for a spot of trainspotting this morning, and I couldn't see the unit numbers from my position. I asked the guard what units were on the service, and he said he "didn't know". Aren't drivers and staff onboard the train meant to know this - for example, what if there is a fault on a rearwards unit and the driver doesn't know the unit number?

 

[Mintona]

There's no requirement to know what units are in your consist, no. If there is a fault then you walk back and look.

 

[Monty]

There's no requirement to know what units are in your consist, no. If there is a fault then you walk back and look.

As Mintona said there is no actual requirement to know, though I personally do make a habit of noting down what units I have when train working.

 

[Johncleesefan]

Echoing the above although you do need to know traction types in the formation to know if gangwayed and slowest speed in formation and any route clearance issues

 

[Bromley boy]

I took myself for a spot of trainspotting this morning, and I couldn't see the unit numbers from my position. I asked the guard what units were on the service, and he said he "didn't know". Aren't drivers and staff onboard the train meant to know this - for example, what if there is a fault on a rearwards unit and the driver doesn't know the unit number?

By "unit" I assume you mean number rather than class of unit?

No reason why they would know the unit and vehicle numbers off the top of their heads, worrying if they didn't know the class of the units they were working.

I would usually only note specific unit and vehicle numbers if I needed to report a fault, but I would always know the class of unit I was working.

 

[Phil.]

Consist? Please, this is Great Britain. It's the train formation on this side of the pond.

 

[GB]

Consist? Please, this is Great Britain. It's the train formation on this side of the pond.

Consist is a perfectly adequate term which is used officially in various places on UK railways.

 

[ComUtoR]

I Mitrac

 

[TEW]

Personally I always note down the numbers of the units I'm working. Useful to have them to hand if you need to report any faults or write any reports.

 

[bramling]

I took myself for a spot of trainspotting this morning, and I couldn't see the unit numbers from my position. I asked the guard what units were on the service, and he said he "didn't know". Aren't drivers and staff onboard the train meant to know this - for example, what if there is a fault on a rearwards unit and the driver doesn't know the unit number?

The only time a driver would really pay much notice of the unit number is if he happens to notice a particular number and remember that number as having given him trouble in the past. Otherwise only really used for reporting purposes.

 

[DasLunatic]

By "unit" I assume you mean number rather than class of unit?

I did, yes.