Driver hydration in hot weather (?)

[Howardh]

Asking as I have no idea - what drinks are drivers allowed in their cab; particulary thinking hydration when on the move at up to 125mph and the risk of spillage/loss of concentration/having hands available? Are there places where cups and bottles can be safely stored when drinking?

In winter can a driver have a flask of coffee and utilise even when on the move?

Sorry if it's an obvious question but it intrigues me!

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Pretty much any drink you want- most guards will usually offer to bring a drink. Can be water, tea, coffee, Pepsi, etc...

To be honest, I don’t think there is that much risk of dehydration as the 390s and 221s have excellent air conditioning systems so it is usually super cool in the cab.

Edit: Of course, not the same on all traction.

 

[ArchieWoodbine]

I'm not a driver myself, but based on my experience of being in an HST cab:

• Drivers/train staff riding in train itself behind may bring the driver tea/drinks at station stops.
  
• In winter, I've seen lots of drivers with flasks etc., which hasn't caused any issue.
  
• In an HST cab, there's a neat spot right below the AWS 'sunflower', in the centre of the instrument panel, to place drinks.
  
• It depends on the driver and their confidence, but generally drivers will wait for a quiet moment before taking a drink, i.e. when they know there's unlikely to be an 'on' signal ahead and away from junctions.
  
• I've also seen drivers at smaller stations, where the stop-board is a few dozen yards off the end of the platform, taking care of certain bodily functions relating to staying hydrated!

In short - no, it's not an issue. A good driver should be able to balance their hydration, concentration and toilet needs accordingly. It becomes a slightly harder on longer stints, I suppose.

 

[Howardh]

Thanks for those replies. If there was a *ban* on drinks for safety reasons - as alluded to spillages on the controls - that could be countered by the risk of drivers simply passing out on a long stretch. Glad to see common sense prevails, when I drove a lorry I had a flask full of icy water supped when stationary.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Thanks for those replies. If there was a *ban* on drinks for safety reasons - as alluded to spillages on the controls - that could be countered by the risk of drivers simply passing out on a long stretch. Glad to see common sense prevails, when I drove a lorry I had a flask full of icy water supped when stationary.

I don’t know if you are officially allowed to do so but many drivers even eat in the cab. Obviously, pick a good moment before retrieving items from your bag as Archie pointed out.

 

[GB]

Except for alcohol, there is no industry wide rule or law saying what you can or cannot drink or eat in the cab...that will be up to each companies policy and discretion. On the freight side we have a hot plate which I have seen people cook food and boil water on. There is (or should be) a good supply of bottled water provided as well.

 

[CC 72100]

Pretty much any drink you want- most guards will usually offer to bring a drink. Can be water, tea, coffee, Pepsi, etc...

To be honest, I don’t think there is that much risk of dehydration as the 390s and 221s have excellent air conditioning systems so it is usually super cool in the cab.

Just remember that not all traction has the above, and not all services have sufficient dwell times or the staffing levels for other members of staff to bring drinks etc - not all drivers have those luxuries!


To the OP: There is a certain amount of free desk space (and then the 2nd man's side) available in all cabs - obviously varies by traction - on which you can rest a bottle with a cap or a thermos style mug, especially if the latter has a non-slip base that grips to the desk.

You can also keep a bottle of water etc. in the side pocket of your bag, and then take a sip from this during station dwell times - 20 seconds is even sufficient. Just remember too that there are relatively few times when both hands are required (there is nothing that you would have to 'hold in' for an extended periods of time) so you're always likely to have at least 1 hand free.

 

[SPADTrap]

Always a few bottles of water jiggling about in my HST cab.

 

[Howardh]

Has there ever been a case of a sipllage and some electrical short-circuit resulting?

 

[driver_m]

No restriction on eating either, other than to use your judgement when to get stuck into something. Negotiating somewhere like New St isn't the smartest place to chow down, nor eating whilst encountering a number of yellow aspects, that kind of thing. As for drinking, the main problem is not so much what you can drink, more when you need to get rid of it! Probably the main disadvantage of being on Long Distance work, as opposed to short or freight work .

 

[Dieseldriver]

Pretty much any drink you want- most guards will usually offer to bring a drink. Can be water, tea, coffee, Pepsi, etc...

To be honest, I don’t think there is that much risk of dehydration as the 390s and 221s have excellent air conditioning systems so it is usually super cool in the cab.

Not much risk of dehydration due to excellent air conditioning systems? I think you need to spend time in other cabs during the summer months if you truly think our cab environments are so luxurious. A 66 in the number 2 end on a hot summers day would be a good start...

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Not much risk of dehydration due to excellent air conditioning systems in 390s and 221s ? I think you need to spend time in other cabs during the summer months if you truly think our cab environments are so luxurious. A 66 in the number 2 end on a hot summers day would be a good start...

Yes, I understand that which is why I specifically mentioned traction that I will add again in the quoted post. I have been told about the old locos we used to have and how hot it was in the cab. Of course, I can only speak for the train cabs I go in regularly and I am not speaking for all traction.

If you are willing to give me a cab ride on a 66, will do

 

[apk55]

I would expect most drivers desks to be be reasonably water resistant and be able to continue operating even if a cup or even a bucket of water was poured over it ie IP44 rating or higher. Aircraft pilots controls certainly are.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I would expect most drivers desks to be be reasonably water resistant and be able to continue operating even if a cup or even a bucket of water was poured over it ie IP44 rating or higher. Aircraft pilots controls certainly are.

I first misread that as 'I would expect most drivers to be reasonably water resistant'

 

[scotraildriver]

A major contributing factor in the Southall crash was the AWS being isolated in the leading power car, allegedly after tea had been spilled onto it. There are stricter procedures now though if that should happen.

 

[Howardh]

I first misread that as 'I would expect most drivers to be reasonably water resistant'

A necessity if they are driving a pacer

 

[12guard4]

Driver can drink whatever they take with them. Or get a drink on board if the service has catering.
Alot of cabs have some form of cup holder in them. It isn't difficult to drink on the move plenty of opprtunity. I eat as well as drink.

 

[Kneedown]

A necessity if they are driving a pacer

Or a gangwayed Sprinter!

 

[Bromley boy]

Asking as I have no idea - what drinks are drivers allowed in their cab; particulary thinking hydration when on the move at up to 125mph and the risk of spillage/loss of concentration/having hands available? Are there places where cups and bottles can be safely stored when drinking?

In winter can a driver have a flask of coffee and utilise even when on the move?

Sorry if it's an obvious question but it intrigues me!

In this weather a cup of ridiculously strong tea with two (or more) teabags is mandatory.

Teabags can be either slung out while on the move or neatly dropped onto the ever growing tea bag mounds which can be found at frequently red signals, and country end of terminal platforms.

 

[DarloRich]

For the op- can you drive your car without crashing while having a drink?

How many electrical issues do you have in the car caused by you spilling your water or coffee?

It is probably zero. Why would a train driver be any different?

I can't imagine any employer would seek to prohibit employees having refreshment in this kind of weather. It helps people concentrate on their jobs

 

[Bromley boy]

It is probably zero. Why would a train driver be any different?

Actually even less risky to drink or eat when driving a train since, as we hopefully all know, you don’t actually have to steer .

The comments above about doing it at the right time are accurate, though. SPADding or hitting buffer stops, and telling your manager you were distracted by brewing your tea/eating a sarnie, would be a career limiting move for sure.

 

[johntea]

On a similar thread, I was quite surprised to see a Northern guard wearing shorts the other day! Are they a uniform option or did he just decide to stick his own on? (Actually I couldn't quite tell if he had just rolled up his trousers!)

It must be hard work running up and down a hot and sweaty pacer all day without much air circulation flowing!

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

On a similar thread, I was quite surprised to see a Northern guard wearing shorts the other day! Are they a uniform option or did he just decide to stick his own on? (Actually I couldn't quite tell if he had just rolled up his trousers!)

It must be hard work running up and down a hot and sweaty pacer all day without much air circulation flowing!

In the current hot spell the saloon of a Pacer is a much better place to be than the rear cab, the ventilation is awful. Seemingly the aerodynamics of the cab ends allow a certain amount of air flow through opened side windows in the leading cab but almost none in the rear cab! And all those opened hopper windows provide more air flow for standees (including a perambulating conductor) than the poor souls in the seats. As to the issue of hydration it has been recognised for some time that the maintenance of good concentration is considerably aided by effective hydration so no manager is going to object to any safety critical staff doing whatever necessary to take on suitable fluids.

 

[Bromley boy]

In the current hot spell the saloon of a Pacer is a much better place to be than the rear cab, the ventilation is awful.

Is there no cab aircon?

I spoke to a GTR driver today who was complaining about how the cab aircon had failed at one end of his 455. 455s are (slightly) older than pacers I believe.

EDIT: Or is it there, but doesn’t work without a key on? That’s an issue in our units, also.

 

[mmh]

GTR's 455s only had cab aircon fitted when the cab ends were rebuilt about, guessing here, about 10 years ago, when the end gangway doors were removed. The southwest ones didn't have the front rebuilt and the doors (which I don't think have ever been used) stayed - don't know if they got aircon, but they weren't built with it

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Is there no cab aircon?

I spoke to a GTR driver today who was complaining about how the cab aircon had failed at one end of his 455. 455s are (slightly) older than pacers I believe.

EDIT: Or is it there, but doesn’t work without a key on? That’s an issue in our units, also.

Well that made me laugh! Pacers are buses on rails and only used where Westminster/Whitehall types don't have to see them... cab air con indeed.

 

[Bromley boy]

GTR's 455s only had cab aircon fitted when the cab ends were rebuilt about, guessing here, about 10 years ago, when the end gangway doors were removed. The southwest ones didn't have the front rebuilt and the doors (which I don't think have ever been used) stayed - don't know if they got aircon, but they weren't built with it

Great info, thanks (posts like that are why I like this forum).

For what it’s worth 465/466 cab aircon is pretty effective, but seriously noisy - like sitting next to a hoover on full blast! It also tends to overheat and shut down when it’s very hot, as it was today. Having to drop the nearside window at every station to dispatch doesn’t help.

I gave up in the end and made do with both windows open.

 

[Bromley boy]

Well that made me laugh! Pacers are buses on rails and only used where Westminster/Whitehall types don't have to see them... cab air con indeed.

Fair point. I guess it’s generally cooler oop north (as well as grim ).*

30 degrees and no aircon?! I’d seriously consider failing the train - “wasp dispenser” vents aren’t good enough (I can see that it might be difficult to defend that if aircon isn’t installed in the first place ).

*then again, at least you have guards.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Fair point. I guess it’s generally cooler oop north (as well as grim ).*

30 degrees and no aircon?! I’d seriously consider failing the train - “wasp dispenser” vents aren’t good enough (I can see that it might be difficult to defend that if aircon isn’t installed in the first place ).

*then again, at least you have guards.

Point of order: North West England and North Wales have had the highest temperatures in the country a couple of times recently. And I believe the local drought is on a par with what has become normal in parts of Kent complete with rivers failing to flow. Not only is a hosepipe ban imminent, we even have our own wild fires: I have been able to see the smoke plumes from both Saddleworth and Winter Hill fires this week.

 

[mmh]

Well that made me laugh! Pacers are buses on rails and only used where Westminster/Whitehall types don't have to see them... cab air con indeed.

I understand the sentiment, but it's perfectly possible for a non aircon train to have cab aircon, quite a lot do!