How do driver knowledge rules work for freight/charter?

[renegademaster]

Do they have the same rules as passenger where each driver has to be specifically trained on each route? How are drivers managed in one-off freight/charters that take weird routes, frequent changes?

 

[whoosh]

Used to see West Coast Railways drivers (mostly semi-retired/part time/casual) route learn and refresh quite regularly.

 

[james_the_xv]

Freight tends to have set flows and routes, so driver knowledge is handled in the usual way. Not too sure about charters.

 

[Chingy]

Freight tends to have set flows and routes, so driver knowledge is handled in the usual way. Not too sure about charters.

Commercial freight does yes, however T3 infrastructure trains tend to go here, there & everywhere and often require freight drivers to either RL on passenger trains or for FOC’s to lay on specific route learning locos to “bulk express” learn drivers.

 

[6Gman]

Do they have the same rules as passenger where each driver has to be specifically trained on each route? How are drivers managed in one-off freight/charters that take weird routes, frequent changes?

Yes.

By the use of conductor drivers/guards as necessary. (Which can get very complex - I recall one move in the Manchester area where we had 3 men up front and 3 on the back for various reasons.)

 

[Facing Back]

Yes.

By the use of conductor drivers/guards as necessary. (Which can get very complex - I recall one move in the Manchester area where we had 3 men up front and 3 on the back for various reasons.)

Well at least if the loco broke down you could get out and push...

 

[6Gman]

Well at least if the loco broke down you could get out and push...

To make it even more ridiculous it was a loco and support coach move!

 

[james_the_xv]

Commercial freight does yes, however T3 infrastructure trains tend to go here, there & everywhere and often require freight drivers to either RL on passenger trains or for FOC’s to lay on specific route learning locos to “bulk express” learn drivers.

Interesting, didn’t consider infrastructure trains. Thanks!

 

[Facing Back]

To make it even more ridiculous it was a loco and support coach move!

 

[whoosh]

Interesting, didn’t consider infrastructure trains. Thanks!

West Coast Railways, who I mentioned earlier, are well known for often doing charter trains. However, they also used to route conduct tampers etc. for various engineering works.

 

[DelW]

Most of the rare-track charters that I've been on have had several stops shown on the itinerary as being for crew changes, often because of the need for different route knowledge as the train moves between routes / areas.