Recent content by axlecounter

Either the “have you ever hit someone/does it happen often” question or the “why are trains always late” (particularly from relatives! :'() one. “Is it difficult” does come up too.

Another rule is that there is no rule. :D While there have been various designation systems consistent within themselves, some more lasting than others (the well known Xy #/#), there's never been a nationwide clear and defined system. Even within SBB, today more than ever...

Wait, do you up there hear the conversation between calling driver and signaller or just sound and message? I made one in 10 years, because of trespassers. Heard a handful, a couple of bad ones, following suicides and a very funny one. Someone in the cab accidentally pressed the button and...

Who knows. Surely on dry rail FLIRTs can get up to speed really fast. And actually the driver can’t use the real full power the train could. When they came from the factory they could accelerate considerably faster, then the software was modified to get (slightly) softer accellerations.

I’m surprised nobody has yet answered “Ghostbusters!”. To serious things: we visited a ROC during training, it was fascinating but we didn’t have the slightest idea of what we were seeing, nothing’s ever useless of course, but a visit there at that stage was really close to useless. Fast...

It apparently rolled away unbraked.

Where is this one?

My problem is that we have a base annual roster but in that you just merely can see when you‘re off. Firstly it’s just half-filled, so the other half is sort of “spare“ shifts which will become whatever shift later on. And second any shift can change up to 3 days before, so you can’t just...

I'm currently trying to step into the future (:lol:) and use a calendar app to keep track of my work+family schedule. Apparently isn't as easy as I thought. Normal calendar apps don't seem to like much a driver's schedule (ie a shift ending after midnight gets split between the two days, stuff...

That’s pure genius. :D We are entitled the OT we do. If it’s a minute they’ll pay a minute...

Yes it is. It’s a short tunnel after the westwards exit of the Furka Tunnel.

When talking about essential sectors, people tend to forget about garbage men...there’s no other sector without them..

P is tilting trains only. A good reason for the two warnings and additional safety distance is that up until 2003, although two-manned, trains didn't have any safety device on board whatsoever (unless you consider RSC, but that was not its purpose and it didn't protect against for example...

A worldwide rule of thumb I believe could be 1 to 2h before/after the first/last train around.

You just kind of learn to live with it. Depending on your psychological and physical (age!) state it works better or...less better. A key rule I try to follow is: if you’re tired, sleep. If you have spare time and don’t know what to do, sleep (messroom is fun, but an hour sleep can save the...