1st Day as a newbie train driver

[strange6]

I was just wondering if your first day in the cab unsupervised is a bit like going out in your car on your own for the first time? Nervous or just professional enough to get on with the job?

 

[Daniel]

It's described as your "sweat day" on the Underground, for perhaps obvious reasons...

 

[scotsman]

I was just wondering if your first day in the cab unsupervised is a bit like going out in your car on your own for the first time? Nervous or just professional enough to get on with the job?

Haven't a clue, although O L Leigh's blog suggests a mixture - you know what you're doing, it's just remembering it all - I wouldn't like to speak on his behalf though

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Haven't a clue, although O L Leigh's blog suggests a mixture - you know what you're doing, it's just remembering it all - I wouldn't like to speak on his behalf though

you can always spot a newbie....(no offence to newbie drivers) they brake too early, triple check everything and are always 10 minutes late.

if it was me I would be EXACTLY the same for a few days!

 

[pendolino]

I was just wondering if your first day in the cab unsupervised is a bit like going out in your car on your own for the first time? Nervous or just professional enough to get on with the job?

Bit of both for me. But to be honest I found my first day with a DI more nerve racking. Doing 225 hours (which is quite a long time, although it doesn't sound that much) with a DI meant that I was fairly comfortable with driving once my first day solo came around.

Oh, and all my trains ran to time on my first day, ANorthernGuard!

 

[strange6]

you can always spot a newbie....(no offence to newbie drivers) they brake too early, triple check everything and are always 10 minutes late.

if it was me I would be EXACTLY the same for a few days!

Going off that then, she was a veteran. On-time, braked near to perfection (especially coming to a halt) and got maximum speed up to Bolton which is not easy in a 142
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Bit of both for me. But to be honest I found my first day with a DI more nerve racking. Doing 225 hours (which is quite a long time, although it doesn't sound that much) with a DI meant that I was fairly comfortable with driving once my first day solo came around.

Oh, and all my trains ran to time on my first day, ANorthernGuard!

I suppose you're very familiar with the unit by then. Not like a car where you can pass the test quite quickly with very few supervision hours.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

oops sorry typo, we don't call them newbies......Microwaves are their nick lol

its like anything when its your 1st time (well almost) until you relax and realise this is what the 8 months or so training has set you up for you are bound to be slightly ahem bricking it, as long as you don't have a major incident on your 1st trip (it has been known) day 2 is normally alot better
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Going off that then, she was a veteran. On-time, braked near to perfection (especially coming to a halt) and got maximum speed up to Bolton which is not easy in a 142
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I suppose you're very familiar with the unit by then. Not like a car where you can pass the test quite quickly with very few supervision hours.[/QUOTE

Guards like myself tend to know the usual braking spots, confuses the heck out of us when we feel the brakes kicking in at an unusual spot (until we realise the reason) lol

 

[pendolino]

I suppose you're very familiar with the unit by then. Not like a car where you can pass the test quite quickly with very few supervision hours.

It's not so much the unit(s) as being confident in your route knowledge.

its like anything when its your 1st time (well almost) until you relax and realise this is what the 8 months or so training has set you up for you are bound to be slightly ahem bricking it, as long as you don't have a major incident on your 1st trip (it has been known) day 2 is normally alot better

Yes, I must admit to being very grateful I had no faults to rectify or signals to pass at danger etc. on my first few days.

 

[strange6]

It's not so much the unit(s) as being confident in your route knowledge.

When I do my day's course driving an heritage DMU in July, I'll probably get some comparable feelings. I'm looking forward to it so much apart from one thing: Vacuum brakes. Very nervous about these

 

[scotsman]

When I do my day's course driving an heritage DMU in July, I'll probably get some comparable feelings. I'm looking forward to it so much apart from one thing: Vacuum brakes. Very nervous about these

Oh well, if we're bring Driver experiences into it - I wasn't nervous in the slightest! I had a very competent Driver and Secondman (likely a Driver as well) up in the cab with me. I knew that if I did as I was told, I'd be be fine - and I was! Second time was just as good, with the addition of one of my best mates filming it for evidence!

 

[strange6]

Oh well, if we're bring Driver experiences into it - I wasn't nervous in the slightest! I had a very competent Driver and Secondman (likely a Driver as well) up in the cab with me. I knew that if I did as I was told, I'd be be fine - and I was! Second time was just as good, with the addition of one of my best mates filming it for evidence!

I'm going to stick myself on you-tube after much editing!

 

[scotsman]

I'm going to stick myself on you-tube after much editing!

My video was pretty naff, since it was a dark 2nd January day - I just bunged it up on Facebook!

 

[OxtedL]

I'm going to stick myself on you-tube after much editing!

Sounds painful!

 

[Rugd1022]

I was rostered as spare for my very first solo driving turn so thought I'd be sitting about in the cabin watching telly and supping tea the whole shift. Within an hour the phone went and I was off light engine in dense fog to assist my mate who'd failed down at Wembley. A day I doubt I'll ever forget

 

[FLHH East Anglia]

Vacuum brakes. Very nervous about these

nothing to worry about,unless you have a lot,but i should imagine it will be two,peace of cake

 

[strange6]

I was rostered as spare for my very first solo driving turn so thought I'd be sitting about in the cabin watching telly and supping tea the whole shift. Within an hour the phone went and I was off light engine in dense fog to assist my mate who'd failed down at Wembley. A day I doubt I'll ever forget

But the smiley indicates a pleasant memory Quite a baptism of fire in heavy fog!

 

[Bon Accord]

To recall the first time I was out on my own firing on a long distance run, I was actually more concerned as to whether my stamina would be upto it.
As it turned out, I was a wee bit over keen and managed fine - we blew off on about half a dozen occasions. The Driver found this and my watching the gauge glass like a hawk to be the source of much amusement, that was until we blew off at slow speed in a tunnel.
He was not a happy chappy...........

 

[strange6]

To recall the first time I was out on my own firing on a long distance run, I was actually more concerned as to whether my stamina would be upto it.
As it turned out, I was a wee bit over keen and managed fine - we blew off on about half a dozen occasions. The Driver found this and my watching the gauge glass like a hawk to be the source of much amusement, that was until we blew off at slow speed in a tunnel.
He was not a happy chappy...........

jeez, that must have been a hard job back then. Did a lot of firemen suffer from bad backs in later years?

 

[Bon Accord]

I'm not sure about that, probably not so much as Firemen were generally a very fit bunch, or at least if you weren't to start of with you soon would be!
Plus of course most of this activity took place in their late teens/twenties/early 30s, whereupon you normally ascended the greasy pole to Driver.
I do it for fun these days, however it's not my back I have a problem with, it's my (underused) chest/shoulder muscles!

 

[GearJammer]

however it's not my back I have a problem with, it's my (underused) chest/shoulder muscles!

My dad was an ex Eastleigh fireman, he last worked a steam loco when he was in his very early 20's, i recall being up the Mid-hants when he was in his mid to late 50's when another ex Eastleigh man who was fireing the loco (Bodmin if i recall correctly) invited him to use the shovel for old time sake, dad dispite his age had no problem with his back, or his chest/shoulder muscles....... however, his aim at the firebox was somewhat rusty with several swings crashing against the firebox doors and coal going all over the foot plate!

 

[notadriver]

Anorthernguard - have you considered going for a drivers job?

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Anorthernguard - have you considered going for a drivers job?

thought about it but i'm too much of a people person, I like the interaction with the pax (most of the time) wouldn't mind the money tho lol

 

[notadriver]

They say the safety critical role of guards is being threatened. Go for it before it's too late !

 

[ANorthernGuard]

They say the safety critical role of guards is being threatened. Go for it before it's too late !

They have been saying it for about 30 years, it will come but not for a good while yet, areas like DfGM etc demand guards on there services that they subsidise and that will not change for a long long time, everytime it even gets mentioned there is usually an accident somewhere on the network (sad but true) that reinforces the need for a guard, I have no doubt it will come but in the North West not for a very very long time

 

[185]

My best mate on his first day he became a driver had a corker.

I was made a manager at around the same time. I was on the back portion of two 158s which had just been split in the station, and my mate, on his very first day, was driving the front bit off on a service. I was walking through the back one, just making sure everyone was off and BANG! - I'm lying on the floor.

He had set off with the faulty fwd/rev direction switch in reverse!!! Not really his fault, just crap maintenance by FilthGroup. Me the platform staff, two guards and a cleaner all made sure that one got covered up. Had a stinking headache and a black eye for the rest of the shift

 

[strange6]

My best mate on his first day he became a driver had a corker.

I was made a manager at around the same time. I was on the back portion of two 158s which had just been split in the station, and my mate, on his very first day, was driving the front bit off on a service. I was walking through the back one, just making sure everyone was off and BANG! - I'm lying on the floor.

He had set off with the faulty fwd/rev direction switch in reverse!!! Not really his fault, just crap maintenance by FilthGroup. Me the platform staff, two guards and a cleaner all made sure that one got covered up. Had a stinking headache and a black eye for the rest of the shift

Something like that must really knock your confidence for a good few days

 

[185]

Nah, he's always trying to make out he's the number one driver in the depot, so it's hours of fun winding him up over it

 

[TDK]

On my first day driving a train in passenger service the first thing I had to do was split a 456 off the front of a 6 car and then take it from Purley to Tattenham corner in leaf fall, in the dark as well I cra**ed myself for the first half hour but after that was OK, I kept time and also made no mistakes from there on in I was fine, you can compare to driving your car for the first time after passing your test but with a train you obviously have a lot more people on board

 

[Scotrail84]

oops sorry typo, we don't call them newbies......Microwaves are their nick lol


Boil in the baggers and brainwashed as they say..........

 

[adc82140]

I know it's not remotely like driving for a TOC/FOC in full service, but I drove a Class 205 Thumper on a driver experience day on a heritage railway not that long ago. I can say for the first few minutes I really was bricking it!!

I guess my instructor would have been able to stop the train in an instant if things had gone a bit wrong, but my heart was in my mouth.

One thing the instructor told me was that anyone can drive a train, but it takes an expert to stop one- I'd definitely agree with that.

It really was a great day out though- the Mid-Hants is AFAIK the only preserved railway with colour light signals and TPWS.