Cab rides with signallers

[strange6]

I know there are quite a few experienced and excellent train men on this forum and I was just wondering if any of you had taken a signaller out with you in the cab. What exactly is it that they are looking for and what sort of questions do they ask you, the driver? I would imagine they would be very interested in the views of the driver about which ways they, the signaller, could perhaps make their running that much smoother by, for example, a more managed approach to the control of a particular signal for example.

 

[O L Leigh]

Nope, never. I wish they would come out ocassionally though so they can get a better appreciation of what we see and how we have to react to what they are doing up there in their nice comfy boxes.

O L Leigh

 

[dk1]

Occasionally i have had a signaller ride with me but usually because they are new to a particular route. Never get experienced signallers ride out. On the subject NXEA are now taking conductors around Colchester & Liverpool St boxes on their team brief days. As drivers we only tend to do this whilst going through initial driver training.

 

[driver9000]

Twice. One was a recently passed out signalman the other was an experienced man who had recently transferred from elsewhere. Both times they were seeing how reality corresponded with their panels, they made a few notes on the landmarks we use and some notable signals on the line where conflicting moves are common and delay may occur. I found them interesting to talk to and conversely they found it interesting to see the railway from our perspective.

 

[9K43]

Twice. One was a recently passed out signalman the other was an experienced man who had recently transferred from elsewhere. Both times they were seeing how reality corresponded with their panels, they made a few notes on the landmarks we use and some notable signals on the line where conflicting moves are common and delay may occur. I found them interesting to talk to and conversely they found it interesting to see the railway from our perspective.

I have seen signal men/inspectors on ballast sites where single line working had been put in place.
Also when I was road learning Scarboro to York, we had a Per Way Inspector ride with us as far as Malton.
This was because the track was being pushed on the ballast by using Big engines on the Scarboro to Liverpool jobs.
Before it was mainly light weight DMU sets, with only big engines on the Summer Specials.

 

[Trainbuff]

The last few weekends ( Saturdays only) there has been single line working from Tiverton Loops (Junction) to Tiverton Parkway. The Pilotmen, working in shifts of course, are Exeter Panel signal Box staff. They have to travel in the cab! Albeit for only a short time. However, there is turnaround time of 30 minutes at Tiverton parkway and I am sure there are many conversations as Drivers and pilotman have little to do for this time. I know this is strictly not what you were asking but it is a little aside. Also when training for my current job, I had the opportunity to visit Manchester Power Box and speak to the Signallers. A good learning experience indeed

 

[strange6]

Nope, never. I wish they would come out ocassionally though so they can get a better appreciation of what we see and how we have to react to what they are doing up there in their nice comfy boxes.

O L Leigh

Yes, I was think along those lines before i asked the question. I suppose the biggest advantage would be to learn of any gripes the regular railway people have with the signalling.

 

[Ploughman]

I used to do cab rides all around the North East based out of Leeds between 1990 and 1993.
Anywhere within Stalybridge, Burnley, Carnforth, Carlisle, Newcastle, Sunderland, Scarborough, Hull, Cleethorpes and Sheffield.

Checking for location of lineside scrap.
Overgrowing vegetation.
Updating records for what lineside buildings still existed.
Checking rough ride reports.
Each of these was safer to do from the cab rather than on the ground and the area I could cover in a couple of hours was much greater.
I only needed approx locations referenced to mileposts or structures to produce reports for later action.

 

[TDK]

I know there are quite a few experienced and excellent train men on this forum and I was just wondering if any of you had taken a signaller out with you in the cab. What exactly is it that they are looking for and what sort of questions do they ask you, the driver? I would imagine they would be very interested in the views of the driver about which ways they, the signaller, could perhaps make their running that much smoother by, for example, a more managed approach to the control of a particular signal for example.

Signallers have their own cab passes and I belive they are a purple colour. Signallers are allowed to have cab rides for route familiarisation. I have had a few signallers taking cab rides with me in the past.

 

[GB]

Our company is trying to arrange exchange visists for both signallers and drivers. The easy part is getting drivers into the box at Colchester but it seems the sticking point is Network Rail seem to be unwilling to release signallers for cab rides.

 

[strange6]

Our company is trying to arrange exchange visists for both signallers and drivers. The easy part is getting drivers into the box at Colchester but it seems the sticking point is Network Rail seem to be unwilling to release signallers for cab rides.

What professional advantages of visiting the box does this bring to the driver? Is it just an opportunity to vent one's spleen?

 

[ChrisCooper]

They get to fully appreciate the plush and comfortable surroundings the signaller is sitting in whilst they are standing at a freezing cold SPT in a howling gale on a winter night. It's called seeing how the other half lives.

It's one thing I've tried and sometimes managed to implement in a few of my lines of work, as in so many businesses you end up with a situation where one department doesn't have a clue what goes on in another department. Best ones are where you can actually let people have a go (especially as most times it's a demotion of sorts, in cases where people who are doing a job that is viewed as "below" them turn out to be crap at it, and come away with a different outlook). Can be hard though, both with reluctance to give time off, health and safety and a reluctance to try something new (from both the staff and the management).

 

[GB]

What professional advantages of visiting the box does this bring to the driver? Is it just an opportunity to vent one's spleen?

It allows the driver to see what goes on and why and why certain decisions are made. The same goes for a signaller having a cab ride. It allows them to see the effects of the decisions they make and what a pain in the backside they (the decisions not siggies!) can often be.