In-cab bugbears

[dk1]

The flipping loud ‘train length reached’ bleeps every time we accidentally double tap the DSD pedal on 745/755s. Does my head in.

 

[physics34]

A bit of fun! Name something on any stock you drive that irks you, through poor design or otherwise.

I'll start - the location of the GSMR on a 377 means I accidentally call the signaller at least once a fortnight whilst keying off

Yep ha ha i do that

 

[choochoochoo]

The Toilet Full warning on the Train Management System as your blasting along at 100mph (or approaching a red) on a 387 used to annoy me when I drove them. - It can't wait until I'm at a stand to tell me this ?

I hate that I can't put the DRA in on the move on 700/717s !! Who thought it would be a good idea to link brake action to the DRA ?

 

[wobman]

+1.
Add to that, fingermarks and footprints etc on the windscreen, right in your line of sight.

I'm baffled how some traincrew actually get there feet on the screen, they must be contortionists to get there feet that high.

I book it as a fault in the book, this then gets recorded by maintenance and I pass the slips onto my DTM as its dangerous to effect a drivers visibility

 

[ChilternTurbo]

But far worse than the 170s is the shocking ergonomic design of the 158s. We start with the world most uncomfortable seat design - the options are sitting uncomfortably close to the desk, with your knees jammed against a poorly located panel under the desk or miles away, with an awkward lip on the desk ready to smash your kneecaps if you move too quickly.

I would be worried about the long term effects of having to adopt such poor posture. As someone who's had back issues exacerbated by poor seating at work (not in a railway environment) I am now very conscious of posture and seating ergonomics.

 

[185]

i) Emergency stop plunger on secondmans side of 175s - so many times it gets knocked...
ii) Cab litter, whilst all are responsible, primarily is from one depot at our firm.
iii) Any springloaded Desiro cab window that flies upward and knocks your chin out.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Not a driver, but having been in an 802 cab, the offset secondman’s seat has a fairly rubbish view out the front, driver training must be hard! Same on the 395s as well

Our HCMT's have a useful feature from the OJT seat. The windscreen wiper blocks the view from the seat when it's parked to the right.

They did a modification so the there's now two park positions. Middle and Right.

https://i.imgur.com/jIUuwXP.jpg

 

[fgwrich]

Cab doors on Class 31s that swell and warp in the heat and subsequently allow you to be stuck in the cab, the stupid seat positions in Class 20 cabs, and the absolutely irritating cab desk in class 37s* - I mean who thought it would be a good idea to put the horn leaver by your kneecaps?

*the DRS Refurbished Cab Desks were somewhat better, but then ruined by putting in the draught proofing / sound reduction wall between the cab door and the back of the seat, which then made the cabs feel smaller and slight claustrophobic.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Jun 2022 ==

i) Emergency stop plunger on secondmans side of 175s - so many times it gets knocked...
ii) Cab litter, whilst all are responsible, primarily is from one depot at our firm.
iii) Any springloaded Desiro cab window that flies upward and knocks your chin out.

Argh, litter. The bane of our ‘job cars’ too. Usually from the night shift, usually empty McDonald’s wrappers / various protein products etc. Utter laziness! Never happened on my watch thankfully!

 

[Towers]

Lack of the usual lifting cover over the 'Red Button' on the GSMR on some stock; asking for trouble!

Apalling design of the secondman's seat on a 165/166.

 

[Ken H]

I would be worried about the long term effects of having to adopt such poor posture. As someone who's had back issues exacerbated by poor seating at work (not in a railway environment) I am now very conscious of posture and seating ergonomics.

The fuss made about posture in the office needs to be transferred to drivers cabs, maybe?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Apalling design of the secondman's seat on a 165/166.

Oh my it’s awful. I never use it.
On 159s the emergency brake plunger on the guards desk. In their early days when guards had Sportis machines they’d put the case on the desk, open it and end up pressing the plunger.

 

[Mowgli]

The 745/755 cab is so big, yet somehow there is no space to swing a cat.

Indeed. It's like an inverse Tardis. Amazing how you have to swivel the seat to a certain angle to get out of the cab.

 

[Ken H]

This thread brings back a bit on TV news about 'clapped out' diesels (actually Cl 47's before HST on East coast). The cabs were so draughty at speed the driver wore a big plastic bag on his legs to keep warm.

 

[Efini92]

Spring loaded windows on 150’s. You never know if you’re going to get your chin chopped.

 

[387star]

Various buttons falling off on Turbos hazard tape keeping panels together and the door release signal button and horn being in awkward positions

 

[Mat17]

The cab to saloon doors on 1st gen DMUs, trying to get out of the cab when the passengers put their feet or luggage over the runners. Have to nudge the door open enough to ask them to move, but this is often just enough to whack them with the door.

 

[ChilternTurbo]

The fuss made about posture in the office needs to be transferred to drivers cabs, maybe?

I absolutely think so. I did consult my union safety rep but my employer was very proactive in their work station assessment for both home and the office and suitable adaptions were made. The pain of sciatica was absolutely excruciating and bad posture and poor ergonomics need to be addressed.

A friend of mine is a traffic officer and when his force changed their cars from Volvo to BMW he started suffering from persistent back pain. I believe their current fleet has better lumbar support but are still not as comfortable as the Volvos. I do think that hours spent driving in an uncomfortable position and in an unsupportive seat is storing up future issues, whether it's a car or train.

 

[ComUtoR]

The fuss made about posture in the office needs to be transferred to drivers cabs, maybe?

I absolutely think so.

We have Cab Ergonomics Assessments at my TOC

 

[dan4291]

Trying to find the windscreen wiper switch in the dark, very irritating!

 

[Mowgli]

Guards who lower every single sunblind in the cab so every window is fully obscured. When we change ends the cab is in darkness. It obviously doesn't take long to raise them all again but it winds me up. It may make their Netflix viewing easier but are they expecting me to drive the train like that? I find it a bit inconsiderate.

 

[43096]

Guards who lower every single sunblind in the cab so every window is fully obscured. When we change ends the cab is in darkness. It obviously doesn't take long to raise them all again but it winds me up. It may make their Netflix viewing easier but are they expecting me to drive the train like that? I find it a bit inconsiderate.

They may of course be doing it to keep the cab in the shade and prevent the cab getting even warmer from direct sun. You'd moan about it being too hot, I bet!

 

[Ashley Hill]

Guards who lower every single sunblind in the cab so every window is fully obscured. When we change ends the cab is in darkness. It obviously doesn't take long to raise them all again but it winds me up. It may make their Netflix viewing easier but are they expecting me to drive the train like that? I find it a bit inconsiderate.

Drivers who lower the blinds when changing ends to keep the sun out and cab cooler for when they change ends again.

 

[dgl]

This thread brings back a bit on TV news about 'clapped out' diesels (actually Cl 47's before HST on East coast). The cabs were so draughty at speed the driver wore a big plastic bag on his legs to keep warm.

I believe that was the Channel 4 programm that looked into the introduction of the 91's and the chaos that the "wrong type of snow" caused. Obviously using 47's for traction instead of 91's

 

[ComUtoR]

319s could lose interlock if another train went past it. Going through a tunnel, or just a strong gust of wind would do it. They were seriously draughty cabs, but like a greenhouse in the summer !

 

[172007]

Deleted

 

[Mowgli]

They may of course be doing it to keep the cab in the shade and prevent the cab getting even warmer from direct sun. You'd moan about it being too hot, I bet!

No - they are doing it to prevent glare when they are watching ****e on their tablet!

 

[Wyrleybart]

Not a driver, but having been in an 802 cab, the offset secondman’s seat has a fairly rubbish view out the front, driver training must be hard! Same on the 395s as well

The last few generations of passenger cabs have this issue and I don't know why ASLEF accept them.
Although UK trains are de facto single driver operation, there are also so many needs for a second seat in the cab. These vary from traction training and route learning to assessments, pass outs, pilot working, line examination etc etc. Yet ASLEF seem to sign off cab after cab as fit for use whn the majority of task mentioned cannot really be achieved satisfactorily.
You don't ever see a rather pisspoor "aecondman's" seat in an aeroplane cockpit do you ?

 

[fgwrich]

319s could lose interlock if another train went past it. Going through a tunnel, or just a strong gust of wind would do it. They were seriously draughty cabs, but like a greenhouse in the summer !

I have to say I'm a little surprised (but not surprised!) by this, there's a video on Youtube of a GWR 769 being rescued by another, and as it moves off at Maidenhead the back cab door is fully open - I'd have thought that would have cut the interlock out?

 

[ComUtoR]

I have to say I'm a little surprised (but not surprised!) by this, there's a video on Youtube of a GWR 769 being rescued by another, and as it moves off at Maidenhead the back cab door is fully open - I'd have thought that would have cut the interlock out?

You can isolate the traction interlock loop. And you can isolate the brakes so maybe it was being haulled in some way.

I would hope that during their conversion, many 319 issues were addressed.

 

[craigybagel]

But far worse than the 170s is the shocking ergonomic design of the 158s. We start with the world most uncomfortable seat design - the options are sitting uncomfortably close to the desk, with your knees jammed against a poorly located panel under the desk or miles away, with an awkward lip on the desk ready to smash your kneecaps if you move too quickly.
Next add a poorly placed heater, the draws air into the cab from next to the bin, giving a unique "eau de 158".
Add a vestibule door with poor water seals, guaranteeing you bag a nice wash should it start to rain.
To top it off, we have zero lumbar support, to make sure your couple of hours on the unit are truly one you won't forget.

This. People talk about how uncomfortable 153 cabs are, but 158s are even worse. There are several depots around the country where drivers don't drive any other units, and I don't know how they cope - 2 hours on a 158 is enough to cause physical pain!

That said, they're still nicer units to drive than a 153, especially if it's your last trip of the day and you're going home. The lack of power and slow brake release can make for a pretty miserable driving experience.

The worst thing about being one of the first drivers at our TOC to do training on our brand new traction is that having seen the light as to how comfortable a cab can be, I've had to spend the months since back on our existing fleet counting down the days till I can be truly comfortable again......