I passed train driving assessments a couple of years ago. I have an ONC in mechanical engineering so i thought id breeze the mechanical comprehension test but to be fair, it was no advantage being an engineer. The test was made up of picture questions that weren't as clear or in the same standard as real engineering diagrams so if anything it made it more tricky.
I think if you're not from an engineering background youd be just as well prepared if you googled some of the test pictures and taught yourself to pass the test rather than a crash course in engineering etc.
Likewise with the ONC and did a 4 year apprenticeship as a fitter/turner. Did a lot of CNC programming & setting after that. Any engineering course that is less than a full apprenticeship is in my opinion missing stuff out, a bit like doing a quick course to be a driver and not covering everything that would need to be learned which 1 day has the potential to leave you completely stumped.
The only thing that I see as any kind of relevance from engineering really is that depending on what you was manufacturing in some jobs a high level of concentration, accuracy & attentiveness is required. Also it can be a dangerous environment so safety has to be adhered to although in a different context to on the railways, more a case of personal safety really and in many instances something that you have to take on yourself as the industry is rife with factories that view you as completely expendable and have little to no regard for your safety or welfare.
when I've looked at railo engineering jobs I've looked at wheel lathe jobs but outside of that I've not really seen anything else that relevant to my previous skills. Maybe someone on here can point out jobs that would utilise those kind of skills ?
I believe some of the track maintenance vehicles have machining capablities?
so my impression is that those fellas will be machinists that have then become drivers ? or am i barking up the wrong tree there with that assumption ?
