Messrooms

[jon0844]

To be fair its very different and more friendly now adays. There are just still a few old school guys around who try to run the messrooms (I guess mainly because they were at the bottom of the pile when it really was like that and now want their turn at the top) but most places are a lot more friendly and most people won't stand for those who think they own the messroom.

It's like how passengers try and reserve the best seats/tables on the trains! Do/did drivers put their bags on seats and spread out to use up all seats around a table?!

 

[A-driver]

It's like how passengers try and reserve the best seats/tables on the trains! Do/did drivers put their bags on seats and spread out to use up all seats around a table?!

Not really-everyone's normally pretty sociable. When you spend most of the day on your own locked in a cab you normally want a chat in the messroom.

 

[W230]

Hey, I talk, wave whatever to anyone, even FCC.

Give me a wave when i'm next at Brigton and i'll wave back.

I'll talk to, I mean at, anyone about anything given half a chance!

 

[David Barrett]

Then there used to be the school of thought that if, instead of the customary scowling, you were nice to visiting train crews, brewed them a pot of tea, shared with them some of your snap, bid them a cheerie farewell with a freindly smile at the time of departing then they would go away thinking that you knew something horrendous was going to happen to their depot but yours was in the clear!

 

[westcoaster]

Brighton has two mess rooms, one for the FCC lot down in the basement, and up top for the southern lot. One side of the mess room is for drivers, with the top link ones on their own table, other is for conductors. The middle tables seems to be for the 'others' from other depots. Last year the FCC one flooded and they had to come and use ours.
Each place seems to be different on levels of talking and goings on. Some are silent, others loud, with Brighton being the loudest.

Actually at Brighton us FCC drivers our only mess room is up stairs with the green team, but no one ever goes there though, we all go down to the basement ( signing on point/ revenue mess room), if the room is segregated like you say Sarah I would just roll up and sit there after all we are one grade!

At Bedford anyone is welcome we don't charge (EMT I'm looking at you about st pancras) we have anyone in southeastern/DB/freightliner/GB/WCRC he'll we even let tamper drivers in lol.

 

[jon0844]

Not really-everyone's normally pretty sociable. When you spend most of the day on your own locked in a cab you normally want a chat in the messroom.

Do some drivers overly compensate by never shutting up?!

 

[A-driver]

Do some drivers overly compensate by never shutting up?!

Probably most of us actually...

There are 1 or 2 who you try to avoid being alone in the mess room with though ... "Hang on, I've just remembered that I'm actually not on my break but should be driving a train in 5 mins..." Before standing outside for the best part of an hour.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I know if I were rail staff I would, particularly when new or far from home be glad of a warm place with a cumfy chair, an unlimmited supply of teabags and a good banter and would promote a similar environment to others. Anyboddy round here know what its like north of the border, particularly at EDB or GLC Where, Scotrail, East Coast, XC, VT and Transpenine services all use?

 

[sarahj]

Actually at Brighton us FCC drivers our only mess room is up stairs with the green team, but no one ever goes there though, we all go down to the basement ( signing on point/ revenue mess room), if the room is segregated like you say Sarah I would just roll up and sit there after all we are one grade!

Woh!!!, I thought since you never came upstairs, unless there is a leak, thats where your mess room is. I've only ever been down there once, and that was 6 years ago when you had to apply for your car park pass down there. I guess you FCC lot are a heathly bunch as well, never seen any of you having a ciggie out near M&S.

Alas, Blindpacer fan, you have to bring your own teabags. Most places there is a coffee machine, 25p at Brighton, 20p at Barnham and all the hot boiling water you could ever need. All have a microwave, toaster and hot water boilers. The others:

Brighton : Vending machines (VM) and Coffee machine (CM)25p. Toilets (T)
Eastbourne: VM & CM 20p T
Haywards Heath: just the basics T
Littlehampton: VM & CM T
Barnham, both plat 1/2 and co-op VM & CM T in main one.
Bognor: VM & CM T round the corner.
Victoria plat 19, nothing, just a 'smell' T (when they are working, see smell)
Victoria main VM & CM. T. Access via stairs.There is a lift, but as lowly train crew, we are not allowed to use it.
Horsham if there is, I've not seen anything T
Three Bridges: same as horsham T
Redhill: VM & CM (not been in for ages) T
East Croydon. just the basics, heating naff
Worthing, zilch.
London Bridge: Its only a temp one, but just the basics. T

I could have missed a coffee machine hiding round a corner, but of the ones I use, this is what we have.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Every depot has it's loudmouths, there certainly is at Waterloo! What I find particularly annoying is when two people are having a conversation at opposite ends of the messroom and everyone else is stuck in the middle-although that's a general complaint and not exclusive to the railway.

 

[313103]

Our little company has messrooms at Stratford, Wilesden, Watford, Dalston Junction & New Cross Gate.

The messroom at Stratford is used by London Overground and Greater Anglia drivers although since Abeilio took over the GA trains on the Lea Valley depart from platform 11 so you rarely see a Greater Anglia driver now.

The messroom at Willesden is owned by LO and they have allowed rights for DBS drivers to use it. Freightliner, GBRF & DRS traincrew often pop in as well. Cant speak for any of the other messrooms as that is not my patch and I never go to them.

I am glad none of that old nonsense about messroom for the guard, a messroom for the driver etc does not exist nowadays. However I do remember upsetting a Paddington driver many moons ago. During the Chiltern Line upgrade we were booked PNBs at Paddington on one occasion I sat down with my driver at the first table (the messroom was fairly empty) a driver come across to us and said we are now allowed to sit there, I said why? he said its for link one drivers only, so I got up had a look underneath the table, looked at the underneath of my chair and responded by saying, I don't see no names here so why should I move. He said all the tables in here are done on a depot/link order and that this is a Drivers mesroom, I said well im a Guard so where do you think I should go then, he said your room is over there and pointed to another door, I turned round and said are you taking the urine out of me. When I refused to move He went to the supervisor, the supervisor came out and said you cant sit there. I turned to him and said to him ok if I cant sit there I will take my stuff walk the 25 minutes to Marylebone have my PNB there and then you will have to find someone to do my next part. He then relented and I stayed put.

 

[notadriver]

Our little company has messrooms at Stratford, Wilesden, Watford, Dalston Junction & New Cross Gate.

The messroom at Stratford is used by London Overground and Greater Anglia drivers although since Abeilio took over the GA trains on the Lea Valley depart from platform 11 so you rarely see a Greater Anglia driver now.

The messroom at Willesden is owned by LO and they have allowed rights for DBS drivers to use it. Freightliner, GBRF & DRS traincrew often pop in as well. Cant speak for any of the other messrooms as that is not my patch and I never go to them.

I am glad none of that old nonsense about messroom for the guard, a messroom for the driver etc does not exist nowadays. However I do remember upsetting a Paddington driver many moons ago. During the Chiltern Line upgrade we were booked PNBs at Paddington on one occasion I sat down with my driver at the first table (the messroom was fairly empty) a driver come across to us and said we are now allowed to sit there, I said why? he said its for link one drivers only, so I got up had a look underneath the table, looked at the underneath of my chair and responded by saying, I don't see no names here so why should I move. He said all the tables in here are done on a depot/link order and that this is a Drivers mesroom, I said well im a Guard so where do you think I should go then, he said your room is over there and pointed to another door, I turned round and said are you taking the urine out of me. When I refused to move He went to the supervisor, the supervisor came out and said you cant sit there. I turned to him and said to him ok if I cant sit there I will take my stuff walk the 25 minutes to Marylebone have my PNB there and then you will have to find someone to do my next part. He then relented and I stayed put.

Interesting. There is a 'drivers' table in the depot I'm now at. I refuse to sit at it and only have done when absolutely necessary to do paperwork.

 

[TDK]

I am told that in the old days there would be a guards mess room and a drivers one. Drivers were allowed in the guards room but guards couldn't go in the drivers room...sad how things have changed... (That was a joke by the way).

At Banbury there is a drivers mess and a guards mess, I always used to go in the guards mess as the drivers were always whining about some silly non important subject and I used to get a better conversation from the guards. I have not known of guards to go into the drivers messroom and I never saw any other drivers apart from myself in the guards messroom.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

The drivers 'mess room' at Banbury is actually just their booking on point, the mess room is upstairs.
A lot of drivers chill down in the booking on point it is so close to the platform and if they are relieving a northbound train they can leave it as late as 60 seconds before departure time until they have to head out of the door.

 

[W230]

Actually at Brighton us FCC drivers our only mess room is up stairs with the green team, but no one ever goes there though, we all go down to the basement ( signing on point/ revenue mess room), if the room is segregated like you say Sarah I would just roll up and sit there after all we are one grade!

I didn't know we could use the Southern mess room?! Don't think I make it to Brighton enough to be privy to such info!

 

[455driver]

A lot of drivers chill down in the booking on point it is so close to the platform and if they are relieving a northbound train they can leave it as late as 60 seconds before departure time until they have to head out of the door.

I know somebody who tried that at Fratton (he was booked pass on the train to Woking and relieve the driver there), because it was raining he stood by the bottom of the stairs and waited for the train to arrive, as it rolled past him he went out and realised that there was a large gap between the platform and train because it was on platform 2 due of a points problem and not platform 1 where the driver was stood. He wasnt able to get anyones attention and the train left without him. Result was the train having to wait for him at Woking while he made his way up on the next train 15 minutes later.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Good thing about Fratton is that the depot door is almost perfectly lined up with the guard's door on a 444!

 

[sarahj]

I had the shock of my life earlier this year when one of you guys asked if it was ok to pass on my train from Harbour to Fratton*. Normally you all sit in the front coach and dash out one door into the mess room door in a flash.


* Like he had to ask.:roll:

 

[#1 driver]

I remember going into the Brighton mess room for a training day once. I sat down in an empty chair. A driver turned to me and said 'are you the cover man then?' I said I wasn't and he asked why I was sitting in the 'cover mans chair' (which was and remained empty whilst I was there as the cover man had got a job). I apologised and moved to the next seat and he asked if I was Brighton top link. I replied that I was a lower link London driver and he pointed to a table the other end of the room and told me to sit there!

I would have told him ( in a loud voice ) to
" go f**k himself ! "

 

[A-driver]

I would have told him ( in a loud voice ) to
" go f**k himself ! "

Nowadays I certainly would but when you are a new driver in a strange (as in not yours!) mess room you tend not to be to argumentative.

Like being told by the school bully not to sit next to him I guess!

 

[#1 driver]

Nowadays I certainly would but when you are a new driver in a strange (as in not yours!) mess room you tend not to be to argumentative.

Like being told by the school bully not to sit next to him I guess!

I hear you , mate .

but as a rugby player , I tend to find people telling me to move quite funny !

during my driver training ( with a minder ) a signaller gave me a flag to pass a signal at danger up to the box ( on a crossing ) . he then displayed the wrong colour flag to proceed .
so I told him this .
he blew his top , shouting at me whilst i'm stood on a crossing .
I got the minder to take over ( into a yard to run round ) whilst I went into the box to ..... 'discuss' the situation .

 

[PHILIPE]

I can recall in the first days of privatisation, one TOC eager to make some money tried to charge other TOCs if their crews used the mess room on their station.

 

[313103]

I had the pleasure of being invited into a London Underground messroom today ( I wont say which to protect my friend from prying eyes), and I have to say they are in another world compared to those on the National network.

The facilities are superior in everyway. Fixtures and fittings that actually work, chairs and tables that are correctly fitted, a canteen availiable, numerous vending machines for you to use, floors, chairs and tables spotless a potted history of the building with posters all around, toilets that are clean I could go on.

Yet what do we have Chairs that are broke, tables that are broke, no canteen, poor toilet facilities, filthy floors, walls that are dirty,a vend machine (provided by the welfare club). I think I should take my Manager to this facility and show him how staff are treated compared to the crap we have. I should of taken some pictures.

 

[A-driver]

toilets that are clean I could go on.

.

Because you can't go on a dirty toilet? I'm with you on that one!

 

[Scotrail84]

Our bothy is owned by network rail, even though its called the operations depot only 2 out the 4 toc's use it regular. It's 95% Scotrail as that's where we book on/off where the rosters, notice cases are and the lockers are downstairs along with the toilets and showers, the other 5% are east cost staff. X/c have their own mess room away up in the main building as do virgin. They never venture over to ours at all even though we all know each other. Roughly 400 members of train crew based at Edinburgh.

 

[Scotrail84]

Good thing about Fratton is that the depot door is almost perfectly lined up with the guard's door on a 444!

Guards door?? As in a proper guards van door??

 

[Starmill]

I remember going into the Brighton mess room for a training day once. I sat down in an empty chair. A driver turned to me and said 'are you the cover man then?' I said I wasn't and he asked why I was sitting in the 'cover mans chair' (which was and remained empty whilst I was there as the cover man had got a job). I apologised and moved to the next seat and he asked if I was Brighton top link. I replied that I was a lower link London driver and he pointed to a table the other end of the room and told me to sit there!

Hahah! This is just my life all over. I mean, not that I've ever been in a mess room. But you get me.

 

[Scotrail84]

Ah yes-the north/south divide. I remember occasionally using the platform 19 mess room to make a cup of tea/use the toilet and the 'stare of death' from the southern lot. Us 'northern' drivers were restricted to the main mess room.

I remember going into the Brighton mess room for a training day once. I sat down in an empty chair. A driver turned to me and said 'are you the cover man then?' I said I wasn't and he asked why I was sitting in the 'cover mans chair' (which was and remained empty whilst I was there as the cover man had got a job). I apologised and moved to the next seat and he asked if I was Brighton top link. I replied that I was a lower link London driver and he pointed to a table the other end of the room and told me to sit there!

I would have told the boy to do one. Nobody tells me where I can and can't sit in any bothy.

 

[455driver]

Guards door?? As in a proper guards van door??

No, as in the passenger door nearest the guards goldfish bowl oops I mean office.

 

[Scotrail84]

No, as in the passenger door nearest the guards goldfish bowl oops I mean office.

Ah ok then.