Start tomorrow

[banku]

hi mate

your very welcome and thanks very much matey........well you'll be coming from a good position then in terms of responsibility and working to rules and regulations etc......

Thanks for the motivation, very kind of you.
Cheers

 

[red2005]

alright lads n lasses

am currently half way through week 4 of training and got to say its flying!!

just wondering how the other trainees on here are getting on?

 

[Pepperami]

Hiya Glenn

Hope its going well mate, was it PTS and company induction first week??

Update from me as well, I passed the final DM Interview, so I too will be starting in a short period of time

 

[red2005]

hiya pal!

congratulations mate very well done!!

I personally didn't have to do an induction as I was internal but I do believe the externals on the course did have an induction week.

my first week was PTS and we've covered loads since!! had my first drive today

 

[Pepperami]

first drive in just 4 weeks!!!

Whats it like? Is it on like a siding?

 

[red2005]

Yup!

Yes was really good and was nice to get a proper feel of what it's like in a protected environment.

Yes we did it on a traincare depot

 

[red2005]

hi guys

just wondering how everyone is getting on?

 

[Twoonthebuzzer]

Update from me then.

Finished rules! Yay!!!!!!!!

Sat Interim 1 (of 3) last Wednesday and passed with a modest score of 97%. Known as the easiest of the 3 Interims, was still a paper that one had to concentrate and take time doing. 99 questions altogether.

Now commencing the first of 4 weeks of traction. Had my first drive of a Class 150 unit on Monday, just back and forth in the siding on SPM. Good to get a feel of the brake though.

Now starting to learn the whole set up underneath the solebar.

I never new the mechanical set up of a Class 150 unit was so complicated (for a non mechanically minded person like myself anyway).

Going through step by step the many different components from underneath the solebar including;

The Auxiliary Battery
The Starter Battery
The Coolant pipes and uses
The Fuel Tank
The Cummins 6 Cylinder Engine
The Westabo pre heater
The Turbocharger
The BSI coupling
The AWS/TPWS receivers
The Splitter
The Driving Bogie
The Running Bogie
The Sander
The Alternators (2 on 150/2's, 1 on 150/1's)
The TCA
The Voith Hydraulic Transmission Box
The Air Res system and it's responsibilities.

Been prepping and coupling units on SPM this week.

There are some other, German named things but they have already gone out of my head for now. Also, we had a brief look at door operation and passenger saloon equipment including the Toasting Fork, Uncoupling Rod and Air Pipe.

Lots to learn for such a small train. Loving it but it certainly is a very challenging course. Looking forward to August 18th when my handling starts and I'll be driving trains on the main line (under DI supervision of course).

Worried about the DI situation at Bristol though. Serious lack of DI's leading to trainees being sat in the newsroom with no DI. Currently aware of trainees on courses ahead of me with only 6 hours driving in 6 weeks. Yes, it's that bad.

Not expected to pass out until at the very best, May 2015 now, which is 13 months after my start date.

 

[driver9000]

There are some other, German named things but they have already gone out of my head for now. Also, we had a brief look at door operation and passenger saloon equipment including the Toasting Fork, Uncoupling Rod and Air Pipe.

Gmeinder master and slave final drive

In all the time I signed 150s I never needed the fork or the Schraeder hose (which can also be used to vent the door res under the seats). Decent units to work.

 

[red2005]

Update from me then.

Finished rules! Yay!!!!!!!!

Sat Interim 1 (of 3) last Wednesday and passed with a modest score of 97%. Known as the easiest of the 3 Interims, was still a paper that one had to concentrate and take time doing. 99 questions altogether.

Now commencing the first of 4 weeks of traction. Had my first drive of a Class 150 unit on Monday, just back and forth in the siding on SPM. Good to get a feel of the brake though.

Now starting to learn the whole set up underneath the solebar.

I never new the mechanical set up of a Class 150 unit was so complicated (for a non mechanically minded person like myself anyway).

Going through step by step the many different components from underneath the solebar including;

The Auxiliary Battery
The Starter Battery
The Coolant pipes and uses
The Fuel Tank
The Cummins 6 Cylinder Engine
The Westabo pre heater
The Turbocharger
The BSI coupling
The AWS/TPWS receivers
The Splitter
The Driving Bogie
The Running Bogie
The Sander
The Alternators (2 on 150/2's, 1 on 150/1's)
The TCA
The Voith Hydraulic Transmission Box
The Air Res system and it's responsibilities.

Been prepping and coupling units on SPM this week.

There are some other, German named things but they have already gone out of my head for now. Also, we had a brief look at door operation and passenger saloon equipment including the Toasting Fork, Uncoupling Rod and Air Pipe.

Lots to learn for such a small train. Loving it but it certainly is a very challenging course. Looking forward to August 18th when my handling starts and I'll be driving trains on the main line (under DI supervision of course).

Worried about the DI situation at Bristol though. Serious lack of DI's leading to trainees being sat in the newsroom with no DI. Currently aware of trainees on courses ahead of me with only 6 hours driving in 6 weeks. Yes, it's that bad.

Not expected to pass out until at the very best, May 2015 now, which is 13 months after my start date.

that's great news buddy sounds like we are at round about the same area! although as our course is very much (N.T.S) based there is no rules course so to speak it's more split up into other modules as one great big 6 week course as they used to do it.

ha ha ha that's spooky you say that as we all had our prep exam at 2am yesterday morning in the depot! 17 minutes on average they say it is meant to take! to say it took me a bit longer is a slight understatement but i'll just call it a thorough prep he he he.

that's when my handling starts as well! can't wait to put it all into practice really but I dare say at the time i'll be bricking it ha!

 

[TDK]

Worried about the DI situation at Bristol though. Serious lack of DI's leading to trainees being sat in the newsroom with no DI. Currently aware of trainees on courses ahead of me with only 6 hours driving in 6 weeks. Yes, it's that bad.

Not expected to pass out until at the very best, May 2015 now, which is 13 months after my start date.

This has always been an issue with DI's especially if they have to be released from their link to cover core routes. This can be very frustrating but wait and see what happens. Hopefully you will be doing your hours through the Winter and this will help with the darkness hours part.

 

[red2005]

I think I'd like a geezer bird as my instructor!!!!!! lol

 

[david_VI]

I've just finished my months of training. Friday was my last day with an instructor and on Tuesday I start my 3 day assessment with my manager... Then i'll be passed out. What an odd thought, thinking back to before I had the job and the months I spent on these forums researching and hoping to get a phonecall..

All the best to you all

 

[TDK]

I think I'd like a geezer bird as my instructor!!!!!! lol

You need to read back what you have posted young man, keep guessing. It is certainly better to have just one instructor for the first 50 hours and then in my opinion it is better to change to another one or even change twice, this way you gain more experience on both driving styles and learning styles.

 

[ewsdbs]

Here's a link to the rule book modules. Can be helpful for those with start dates which are still some time away.

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Rule_Boo...CTID=0x01200060B274261602B94B84F5B3E1E95DE5C8

 

[GadgetMan]

Here's a link to the rule book modules. Can be helpful for those with start dates which are still some time away.

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Rule_Boo...CTID=0x01200060B274261602B94B84F5B3E1E95DE5C8

As mentioned by numerous other people. There is absolutely no point in wasting time trying to learn the rules on your own before starting on the railway especially if you have no previous railway safety-crit experience. It only adds to the confusion. All TOC's provide adequate training with all rules being clearly explained/taught and are put into context on the training course.

 

[TDK]

Here's a link to the rule book modules. Can be helpful for those with start dates which are still some time away.

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Rule_Boo...CTID=0x01200060B274261602B94B84F5B3E1E95DE5C8

It is good advice not to do anything with rules and regs until your course starts so my advice to any potential trainees is to not bother looking up rules, looking at the rule book or anything like that. This will be beneficial to your training in the long run.

 

[red2005]

Well that's the first 10 weeks done!.....drive my first train on the mainline tomorrow so pretty nervous now!........how are the rest of my fellow trainees getting on!?

 

[Twoonthebuzzer]

Well that's the first 10 weeks done!.....drive my first train on the mainline tomorrow so pretty nervous now!........how are the rest of my fellow trainees getting on!?

What group you in?

 

[red2005]

??????

 

[Twoonthebuzzer]

??????

Group Number?

As I'm out handling tomorrow too. First week.

 

[red2005]

I think I work for a different toc to you matey good luck for tomorrow chap

 

[Wolf]

It is good advice not to do anything with rules and regs until your course starts so my advice to any potential trainees is to not bother looking up rules, looking at the rule book or anything like that. This will be beneficial to your training in the long run.

Agreed. Theres so much information to absorb within the time you are in the class room that the best way forward is to just go with the flow and learn and revise the stuff as your taught it. You generally have assessments at different stages on different bulks of material you've covered before the big ones such as A&V and Part C so i found its best to focus on the stuff you need to learn at the time instead of jumping ahead. I still have my part C to come but i can say for the A&V (northerns assessment for everything you cover in the first 15/16 weeks of training), i the stuff does sink in if you keep coming back refreshing it in your spare time. Also the rule book is not the best way to revise a lot of material because its very wordy and the way its set out makes it difficult to summarise things. I found material given out in class and making your own summary tables are a good way to revise.

 

[TDK]

Well that's the first 10 weeks done!.....drive my first train on the mainline tomorrow so pretty nervous now!........how are the rest of my fellow trainees getting on!?

Glad I am on a rest day Joking Red

 

[red2005]

Lol cheeky get!!

 

[455driver]

A friend of mine made up a headboard with L plates and driver under instruction on it but he wasnt allowed to put it on the front of the train, boring sods.