The toughest place to be a train driver

[GNER 373]

Managed to catch this on iplayer this afternoon, was a great watch!

I thought it would have been a nice touch to invite them back over to see what simon's train was like

That's the only thing I felt that was missing, the Peruvians coming to the UK to sample some Pendolino action! Maybe a 'part 2' in the works? Let's hope Simon keeps to his word and helps the guys over there in the poor working (and in some cases living) conditions!

 

[fsmr]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00ncxkd

Here if you missed it

Might have been better to have taken an EWS ok ok DB 66 freight driver used to hauling out of colieries and steep single lines on minimum adhesion
I guess that it was the Virgin PR machine that helped make it possible

Doesnt seem quite right putting a Pendolino driver on a heavy freight up a mountain but still good
On the subject of power the engine derates by at least 30% due to lack of oxygen to burn efficiently, even with a turbo charger.
Even electrical motors are de-rated above a few thousand feet due to the thinner air reducing cooling efficiency

 

[33056]

Might have been better to have taken an EWS ok ok DB 66 freight driver used to hauling out of colieries and steep single lines on minimum adhesion

Only got home last night to watch the recording of this and that was my thought too, not wishing to demean the Virgin driver at all who I thought did well, though having somebody from such a different driving background makes a better comparison in the conditions.

Plenty of still pictures from this railway can be found on railpictures.net unfortunately, there do not appear to be any videos on their sister website.

 

[sonic2009]

what a legend that driver is. I've just met him off my arrival from MKC 2231 - MAN 0035, shook his hand and said your brave.

Nice guy in all.

 

[GNER 373]

I think the point in getting this type of driver was to show how 'cushy' his working life was (not saying any driver job is cushy here) in the Pendolino and as a passenger Train Driver that requires high speed reactions and control....they removed all of that by placing him in a Freight set up....in Peru...in completely different working conditions and with slower handling moves...not saying that it would have made the program worse by getting a UK freight driver to do this, but to take an express Train Driver and put him right outside his own comfort zone which IMO showed true.

And I'm sure he is a great lad, came across as someone you'd have a pint with

 

[Tringonometry]

Nice to see the BBC Foley department up to their usual tricks. Dubbed that passing 390s scene over with HST noise...

That wouldn't be the foley dept. Different thing altogether.

The pedant out-pedanted.
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How regularly do UK drivers have a break ?

One a month whether we need it or not.

 

[Minilad]

I thought it would have been a nice touch to invite them back over to see what simon's train was like

Come on, they have a tough enough life as it is without subjecting them to a pendilino