Train cab rides

[ChiefPlanner]

There was a very nasty mishap at Wormit in the 1950's (near the Tay Bridge) involving a return excursion where there were unauthorised (and young adults) in the cab of a steam train.

Whereas things were lax in the past , and as a young adult myself I enjoyed the priviliege of cab access - (often on very quiet routes like the Central Wales line) , on reflection it should not have happened. This was in the early 1970's. Would never have considered a run out from say Swansea to Cardiff.

As a Manager I was always happy for interested persons to be showed around cabs in terminal stations and on special occasions for accompanied rides with a qualified Traction Inspector (given out very sparingly) - but otherwise "no".

 

[Harbon 1]

Cab rides can be organised through the company if you know and talk to the right people. I know from my first cab last month

 

[AlexS]

It was one of those things that used to happen. Times change. There was a time when taking control of a train after 10 pints of beer wasn't blinked at. People get wise to things just not being a great idea.

 

[ainsworth74]

There was a time when taking control of a train after 10 pints of beer wasn't blinked at.

Indeed and that caused a few accidents and no doubt an unknown number of incidents.

 

[Dieseldriver]

Just accidents? Or spads, station over runs, fail to calls, wrong routes taken (etc) too? Impossible to quantify because most of it will never get recorded, but I guess the official answer to the question these days is that one is one too many.

Always makes me wonder, how many incidents have been prevented by having a second person in the cab (ie road learner) realising the mistake and telling the driver in time? Will never be recorded as the only ones who know are the two guys that were in the cab at the time!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

One Christmas Eve when I was a kid, our dad took me and my brothers on a train ride to get us out of the way while our mum wrapped the presents. The driver of our train invited all three of us to ride in the cab, albeit with strict instructions not to touch anything and to be quiet. We rode the 142 from Huddersfield to Penistone with my younger brother in the secondman's seat- myself and my older brother stood in the open doorway with our dad behind preventing the door from swinging. The journey back in the saloon of a 141 was somewhat underwhelming after that!

That said, times have changed for the better really- the fact that it wouldn't happen so easily today only adds to the value of those memories!

 

[badger1badger]

A long time ago about 1976 - I rode in the cab of a unit from Ilkley to Shipley

The driver let me sound the horn and pull the brake on albeit with his hand resting on top

I was just a small lad then but it made my day

 

[corin paul]

Done the back cab of class 185s coulpe of times, Cleethorpes to Doncaster line. And class 153 on the Barton-upon-Humber line. Guards complain there isn't a flat surface to write on in the cabs of class 185s.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/class_153/7492550170/in/set-72157627316681138

 

[34D]

My little boy (aged 3) had a sit in the drivers seat of an express train recently. I won't mention the TOC though.

 

[Beveridges]

Cab rides are hard to get for the general public.
Even as staff, I can only get a front end cab ride on the mainline if it has been pre arranged.
Unofficially staff can and do travel in the middle cabs or rear cab (if permission from the Guard) when commuting to/from work, as everyone turns a blind eye to it. Officially your supposed to go in the saloon with the passengers.

 

[notadriver]

Drivers of many TOCs are permitted to ride up front for route learning / refreshing purposes. Basically whenever they want whilst on duty and in uniform.

 

[Qwerty133]

Drivers of many TOCs are permitted to ride up front for route learning / refreshing purposes. Basically whenever they want whilst on duty and in uniform.

I've noticed that XC have staff called 'driver assistant' that travel with the driver even when commuting to and from work.

 

[Dieseldriver]

No, not 'basically whenever they want'. No road learning ticket, no ride.

 

[mac]

Done the back cab of class 185s coulpe of times, Cleethorpes to Doncaster line. And class 153 on the Barton-upon-Humber line. Guards complain there isn't a flat surface to write on in the cabs of class 185s.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/class_153/7492550170/in/set-72157627316681138

I was talking to a driver at Manchester about 10 years ago and he let me ride in the cab with him at Sheffield the next driver told me to stay where I was so ended up doing full route to Cleethorpes

 

[A-driver]

No, not 'basically whenever they want'. No road learning ticket, no ride.

That does depend on the TOC. Some book drivers to pass in front cab and at my TOC it dosnt seem to be a problem to jump upfront when passing. Some DMs will kick you out if caught but most allow it as they see no problem with an extra pair of eyes upfront-and to be fair we are (well most anyway are) professional enough not to distract each other.

Saying that I know that a number of TOCs get very funny about it and as you say, no road ticket no going up front.

 

[notadriver]

No, not 'basically whenever they want'. No road learning ticket, no ride.

I said 'some TOCs' James and as you are a post qualified driver you won't be allowed anyone in the cab except your driver manager.

 

[Beveridges]

Drivers of many TOCs are permitted to ride up front for route learning / refreshing purposes. Basically whenever they want whilst on duty and in uniform.

Northern do not allow it unless it has either been pre arranged or for road learning. Road learning cannot just be used as an excuse either.

You can't just travel in the front cab for commuting. For commuting purposes or travelling passenger while on duty, you can get away with the back cab or the mid cabs though.

 

[Bodiddly]

The best cab ride that sticks in my mind is a back cab ride on a 66 from Rannoch to Tulloch on the WHL. I was doing LC inspections in the area, based in Fort William, it was easier for me to leave my van at Tulloch, take the Sprinter down to Rannoch to do my inspection and catch the Northbound Alu tanks back to Tulloch. This saved me a 200 mile round trip driving. I cleared it with EWS control and waited for my ride North. It duly pulled into Rannoch and the driver told me to get in the back cab. Oh I said, feeling a wee bit put out. Not so, I sat in the "drivers seat" all the way, watching the dials moving. Brilliant ride over Rannoch Moor, great weather and plenty of stags running around. Interesting watching the brake dials (and feeling) the brakes working overtime coming down Loch Trieg side, passing the site where the GBRF 66 would later come a cropper. Got out at Tulloch, bid my farewell to the driver and went home a happy man!
The moral is, it's quite a privilege to get any where near a cab these days.

 

[Dieseldriver]

I said 'some TOCs' James and as you are a post qualified driver you won't be allowed anyone in the cab except your driver manager.

Fair point, I suppose on my TOC we are just molly coddled, at my old place was never really an issue. BTW, well done for working out who I am and constantly using my first name now as a result :roll:

 

[notadriver]

Fair point, I suppose on my TOC we are just molly coddled, at my old place was never really an issue. BTW, well done for working out who I am and constantly using my first name now as a result :roll:

Sorry but I will stop using your first name if you prefer but you are quite famous on forum circles I hear

 

[9K43]

I rode in the front cab of many locomotives
as part of my job with BR/Yorkhire Feight/ EWS/DB.
All I got from it was a good round of deafness in both ears.
Its not romantic, it freezing cold in winter, and red hot in summer, and every idot with a stone gun et al want to cripple you.
I cant understand why folk want to ride in a cab, full tab ends doors that bang a clatter for a 12 hrs shift in a 4 mile tunnel aint my type of fun.
Stick to your model railway, where you can do what you want.
Cabed, Class 25/26/08/31/20/37/40/56/60(Best Engines in the UK)
Green Arrow, Big Red Duchess for wheel turning at Alerton, Southern region steamer summat called the Hogwarts Express from Staly Bridge to York NRM,
wither her on board, 60009 from Donny to York then engine came off cos the Air Brake compressor, blew off a Pipe, The Porterbrook Purple Deltic from Scarborough to York,
The best ride of the day was getting on my Yamaha T80 to go home after a 12 hours stint breathing in Diesel Particulate contents.

 

[ainsworth74]

Cabed, Class 25/26/08/31/20/37/40/56/60(Best Engines in the UK)

How did you manage to miss 47s? You've got just about everything else that worked freight!

 

[Dieseldriver]

Sorry but I will stop using your first name if you prefer but you are quite famous on forum circles I hear

Aaawwww shucks, I feel honoured!

 

[Legzr1]

I rode in the front cab of many locomotives
as part of my job with BR/Yorkhire Feight/ EWS/DB.
All I got from it was a good round of deafness in both ears.
Its not romantic, it freezing cold in winter, and red hot in summer, and every idot with a stone gun et al want to cripple you.
I cant understand why folk want to ride in a cab, full tab ends doors that bang a clatter for a 12 hrs shift in a 4 mile tunnel aint my type of fun.
Stick to your model railway, where you can do what you want.
Cabed, Class 25/26/08/31/20/37/40/56/60(Best Engines in the UK)
Green Arrow, Big Red Duchess for wheel turning at Alerton, Southern region steamer summat called the Hogwarts Express from Staly Bridge to York NRM,
wither her on board, 60009 from Donny to York then engine came off cos the Air Brake compressor, blew off a Pipe, The Porterbrook Purple Deltic from Scarborough to York,
The best ride of the day was getting on my Yamaha T80 to go home after a 12 hours stint breathing in Diesel Particulate contents.

It was a shame when the class 9's (and the guards vans) disappeared.

You could have been happy being thrown around a dangerous wooden box,oscillating into oblivion at 50mph ABOVE train speed because the "££"! of a driver wanted to catch last orders!

 

[JAMBO]

Drivers of many TOCs are permitted to ride up front for route learning / refreshing purposes. Basically whenever they want whilst on duty and in uniform.

Not true,if you are employed by that company then yes jump on and do some route learning.When I was learning the east coast I jumped on what was then virgin at the time.I was always asked for the paperwork and current cab pass from the driver,I was then able to hop on . Next day I missed the virgin so tried to hop on the National Express East Coast ,was refused entry point blank as I didn't have the correct cab pass.

 

[notadriver]

I don't ever recall Virgin running any trains on the East Coast? Or did they ?

 

[JonathanP]

Given that he said 'what was then Virgin' I imagine he's referring to former Virgin Crosscountry franchise, now run by Arriva.

 

[9K43]

How did you manage to miss 47s? You've got just about everything else that worked freight!

I'm sorry for my slip up regarding Class 47's, rode on them on charters ECS, Parclel trains by the score, and News Paper Trains from Vic, reversing main to main at Dewsbury and from Piccadilly on Saturday night to York with the papers, via Normanton, Castleford to York and back light engine, running the gauntlet of West Riding engineering trains.
Also the last BV I rode on was a Shark to Neville Hill from Turners Lane, Wakefield and back pass. This was December 1991.( Shark BV were the roughest things that ever rode the rails.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Even if it wasn't for H&S, cab rides would probably be less common now. Back in the day I'd imagine when it did happen, it was kept quite quiet and not broadcast to the world. But now, with things like twitter and youtube, the whole world would know.

 

[A-driver]

Even if it wasn't for H&S, cab rides would probably be less common now. Back in the day I'd imagine when it did happen, it was kept quite quiet and not broadcast to the world. But now, with things like twitter and youtube, the whole world would know.

I agree with that but think its also (from a staff point of view) to do with allegations/suing culture etc.

I would never have a stranger in the cab even if permitted-I don't know who's getting in-are they going to attack me etc and also it may seem very nice and friendly to let someone in but if they then start saying I attacked them or worse then its my word against theirs and knowing how caring railway companies are towards their employees(!) I am fairly certain the driver would come out if it worse!