visitors allowed or not?

[Lawman]

Folks,
a wee question l hope someone can answer.

On a long or even short distance journey is the train manager or even csa allowed to visit the train drivers cab mid journey and allowed to keep him company for part of the journey.Must be kinda lonley sometimes being a driver:cry:

 

[Anvil1984]

Nope unless theres been an incident in which the driver may need to be accompanied, or examining the line, several safety system failures, but in normal circumstances nope

edit, actually sometimes outsiders / managers are allowed in if accompanied with a valid cab pass

 

[Lawman]

not even a sneeky wee visit...without a cab pass

 

[scotsman]

From what I've heard it's fairly commonplace for the Guard to visit the Driver with a cup of tea. In fact, RAIL referred to a CSA visiting the cab with a cup of tea and a bacon roll for the driver when they did a feature on the work of Drivers. Wasn't the DVT on WSMR sets placed adjacent to the RFM for this purpose?

 

[Lawman]

Interesting!

 

[umontu]

On TPE a few weeks a go, coming in to Huddersfield, the guard waited, a fair while, untill the train stopped before entering the cab, he had been doing a ticket check and didn't have time to return to the other end.

Last Friday, same route, different guard he went in to the cab just outside of Standedge to talk to him for about 10 minutes.

Kind of a grey area to me, maybe that guard thought no one would report him or know the rules.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Think the guard is allowed in with coffee etc for the drivers, and very briefly, or when the driver calls the guard to report something etc. Will be guards and staff only though, a member of the public etc would get both themselves and the driver bollo**ed, even in extreme cases may result in sacking or retesting. People with official cab passes are OK

 

[strange6]

Think the guard is allowed in with coffee etc for the drivers, and very briefly, or when the driver calls the guard to report something etc. Will be guards and staff only though, a member of the public etc would get both themselves and the driver bollo**ed, even in extreme cases may result in sacking or retesting. People with official cab passes are OK

Guards would quite often go into the drivers cab when I last used the trains regularly in the early 90's (when it was BR) for a chat between stops. very, very rarely do I see it these days (perhaps the odd word through the window when the guard opens the doors at the front end) although I did see the guard chatting away to the driver only two weeks ago on a 150 when he closed the doors at Swinton and went for a chat right up to Walkden (about a 5 minute trip)

 

[andyfrommk]

I suppose its a safety precaution not having both guard and driver in tha cab at the same time.

Suppose a Grayrigg/Sudbury/Selby incident were to happen and the lead vehicle took the brunt of an impact, thats two members of staff out of action, and on some trains that could be all there is, with the passengers left to fend for themselves until help arrived.

On a recent Bedford to Bletchley ride, the guard stayed in the rear cab of the 153 between stops and ticketchecks.

 

[scotsman]

The issue was, and still is, that the presence of a second (non Driver) in the cab can distract the Driver - it happened on NSE in the '90s and a fatal crash resulted

 

[notadriver]

Yes why in some TOCs is another driver allowed to ride up front but not an ex-guard like me?

 

[scotsman]

Yes why in some TOCs is another driver allowed to ride up front but not an ex-guard like me?

Hmm, another Driver would likely know the route & regs and could assist the driver to some level of competency that the TOC reckons a Guard doesn't have?

 

[route101]

2 weeks ago the Trolley Guy popped into the cab with a cup of tea on TPE 185. Ive seen on on planes too.

 

[Anvil1984]

Think the guard is allowed in with coffee etc for the drivers, and very briefly, or when the driver calls the guard to report something etc. Will be guards and staff only though, a member of the public etc would get both themselves and the driver bollo**ed, even in extreme cases may result in sacking or retesting. People with official cab passes are OK

We arent allowed in whilst the train is in motion to give the driver coffee, not even on long distance journeys. It is commonly done admittedly but if management are on then your screwed best wait til next station stop. We arent allowed in basically because distractions like this can cause SPADs and of course the driver won't be to blame, it'll be us. Any communication about reporting incidents is done over the cab to cab phone unless we are stopped for any reason. As i say only reason we are allowed in under certain circumstances are

Failure of certain safety systems
Helping to examine the line
Unofficially at the request of control

Anything else is done at traincrew risk

 

[ungreat]

It depends on the TOC...our lot (FCC) allow drivers to travel up front with other drivers on the Thameslink side but not on the GN side.

Other staff are not allowed in the cab at any time without a cab pass...and please think before you start quoting incidents of this..management do read this site and delight in catching folk out as they have nothing better to do and need to justify their jobs somehow or they are out on their heels...dont give them any more ammo!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
BTW that wasnt at you Anvil

 

[premier01]

Nope unless theres been an incident in which the driver may need to be accompanied, or examining the line, several safety system failures, but in normal circumstances nope

edit, actually sometimes outsiders / managers are allowed in if accompanied with a valid cab pass

I'm not sure if this is referring to train managers or the general public but there are many reports of the public travelling in the cab on Virgin Trains-take a look on You Tube.

It seems to be allowed where the driver is a qualified instructor but even without cab pass it seems to be allowed-not sure if it's allowed or the drivers are breaking the rules but have no reason to belive it's against the rules as the driver wouldn't want to get the sack by getting identified-not by name but by train service time published etc

This was also advised by some friends I have that work for VT but even they said staff wouldn't be allowed unless it's while the train is stopped at a station to quickly provide driver with a brew!

 

[Anvil1984]

General public is a big no-no unless accompanied with people with a valid cab pass which enables them to accompany and supervise (usually a DTM or driver trainers). Drivers and signallers can also route learn in the front if they have correct paperwork.
However drivers who have been driving for less than 2 years aren't allowed route learners in the front

 

[wintonian]

I can only assume that in the evening quite a few SWT guards spend the trip in the rear cab, there certainly not anywhere between them.

Of course sometimes I am pleasantly surprised and have seen SWT guards at 22/23:00 hrs on a Friday or Saturday.

 

[Anvil1984]

Relevent staff are of course allowed in any cab with the exception of the cab the train is being driven from

 

[The Decapod]

In the days of the old DMU's (101's etc.) it was commonplace for the conductor/guard to go and chat to the driver while the train was on the move. Sometimes they even left the door between the passenger saloon and cab open.

 

[premier01]

General public is a big no-no unless accompanied with people with a valid cab pass which enables them to accompany and supervise (usually a DTM or driver trainers). Drivers and signallers can also route learn in the front if they have correct paperwork.
However drivers who have been driving for less than 2 years aren't allowed route learners in the front

How do u obtain a cab pass then-would really like to travel in cab of a VT train!

 

[ainsworth74]

How do u obtain a cab pass then-would really like to travel in cab of a VT train!

By being a member of staff with a need to be in there, a TV personality filming a TV show or by winning a charity event (which are few and far between). Those are the only ways normally of getting a cab pass.

 

[313103]

Relevent staff are of course allowed in any cab with the exception of the cab the train is being driven from

I think Wintonian was having a bit of a sarcastic rant, aimed at South West Trains Conductors rather then adding anything interesting to the topic.

 

[185]

There a reason why Virgin's stewardesses shouldn't be entering the cab.....

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2542450/Sex-act-at-wheel-of-speeding-Virgin-train.html

ohnoes.

 

[krus_aragon]

Following on from the request stops thread, having gone through the train checking for stops, a guard may well pop their head through the door to tell the driver where he needs to stop, rather than run back to the rear cab in time to use the intercom.