Most 'mainline' competencies won't be directly transferrable onto a heritage line in any case, though the experience that comes with it will be - taking the GCR as an example, a Signalman from the mainline will still have to go through the same assessment process as anyone else, and the same training course in many cases (the only exception would normally be very recent Absolute Block experience, and even then they'd have to have a session on the differences between their Rule Book and ours) - obviously their experience would hopefully make it all a doddle of course. In summary, a lack of experience shouldn't stop you, though you obviously shouldn't expect to waltz straight into one of the 'main' operational grades without gaining that experience in other grades first! Likewise, a lack of time shouldn't stop you - some grades obviously require commitment in advance, but any volunteer time would be welcomed by most lines, I'd have thought.
