Reply With QuoteI am not 100% sure but I think captainhowdy is in the management side of things?, might be worth a PM.
regards
mike
Im toying with the idea of a career change and looking to chat with someone in the rail industry about 'how things are' and what life is like. Two main areas are Engineering and driver. Currently im an aircraft technician and studying an Engineering degree.
Im obviously scouring the internet and will look at more appropriate forums but just thought id have a stab on here too, you never know...
Thanks.
I am not 100% sure but I think captainhowdy is in the management side of things?, might be worth a PM.
regards
mike
^^^ that'd explain the delays, overcrowding, customer service and possibly the state of the khazis.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
I'd be very interested in this too. I'm keeping glued.
A friend of mine is currently a Revenue Protection Officer with Southern, looking to become a driver but he speaks very highly of it.
I worked for almost 35 years in the operational side of the railways (BR, Transrail, EWS, National Express & First Group). However, I left in 2009 & my mates tell me it's changed quite a bit since then, so no advice from me!
I think member 'Valleyboy' 'Valleywatch'* is a driver & there's another member who's a signaller (Ian something?)
*Apologies to Valleywatch; I looked your name up on the members' list & still got it wrong!
Last edited by jwg663; 26th November 2015 at 20:42. Reason: Terminal stupidity!
Engineering is a good option as there will always be work for you. Wiki would be a good place to look at which train operating company (TOC) and what vehicle providers have a train maintenance depot (TMD) in your local area.
If you let me know where you are based I will find out more info. for you.
Im a traindriver.......for my sins!
Is it true that it knackers your eyes staring at the tracks?Originally Posted by valleywatch
No offence but it looks very boring - how do you keep yourself awake?
With great difficulty!! lol!
I suppose any job gets boring after a while!
I drive "suburban" trains............so stop every few minutes, at stations.................That helps! Its more the difference in shifts, which make me tired.............Roll on 2020 , I will be 60 then so can retire!
My eyes seem to be fine............... i use reading glasses though.
Personally, I would have thought a professional driver, ( be it bus/lorry/car/van etc) would have more trouble with their eyes than a train driver?
I'm a signaller, based at London Bridge, I get to play with a very big train set every day. Don't know too much about working on the engineering side of things, I know a couple of drivers though.
Interesting - is retirement at 60 compulsory re train driving?
Hell no!
But I will be able to take out my railway pension at 60
(I.M.H.O.) There are far better ways to spend whats left off my life than being dictated to by the clock!
I could have retired last year at the age of 55 on a full NHS pension if I hadnt moved on to work in other organisations. I had 'mental health officer' status which allowed this
I actually took early retirement 2 years ago, drawing on a private pension. 3 months was enough - after that I went back to work.
I might go part time in 5 years or so, but I never want to retire. Ever.
I work on a heritage steam railway. We, surprisingly, have s fair few blokes who work on the "real" railway who also volunteer with us. If you like I can ask some questions. I get the impression there is quite a bit of variation from TOC to TOC. Conditions are probably more uniform if you work for Network Rail.
Rail gets bad press, but in reality there is some difficult and amazing engineering: Crossrail, Kings Cross, Blackfriars. Lots of options Network Rail, LU, HS2, Crossrail and a whole raft of large and small contractors Balfour Beatty, Babcock, Siemens etc, etc. Never thought I would, but I quite enjoyed my five years in rail.
I think a lot of its bad press comes from the fact other countries simply do it better, which is no doubt simply down to the lack of money being put into things.
This is all top notch stuff so far fella's thanks. I will drop some PMs today at some point, but im in meetings all day today.
Plus age, intensity of utilisation, electrification and broad cost of civil engineering compared to Europe.
So true.
I think though that in Britain, we are so good (well not so much "we"! but the media etc I mean start it all off!)ay slagging everything "British".
As soon as we have a world champion eg. press etc are always looking for a "bad" story about him. Same with most other things in my opinion.
Maybe Ive become too cynical/jaded? Possibly...........just fed up with all the media nonsense!
Money was never invested in the good old B.R days.....now, they are given way too much money from the public purse (please look into it, obscene amounts of money given for franchises etc) Then the profits go to the shareholder and companies......(my railway company is owned by German Rail!).
The amount of money "wasted" is ridiculous! In this industry, the companies are making a fortune............(of course. lots and lots of that money is coming from the taxpayer).
My eldest son is a project manager with Network rail, civil engineering really so probably not what you're looking to be doing. There's some amazing stuff going on with the infrastructure, my lad's based at Waterloo and some of the projects he's currently involved with are mind boggling.
This should get everyone's attention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw4zn-qw1oM
Notice the way it picks up dust from the ballast in the turbulent air? I saw a programme about the wheel-set design for these and the work is fascinating. Still not convinced two trains could pass each other at that speed on a normal double track line. What is the French equivalent of the six foot?
My bro-in-law just got a job as a train driver, moving away from platform supervisor, he is well chuffed.
Nice move for him.
The platform supervisors takes loads of flak from the public.
I still get a little bit of flak now and then......but nowhere near as much abuse as you get from the people on the platforms!
He will love it Im sure!
I currently work on the railways as a service engineer. Been doing it for 7 years and the only real complaint is the shifts I do. Depending where you are located and what company you work for will obviously dictate progression and pay etc. I'm at a depot that maintains four car units but you can be working on fixedly twelve car units which as you can imagine is quite a long walk to check a simple bulb or switch is broken. There is a lot of variety within the engineering role where you can be based outstation so you just attend units where a driver may of flagged a problem or at certain times of the day the units I maintain (duel voltage) may need certain packages re - setting. The chance of progression is pretty easy if you show enthusiasm and a good level of understanding of schematics and systems. For me it's a good career to be in if you can handle odd shift times. As for possibly being a driver a few of our lads have moved onto being trainee train drivers and seem very happy so far although the rules and regs are quite a considerable amount to learn in a short period of time. The tests aren't exactly simple to get in but no qualifications at all are needed to apply and the pay is pretty decent. I hope that helps you a little.
I spent 25 years on aircraft, starting off as a mechanic/sheet metal worker up to engineer clearing many types safe for flight.
Made the jump to trains 2 years ago as a mobile technician.
Crazy as it seems, much more money, far, far less responsibility and less technical by a long shot.
I wish i made the jump 20 years ago (although i do miss structural repairs and rigging flight controls).
My Dad was a train driver, he started in 1952 as a engine boiler cleaner, then fireman, then driver, Steam, DMU's (what ever they are) He's had two track suicides, hit cows, horses, was regularly cut off on Scotland runs in winter missing for 4 days once, he retired in 1997 after kids bricked his cab at red bank Manchester which through him off his seat the dead man's came on and they came to a halt in the tunnel, after he gathered himself and carried on they bricked him on his way out , he had glass in his eye's so the second man had to help out, he'd been bricked before they smashed his finger that bad he lost all feeling in it, one thing I do remember was he was always working he loved it, but they asked him to retire after that. Used to be every little boys dream.
I still have his licence ID's, some of his uniforms, train keys, and his BR cap.
Miss you Dad.
Last edited by Fords; 28th November 2015 at 08:22.
D.M.U.s That is........... Diesel Multiple Units.
Your dad was lucky as he worked in the good old days of British Rail. I only joined in 1992 (they got privatised in 1996). While the pay is lots better now, the days of B.R. were much better. It was nice to go to work every day. These days..............its a bind.
Working on B.R was great, great comradeship amongst all staff, particularly between train crew...............these days? Its all about the money,
Last edited by valleywatch; 28th November 2015 at 09:19. Reason: spelling
A mate of mine is a sparky for network rail on the signals n stuff
He loves it. Easy money he says. Crazy money if he works Xmas and New Year's Day
A mate of mine works in the signal box on a station,the way he talks you may as well give him a money tree ,and if he works overtime give him another, he's never looked back since he joined
Your dad was an engineman (more than just a train driver) that's something to be proud of. A little of that essence still exists in preserved steam even today.
I work as a Controller in the control center at London Waterloo for Network Rail. I really enjoy working in the industry and I think we are one of the few industries left where the staff/unions stick together and have been able to keep a lot of the t&c's from the good old days. I just wish I didn't have to do night shifts but my life could be a lot worse.
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