Tubeguru gets a new job

[tubeguru]

Oh, and the mystery tube challenger spotted at Pewsey was one "tangy". Seeing him online just reminded me.

[palkanetoijala31]

What the bloody hell was he doing in Wiltshire

[tubeguru]

Don't ask me. But he was definitely on the down platform at Pewsey that day.

[tangy]

It looks like I have been rumbled!!

I was in the area that day to visit the East Somerset Railway/Merehead Quarry 50th anniversary celebrations up at Cranmore. During both days of the event there were special shuttle trains running from Westbury via the freight only line from Witham East Somerset Junction up to Cranmore.

Obviously the most direct way to get to Westbury from London is via the Berks & Hants via Pewsey. As I was going that way (on the 0835 from Padd, which stops at Pewsey), I thought it would be a good idea to "visit" that station. So off I hopped at Pewsey to cross over and await the 1022 back towards London.

Thankfully the 1022 arrived on time as I had a planned timetabled +3 minute connection at Reading (for the 1103 back towards Westbury). However that plan was scuppered when the train was brought to a halt at Newbury Racecourse due to trespassers on the line which made the train about 3-4 minutes down and rolled into Reading at 1102! Already the whistles were blowing on platform 4 for the 1103 to leave and despite a tube challenge style run over the bridge I got onto platform 4 only to see it power up!

Drat! 2 hours stuck at Reading for the next direct train to Westbury at 1303 and didn't get to my intended destination of Cranmore until 1545 (after another 50 minute wait for the special shuttle train at Westbury). Thus only had about 2 hours at the event instead of the 4 or 5 I should of had!!!

[tubeguru]

Wasn't that the same day as 71000 Duke of Gloucester was running on "The Cornishman" from Temple Meads to Penzance (failing at Newton Abbot, incidentally)?

[tubeguru]

Continuing from the photo quiz thread where the station in question was Perivale and I mentioned that FGW sometimes turn trains via the piece of NR track next to it ...

I was told recently by the train crew manager that we have to route learn the Greenford Loop (for reversing the direction of HSts) but the only trouble is hardly any trains go round there! We have one booked service a day that might or might not need to go round it to get the set facing the right way, and there is the single Chiltern Trains service from Paddington to Banbury, both of which go along the track next to the Central line.

Doing the other side of the loop is easy as there are half-hourly trains to and from Greenford via West Ealing. Therefore the only realistic option is to walk the line. So this morning I and a couple of others jumped on the 10.25 to Greenford, walked round to the Greenford East signalbox, met with the signaller, had a cup of tea, helped him pull a few signals off and change some points (the old manual pull levers - none of this electronic stuff in there). After that he gave us permission to walk up the line to Old Oak Common West, a distance of roughly three and half miles over rough ballast in the blazing sun. Lovely.

We had a few tube trains blow their whistles at us even though we were the other side of the "barrier" between the two sets of tracks - they don't often see anyone walking the track along there I'm sure and it may have surprised a few of them.

We were knackered when we rolled into the OOC messroom just over two hours later. Permanent shed driver Joe told us that there was a Turbo going back to Paddington from the shed in three minutes' time and if we ran we might jump on it. We duly managed that feat, climbed up through the cab, collapsed in first class, and chatted to the driver as he drove us back empty stock into the station.

And the total number of NR trains that passed us on the walk - zero. I told you hardly any trains go round there! Actually, it's a good job that my PTS (personal track safety) card is marked as allowing me to walk in areas of AC and DC electrification as at one point near North Acton there is no boundary between the NR and tube lines and we have to walk alongside the outside DC rail of the eastbound Central line. Without that we wouldn't technically be allowed to walk the line past that point.

[Garion]

Aw cool. It sounds very interesting. I wouldnt mind being a train driver when I'm older. I was looking on teh Arriva Trains Wales website earlier and there's a train driver job on offer...but it's in North Wales...bit of a treck..

[tubeguru]

If you're going to apply to be a train driver I would heavily recommend living near your home depot. We've got guys who live in Didcot and Swindon and I just don't see how they manage to get in for the dead early shifts or home after the dead lates.

And I'm sure I've mentioned this website somewhere before ...

http://www.railwayregister.care4free.ne ... driver.htm

[Garion]

Yeah I know. It said the same thing on the website. I think I live more than an hour away from Holyhead..

[tubeguru]

I've no idea where the ATW depots are to be honest ...

[Garion]

Well I know two and thats Cardiff (by Cardiff Central, and Holyhead)..but dont quote me on the Holyhead one

[tubeguru]

Cardiff, Chester, Holyhead, Machynlleth and Shrewsbury is what I can find from various sources.

[Garion]

Oh cool. I forgot to put down Shrewsbury. I seen that on Wikipedia

[TheFatBuoy]

I did the 09.21 to Oxford yesterday and today as it happens.

Tomorrow will be a slightly earlier turn - I'll be on the 05.30 to Cheltenham and back, returning from Cheltenham on the 08.31 as far as Swindon, where we're relieved by a Bristol driver.

Is said Bristol driver male or female? Depending on the answer I may comment on how good the perks are of your job

(Yes, you can always rely on me to lower the tone)

[tubeguru]

Erm, I honestly can't remember who the driver was, but it was a man to my certain knowledge.

The perks of the job are good enough without worrying about how ugly the women train drivers are ...