Tubeguru gets a new job

[tubeguru]

I had some lads applauding me sarcastically as I ran into Chippenham station last Friday night going towards Bristol. We'd been 10 minutes down since leaving Paddington with a door problem.

[tubeguru]

Anyone interested in steam trains should have been at Paddington at 09.00 yesterday as 34067 'Tangmere' was in the station, hauling the 09.20 Paddington to Salisbury via Newbury and Yeovil Junction. My empty stock HST was on the adjacent platform and I had a bit of a chat to a spotter before my signal came off and I had to leave for the Oak. I made sure I sounded the horn to make the assembled crowd jump!

As I was coming out of the other side of the wash at Kensal Green the steam came rushing past on the down relief, filling the entire area under the bridges ahead of me with smoke, so I opened the door to get a good noseful. Later on I spoke to a Bristol driver at Paddington who had passed the steam at Southall, with the WCR class 47 that brought the coaches in from the Oak running alongside it on the down main line.

Here's a picture of the train later in its journey at Crofton crossing (just west of Bedwyn), having stopped at Newbury Racecourse to take on water.

[tubeguru]

Did I actually attach the picture link to that post? I thought I did ...

[Garion]

Nope, looks like you didnt...

[tubeguru]

Hmmm, well I'm sure you can search for your own if you like.

Just look for search terms such as "34067" and "Somerset Explorer".

[Sam]

Question for Neil:

If you were scheduled to stop at a station and you went straight through it... would it be a sackable offence? Cheers!

[RichieG]

Question for Neil:

If you were scheduled to stop at a station and you went straight through it... would it be a sackable offence? Cheers!

Sounds like something of such nature has happened to you.....

[Sam]

Well you could say that!

One of my services failed to stop at my station recently causing some minor disrupton.

[mps247]

Before Neil tells us the answer, I would like to hazard a guess! If I was in charge, and there hadn't been a last minute schedule change, I would fine the driver rather than sack him/her. Had the driver overrun the station by mistake, and then opened the doors, I would fire him/her - doing something like that would be putting passengers at risk.

Enough of "If I ruled the World..." for today!

[editorsfoot]

Question for Neil:

If you were scheduled to stop at a station and you went straight through it... would it be a sackable offence? Cheers!

This happened to me once, last train, station in the middle of nowhere and it sailed through non stop. My mate who worked for NSE told me nothing happened so don't bank on anything, didn't even have to pay for the taxis sent to pick us up!

[Going Underground]

Happens all the bloody time when you go to Plumpton

The train is schduled to stop there more often when racing is on, when you board at Clapham they always announce "And an additional stop at Plumpton" On three occasions myself it has gone straight through and stopped at Lewes several miles along the line and the angry punters have gone to the front and had a right moan at the driver......

[tubeguru]

Question for Neil:

If you were scheduled to stop at a station and you went straight through it... would it be a sackable offence? Cheers!

It would depend on your company and what their policy was, and also how many incidents you'd had before.

One of our guys went three coaches over at Maidenhead a few weeks ago and he's been taken off ever since, but then he does have certain circumstances which will delay him returning (which I can't divulge here).

Generally you wouldn't be sacked unless you did it deliberately and said so to the management.

[Mitchell&BrownLook]

It seems that falling asleep at the controls of a train is a good way to make yourself unpopular in India.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8080656.stm

[tubeguru]

And this is why the minimum safe distance between you and the overhead wires is 9 feet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxy3-v7hsXE

[Garion]

Definately an 18 certificate...