Tubeguru gets a new job

[zeibura]

I've always felt it extremely cold-hearted of them not to allow what you just mentioned, Moley. After all, if a train is more than half an hour late, surely the very least that they could do would be to allow you to travel at the time you originally chose, albeit on a different train, out of common decency and politeness.

To be honest, most train conductors are human and would allow it. It's happened to me before. On numerous occasions I've even missed my "specified" train on an advance ticket, so it was my fault and not the operator's, but I've only been asked to pay extra once.

[al]

We can't see that it's you though, Neil!

[tubeguru]

I know it's me because that's where and how I sounded the horn. Plus I went through just before the steam train.

[Mitchell&BrownLook]

I know it's me because that's where and how I sounded the horn. Plus I went through just before the steam train.

How you sounded the horn? Don't you just press a button? Or is that just it, yoy double pressed the button so as to make the noise you did?

[tubeguru]

The horn on an HST is a four-way lever within easy reach of the driver's right hand.

Sideays movement is for the "soft" tones, high and low pitched, for use on depots. Forwards and aft movement is for the "loud" tones, high and low, for use on the mainline.

The operation is completely manual so if I hold the lever forwards for three seconds you will hear three seconds of high loud tone. As you can hear in the video, I gave it a short blast forwards followed by a short blast aft.

The various rules regarding the use of the horn include:

Soft low tone only to be used on depots
Horn to be sounded when passing a whistle board (low loud)
Horn to be sounded whenever you see anyone on or near the line (loud tones)
Horn not to be sounded between 2300 and 0700 unless you see anyone on or near the line
Maximum train speed to be reduced to 100mph if the loud tone fails. If the entire thing fails then the train must be taken out of service
Always sound the high loud tone before moving off when passing a signal at danger or moving within a possession
Horn to be sounded at regular intervals when making a wrong-direction movement

I think that covers everything ...

[Mitchell&BrownLook]

Thanks for that, I'd never have guessed that blowing the horn on a train was quite such a multi-faceted skill! While, your answer was fantastically comprehensive, it does makes one question arise in my mind.

Which rule takes precedence when you are presented with a whistle board between the hours of 2300 and 0700?

I ask because you may be at a tunnel, where I'd have thought that it is pretty imperative that you do utilise the horn at all times. If the board does takes precedence the lesson has to learn has to be don't buy a house near a railway tunnel!

[tubeguru]

If you're going past a whistle board after 2300 you shouldn't sound your horn. You should only use it after 2300 if you see anyone on or near the line.

I did miss out the rule regarding tunnels - if you are about to EXIT a tunnel and you can see someone on or near the line beyond the tunnel then you must sound the horn before leaving the tunnel. The rule about sounding the horn before entering a tunnel was removed several years ago.

If you buy a house near a railway and you don't like horns, check to see if there are any user-worked crossings near your house. If there are then the chances are that a whistle board will be provided on approach from both directions.

[Garion]

The last statement is true. Going to Walmer from Charing Cross, and even from Walmer on to Ramsgate, the trains (the lovely class 375 ) go over a load of level crossings and things on the way, and if you're in the leading coach, you can easily hear the driver apply the horn.

[tubeguru]

The whistle boards are there because there is no other form of warning to the user. No automatic half barriers, lights or sirens. I often wonder if anyone's been crossing one of those things at 1am and been run down by a train because the driver didn't sound the horn.

Out of interest I'm on the 16.15 to Swansea and the 20.30 back today.

[Garion]

Ahh cool Croeso i Gymru

[Mitchell&BrownLook]

Is that a typical sort of day in terms of hours for a train driver Neil?

I'm going on that fact that you're driving for 3 hours, have 70 minutes turn around time and then 3 hours back again. Obviously there's alot to concentrate on (your comments on the horn have reaffirmed that to me) so it makes sense that you need some down time before you start again.

[Starkey7]

Are there any rules on sounding the horn when espying train enthusiasts?

[tangy]

Yes, preferably loud two tone, followed by some thrash/noise. Works best with a video camera around! Lovely!!

[tubeguru]

Are there any rules on sounding the horn when espying train enthusiasts?

Well strictly happy hooting isn't really allowed, but at the same time one of the people filming me was inside the railway boundary and was wearing a hi-vis so I was compelled to sound the horn!

[tubeguru]

Is that a typical sort of day in terms of hours for a train driver Neil?

I'm going on that fact that you're driving for 3 hours, have 70 minutes turn around time and then 3 hours back again. Obviously there's alot to concentrate on (your comments on the horn have reaffirmed that to me) so it makes sense that you need some down time before you start again.

Yes, that's typical for a Swansea turn. The maximum time you can drive without having a break is four hours, so if you're delayed you need to think ahead and be ready to call control a station or two before to tell them you're not taking the train any further than such a station. Because my knees play havoc with me if I stay sitting for three hours holding the DSD pedal down I have to keep getting up and walking round the cab at stations!

You say three hours back, but last night it was 3 hours 15 minutes because of various temporary speed restrictions. Engineering work at Ruscombe meant we were on the relief line from Reading to Slough which slowed us a bit more.

Tomorrow's job is a bit more interesting. I drive the 14.30 to Temple Meads and then travel passenger to Cardiff on an ex-Portsmouth Harbour train. I then hang around for a couple of hours before driving the 20.26 back to Paddington. But as the line between Bristol Parkway and Swindon is closed we have to go on a little diversion. First I have to stop at Patchway so the people for Parkway can get off and be bussed over. Then instead of calling at Parkway we go round the back of Stoke Gifford Junction, down the Filton Bank and then round the Bristol Loop (Rhubarb Loop as it is colloquially known) - next stop Swindon. I'm not sure why we're not stopping at Bath Spa but trains weren't doing it last weekend either. I think it's because too many trains stopping there on the up will cause traffic jams back to Bristol due to the distance between signals.

Later this year they're going to be shortening the signal spacing at Bath so trains can run closer and "quicker" into the station.