Train Manager instead of Guard
Other way round really. "Train Manager" is a far more appropriate title than "Guard" in this day and age. Although the "Guard" of a train will still, today, be able to protect the line in an accident, it's not a widely-understood meaning of the word, which has more military or security connotations than the fairly neutral and yet descriptive term "Train Manager".
The title which really winds me up is "Conductor". It's a stupidly ambiguous term on the railway (think "Route Conductors" versus "Conductors" and you'll see what I mean). I fail to see how the word "Conductor" gives any gravity or sense to the actual responsibilities of a guard, nor does it really imply anything to do with the fairly advanced level of customer service they can (or should) actually offer a passenger.
Do drivers and guards still refer to signals as 'boards' or 'sticks'?
Not sure if this is more of a semaphore one - I only have a handful of semaphores in my area now, which may be why I don't generally hear it.
Or 'peg'?
I always think to myself "we've got the board" when the signal turns green.
I hear "we've got the road" far more often. Which to be fair is a little bit old-fashioned.
Very rare but
Platelayer in reference to permanent way track workers. Heard it used in the recording of the radio call in the Egmonton near miss a couple of years ago. I do wonder if it is more common in the north of England or old grouping LNER routes than grouping GWR or SR?
I don't work on ex (and - if we must - current) LNER routes, but the name "Platelayers' Hut" is regularly used to describe any random small lineside shed which isn't a TP hut! "P-way" (permanent way) is a much more common name for the workers themselves. "Permanent way" is something I think is also a little archaic, but I think it's a fantastic turn of phrase really.
The standard British road sign for a level crossing is surely an obsolete image
Specifically used for an open crossing (without barriers) - I think it is meant to depict an unambiguous train shape to describe the sort of object you may encounter in your path when the road and railway intersect. The sign for a barriered crossing is obviously just a fence shape - again a bit old-fashioned, and probably less understandable on the whole.
When the signaller pulls off the dolly but because of the weather your train starts picking it’s feet up. So you shut off and whistle at the platelayer.
Almost all Electrostars have whistles, so I'm not really sure that bit is always archaic...