Drivers Master Key

[anonymous0101]

I was wondering how easy it is to get one of these? I thought you only got them when qualified, but many train crew (not drivers) seem to have them?

 

[TGV]

Depends on the rolling stock - what key do you mean?

 

[anonymous0101]

Depends on the rolling stock - what key do you mean?

This one :

 

[TGV]

Dunno. Sorry. TGV's don't have 'em like that... I'll hand over to our resident BR drivers...

 

[anonymous0101]

Dunno. Sorry. TGV's don't have 'em like that... I'll hand over to our resident BR drivers...

Are you a TGV driver?

 

[Kneedown]

I was wondering how easy it is to get one of these? I thought you only got them when qualified, but many train crew (not drivers) seem to have them?

The only people who legally have them are Drivers and possibly fitters.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Preserved railway staff have one. I have one for the course of my duties.
Only drivers and fitters should have one. They're probably on Ebay somewhere.

 

[Pumbaa]

They're difficult to get hold of, and examples on eBay etc are highly policed. If you're caught flogging one of those off, big doggy doo-doo for you!

 

[175001]

Why would you want one!? As a railway employee, I find it strange and worrying that some people are looking out for railway keys.

 

[anonymous0101]

Why would you want one!? As a railway employee, I find it strange and worrying that some people are looking out for railway keys.

I don't want one. I was just wondering how easy is it to get one and whether there were any restrictions on who has one? I've seen conductors and even on board catering staff with such a key.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Conductor's wouldn't have a need for one, and it is worrying that catering staff would!

 

[ladydsm]

Be handy the guard having one because if you left yours at home or dropped it as someone did at paddock wood years ago and another one having to be delivered by taxi.

 

[Greenback]

Please forgive my ignorance, but what do these keys actually do? I once saw a conductor open a window on a 158 (I think) with soemthing that looked like this key.

 

[ChrisCooper]

Are you definitly sure they were master keys, not other similar looking keys? There are loads of different locks that use barrel shaped keys, from basic square or triangular ones to quite complicated ones. The square sort are in common use in transport for accessing comparments and cupboards, including train cabs, and are generally reffered to as budget keys, two of which are normally found on a railway carriage key (a straight and a tapered one). Perhaps what you saw were forms of these? Carrying something like that which would fit on a normal keychain would probably be preferable to carrying a full carriage key around that needs a special holster. Conductors definitly need them, to access cabs and control panels, catering staff might too. Cleaners would also need them, a lot of bins use budget locks for a start.

Oh, Greenback's post which wasn't there when I started mine sheds new light on this.
The 158 windows, along with similar windows on other trains, use a budget lock, so if you have seen a key like the one shown being used to open a 158 window, then it's not a master key but a budget key. It's reasons like that why conductors need them.

An actual master key, as shown in the picture, is used to unlock the driving controls in the cab, hence why there is the question of why anyone but a driver (or fitter) would have one. It seems the answer is they wouldn't, but very likely would have something similar.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Carriage Keys look quite different to master (or since I'm a southerner - EP) keys.

 

[ChrisCooper]

I know they do, but a key that performs the same function could look near identical at a glance.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Carriage Keys and EP key's don't perform the same function though.

 

[anonymous0101]

They're difficult to get hold of, and examples on eBay etc are highly policed. If you're caught flogging one of those off, big doggy doo-doo for you!

Not flogging that key. Its mine - erm .. well its someone's - not mine originally

 

[TGV]

Are you a TGV driver?

Driver? No. Engineer? Yes.

 

[ladydsm]

number 7 and number 8 keys look a bit like an ep key from a distance small and stubby

 

[AlexS]

Desk key unlocks the driving desk. Although to be fair there's probably been millions made over the years and there will be ****loads floating around in private collections, retired railway staff and so on.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

And the certain trick with something in a tool box.

 

[AlexS]

Although if you're fudging the lock you probably shouldn't be playing trains in the first place!

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I'm not - was told by an ex-BR driver.

 

[Greeny]

And the certain trick with something in a tool box.

Woops, I wasn't going to mention a jemmy-ing key !!.

G

 

[anonymous0101]

Woops, I wasn't going to mention a jemmy-ing key !!.

G

Its a wonder noone has tried to steal a train!

 

[dk1]

Conductor's wouldn't have a need for one, and it is worrying that catering staff would!

Conductors most definatley DO need one. Who else will start the DMU to build up the air when we are late to the train through drinking tea & gossiping in the messroom :roll:

 

[ChrisCooper]

I know the square type of locks are pretty easy to break into with common tools as I've done it a few times myself. Always legit though, either not having proper key or on one occasion they key I did have not being long enough. They are considered low security locks for a reason.

 

[CarterUSM]

Conductors most definatley DO need one. Who else will start the DMU to build up the air when we are late to the train through drinking tea & gossiping in the messroom :roll:

I must say, i've done it myself over the years especially dead units on cold mornings, but it is certainly frowned upon these days, not worth a disciplinary in my book. I do have at least a dozen though, inherited from family members.

 

[starrymarkb]

Its a wonder noone has tried to steal a train!

Wasn't there a case of someone joyriding an 08 around a yard someone a few years back