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A career as a signaller

High Dyke

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Joined
1 Jan 2013
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4,267
Location
Yellabelly Country
It would be a shame to loose you guys. From a personal perspective you, LOM, nom, High Dyke and the countless other experienced members of this thread provide a real insight and this has been extremely beneficial, not only for me but countless others.

When first started applying for jobs there were only 27 pages and less than 800 posts on this thread. It has taken me over 40 applications and 3 interviews to finally get a position. Now almost 3 years to the day of my first interview I am about to start my career on the railway. The information I have taken from here has helped me get to this position and I am grateful for that input. So thanks to all of you.
Appreciate that chap. I'm one of those that will help people learn, if they are willing to help themselves learn. I think a fair few on here recently have shown they want to do that - though there will always be exceptions. On my signalling course there was a guy who, in his own words, "could list stores numbers from one to infinity.", he previously worked for the MOD. However, he couldn't signal a train, as was proved during his week in a signal box mid-course. Everyone tried to avoid him during group exercises; but I got lumbered with him. However, I let him have enough proverbial rope, and he did the rest. One trainee had already gone home after week one because of this chap. He then got embroiled in a case of harassment at signalling school that saw him get sacked shortly afterwards.
 
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Tom Quinne

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8 Jul 2017
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2,225
I don't know about others.. But when I first found this forum I used to love reading through all the posts from the very beginning of the thread. Made my interest in the job even stronger.

Look at you now, only 40 years to go until release lol

Appreciate that chap. I'm one of those that will help people learn, if they are willing to help themselves learn. I think a fair few on here recently have shown they want to do that - though there will always be exceptions. On my signalling course there was a guy who, in his own words, "could list stores numbers from one to infinity.", he previously worked for the MOD. However, he couldn't signal a train, as was proved during his week in a signal box mid-course. Everyone tried to avoid him during group exercises; but I got lumbered with him. However, I let him have enough proverbial rope, and he did the rest. One trainee had already gone home after week one because of this chap. He then got embroiled in a case of harassment at signalling school that saw him get sacked shortly afterwards.

Jesus, sounds like a nice chap !
 

High Dyke

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1 Jan 2013
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4,267
Location
Yellabelly Country
Jesus, sounds like a nice chap !
Oh he was. The poor lad that we lost in week one had struggled, but most of us helped him get to the point of being able to get through. Afterwards we asked why he'd done so badly; he told us that up to the night before he felt confident to get through, but had sat talking to 'Mr MOD' in the hotel, who had convinced him we were all wrong. The whole group breathed a collective sigh of relief after 'Mr MOD' was sent back to his signalling manager following the meeting with the trainer/management. We were also given the opportunity to resit any of the exams we had struggled with - admittedly that was too late for the lad we lost in week one; though at least he could return to his Grade 1 position.

So my message to all new recruits/trainees. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Apply as much effort as you are capable and behave yourselves both in and out of school. However, do enjoy your time there, and it should put you in good stead for a successful career.
 

Tom Quinne

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Oh he was. The poor lad that we lost in week one had struggled, but most of us helped him get to the point of being able to get through. Afterwards we asked why he'd done so badly; he told us that up to the night before he felt confident to get through, but had sat talking to 'Mr MOD' in the hotel, who had convinced him we were all wrong. The whole group breathed a collective sigh of relief after 'Mr MOD' was sent back to his signalling manager following the meeting with the trainer/management. We were also given the opportunity to resit any of the exams we had struggled with - admittedly that was too late for the lad we lost in week one; though at least he could return to his Grade 1 position.

So my message to all new recruits/trainees. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Apply as much effort as you are capable and behave yourselves both in and out of school. However, do enjoy your time there, and it should put you in good stead for a successful career.

Your last paragraph is 100% true, please ask for help, there is literally no stupid questions.

It does boil my piss when people effectively bully others into dropping out of opportunities like this.
 

Freddy

New Member
Joined
13 Oct 2020
Messages
2
Location
Northants
Evening all.
I have spent days reading through every entry in this thread and it has been an invaluable source of info. I have managed to get a place at a recruitment day and interview next week for a future opportunities role at Rugby which I’m really excited about.
I cannot find out much info at all about Rugby Apart from a bit in the press about when it opened in 2015. I tried to contact the LOM but apparently he is no longer in the role. It was an application from March!
Is signalling still in a separate building (SCC) or is it now in the ROC? Does anyone have any info about the place?
Many Thanks
 

RailNoob

Member
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2 Jul 2020
Messages
55
Location
Wirral
I don't know about others.. But when I first found this forum I used to love reading through all the posts from the very beginning of the thread. Made my interest in the job even stronger.
I agree, I have secured a job with the help and advice of members of this forum just waiting it out till IST now but I still pop on frequently just to see whats being said or dive deep into the forum and potentially pick up some information I didnt previously know!
 

godfreycomplex

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2016
Messages
1,296
Evening all.
I have spent days reading through every entry in this thread and it has been an invaluable source of info. I have managed to get a place at a recruitment day and interview next week for a future opportunities role at Rugby which I’m really excited about.
I cannot find out much info at all about Rugby Apart from a bit in the press about when it opened in 2015. I tried to contact the LOM but apparently he is no longer in the role. It was an application from March!
Is signalling still in a separate building (SCC) or is it now in the ROC? Does anyone have any info about the place?
Many Thanks
Both Rugby SCC and Rugby ROC have signallers based there, covering different areas.
Rugby SCC has 6 computer desks, Rugby ROC has one
Rugby SCC covers Apsley to just short of Rugeley
Rugby ROC covers from Shugborough/Penkridge to Madeley (south of Crewe)
 

Freddy

New Member
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13 Oct 2020
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2
Location
Northants
Both Rugby SCC and Rugby ROC have signallers based there, covering different areas.
Rugby SCC has 6 computer desks, Rugby ROC has one
Rugby SCC covers Apsley to just short of Rugeley
Rugby ROC covers from Shugborough/Penkridge to Madeley (south of Crewe)
That’s really helpful thank you!
Ive no idea what the recruitment day involves, as I can’t see how group activities will work in the current climate, but I’m going to give it my best shot!
Fingers crossed and many thanks
 

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
It would be a shame to lose you guys. From a personal perspective you, LOM, nom, High Dyke and the countless other experienced members of this thread provide a real insight and this has been extremely beneficial, not only for me but countless others.

When I first started applying for jobs there were only 27 pages and less than 800 posts on this thread. It has taken me over 40 applications and 3 interviews to finally get a position. Now almost 3 years to the day of my first interview I am about to start my career on the railway. The information I have taken from here has helped me get to this position and I am grateful for that input. So thanks to all of you.

Nice one, Dave!

LOM hasn’t posted in a while and I guess we can contemplate why. it just seems the last year or so on this thread people have gotten to the point where they want to be spoon fed a perfect application and a grade 9 role that’s not a grade 9 in terms of workload.

Totally agree, I’m getting fed up with it as well. Literally everything you could want is on here, just spend a week reading through taking notes of the bits you want some clarification on.

If someone said I’ve read XYZ, but I don’t understand Y can someone expand no issues, we’re here to help at the end of the day.

Mr LOM is a big lose to the thread, but I can understand why he’s not bothered anymore or some bitter so in so has kicked up about him posting, wouldn’t surprise me.


Also becoming a bit fed up with it (and agree re LOM - hopefully only a temporary absence, although sadly I doubt it). Some of the newer faces here seem to have a sense of entitlement that I don't previously remember.

As has been mentioned many times previously, it might help if this thread was separated into a sub-forum of its own, with separate threads, a FAQ sticky etc - look at how many threads there are on driver recruitment! I did email the forum admins about some of this but never received a reply. If anyone wants to have another go, please do.
 
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Rigchick

Member
Joined
5 May 2019
Messages
49
Basically, give the roster clerk as much notice as possible in that calendar year. If it means booking leave then don't wait until a few weeks before otherwise you may be disappointed, especially if you have already paid for an event. Most roster clerks will try and accommodate a leave request where possible. If it's short notice leave you require then that needs to be sanctioned by your line manager; it may be that the quota for your area has been reached.

You are able to carry over up to 5 days, but you must have applied for them in the year accrued and had them declined to do this. The days must be taken by March of the following year, or they will be lost. (* See below)

Compensatory Leave (accrued for Bank Holidays, if you choose the lower pay option). They have a 12 month date on them, after which you get paid them.

* Days accrued in 2020 need to be applied for by December 31st 2020, and declined by your roster clerk/manager. Those days must then be taken by the end of March 2021.
Thanks High Dyke for the comprehensive answer. Much appreciated.
 

amanda08

Guest
Joined
19 Oct 2019
Messages
304
So, just about 7 months after my first application, I just passed out at IST yesterday, having managed to get through my final observation :D I just wanted to once more say thank you to all the people on here who have been so generous with advice and willing to answer so many questions I had. This whole thread is worth it's weight in gold!
Just TCB conversion to do now, then it's off to train in my first box :D
 

_Odo_

Member
Joined
14 Jan 2020
Messages
31
Location
Lincolnshire
That's great Amanda, congrats.

On the subject of IST, I've read many times on this thread about the importance of spending time on the simulator at signalling school, but can anyone here elaborate on what exactly this simulator is? Is it simply a computer program, or is it more like a physical set up? Does it simulate actual scenarios, and conversations you might have with drivers, for example? And is the set up the same whichever school you go to or is each one different? Just trying to get a feel for what my training is going to be like. Thanks in advance.
 

MrsP2010

Member
Joined
31 Mar 2020
Messages
105
Location
Ellesmere
That's great Amanda, congrats.

On the subject of IST, I've read many times on this thread about the importance of spending time on the simulator at signalling school, but can anyone here elaborate on what exactly this simulator is? Is it simply a computer program, or is it more like a physical set up? Does it simulate actual scenarios, and conversations you might have with drivers, for example? And is the set up the same whichever school you go to or is each one different? Just trying to get a feel for what my training is going to be like. Thanks in advance.
This is the Sim aka Hornby Junction!!
 

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MrsP2010

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31 Mar 2020
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105
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Ellesmere
Oh my, way more than just a computer program, then! Thank you for that. What is it like to use?
Well to me it's like a real signal box, but having never worked one I've got nothing to compare it to! It's controlled by a computer which "sends" you trains and different scenarios to deal with. When you're "on the sim" you and your fellow trainees take it in turn to operate the sim and the back desk. Both give you good practice.
 

Gallius

Member
Joined
10 Nov 2019
Messages
91
Location
Uk
That's great Amanda, congrats.

On the subject of IST, I've read many times on this thread about the importance of spending time on the simulator at signalling school, but can anyone here elaborate on what exactly this simulator is? Is it simply a computer program, or is it more like a physical set up? Does it simulate actual scenarios, and conversations you might have with drivers, for example? And is the set up the same whichever school you go to or is each one different? Just trying to get a feel for what my training is going to be like. Thanks in advance.
I'm currently at signalling school on a TCB course with a VDU (Westcad) simulator. It is a computer simulation program with keyboard/tracker ball setup. There are two desks, one is for the trainee and the other is for the assessor. The assessor desk can be used to set up different scenarios for the trainee to practice. Typically in our practice sessions one trainee will practice on the Sim and another trainee will operate the assessor desk. We simulate phone conversations using wireless telephones which can record your conversations so that they can be listened back to for training purposes.
 

ffesti

Member
Joined
29 May 2020
Messages
32
Location
Sheffield
That's great Amanda, congrats.

On the subject of IST, I've read many times on this thread about the importance of spending time on the simulator at signalling school, but can anyone here elaborate on what exactly this simulator is? Is it simply a computer program, or is it more like a physical set up? Does it simulate actual scenarios, and conversations you might have with drivers, for example? And is the set up the same whichever school you go to or is each one different? Just trying to get a feel for what my training is going to be like. Thanks in advance.
There’s a fairly comprehensive video of the Perth School simulator here: https://vimeo.com/243578577
 

_Odo_

Member
Joined
14 Jan 2020
Messages
31
Location
Lincolnshire
Thanks ffesti, that's a great video. It's slightly scary watching that because I didn't entirely understand (read, I had absolutely no idea) what was happening, but I guess I'll learn soon enough!

I got the impression that the instructor was rather enjoying waiting for the exact moment for the trainee to sit down before getting him out of his seat again!!
 

High Dyke

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Joined
1 Jan 2013
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4,267
Location
Yellabelly Country
So, just about 7 months after my first application, I just passed out at IST yesterday, having managed to get through my final observation :D I just wanted to once more say thank you to all the people on here who have been so generous with advice and willing to answer so many questions I had. This whole thread is worth it's weight in gold!
Just TCB conversion to do now, then it's off to train in my first box :D
Well done.

Oh my, way more than just a computer program, then! Thank you for that. What is it like to use?
The only thing it won't do is simulate the weight of a wire pull semaphore signal, I believe.
 

ChrisRS

Member
Joined
17 Jan 2019
Messages
144
There’s a fairly comprehensive video of the Perth School simulator here: https://vimeo.com/243578577
Bruce Langlands is a good instructor.

Thanks ffesti, that's a great video. It's slightly scary watching that because I didn't entirely understand (read, I had absolutely no idea) what was happening, but I guess I'll learn soon enough!

I got the impression that the instructor was rather enjoying waiting for the exact moment for the trainee to sit down before getting him out of his seat again!!
I wouldn't expect anyone off the streets to have the slightest idea what's going on in this video. Even in signal school it may take a week or 2 before it all clicks together.

Putting in the hours after school is definitely a must if you feel you aren't getting the grasp of things, hard work pays off in the end.
Well done.


The only thing it won't do is simulate the weight of a wire pull semaphore signal, I believe.
It certainly doesn't. Certainly caught me off guard some the pulls I've had.

Same can be said for the Welwyn when winding out, takes much longer in the real world.

Mechanical points that rarely get operated are always a fun one.
 

High Dyke

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1 Jan 2013
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4,267
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Yellabelly Country
It certainly doesn't. Certainly caught me off guard some the pulls I've had.

Same can be said for the Welwyn when winding out, takes much longer in the real world.

Mechanical points that rarely get operated are always a fun one.
I've never really had a go on the lever frame, only the NX simulator that are both at Doncaster. However, I didn't think it gave you the same experience of a mechanical pull and the tension in the signal wire.
 

Chumba

Member
Joined
13 May 2019
Messages
164
So, just about 7 months after my first application, I just passed out at IST yesterday, having managed to get through my final observation :D I just wanted to once more say thank you to all the people on here who have been so generous with advice and willing to answer so many questions I had. This whole thread is worth it's weight in gold!
Just TCB conversion to do now, then it's off to train in my first box :D

well done, a long journey but light at the end of the tunnel. (Pardon the pun):D
 

89jordanbj

Member
Joined
16 Dec 2019
Messages
208
Location
Newport
So, just about 7 months after my first application, I just passed out at IST yesterday, having managed to get through my final observation :D I just wanted to once more say thank you to all the people on here who have been so generous with advice and willing to answer so many questions I had. This whole thread is worth it's weight in gold!
Just TCB conversion to do now, then it's off to train in my first box :D
Congratulations Amanda! I start my week 8 on Monday, crazy how quick it goes after the first couple of weeks! Good luck for your TCBC and your career in box
 

NoEyeDeer

Member
Joined
14 Sep 2020
Messages
34
Location
Aberdeen
All checks passed and just waiting on a start date, is signalling school generally a straight 11 weeks? Or do you do for example 5 weeks their then at your box for a few weeks then back at school?
 

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