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becoming a crossing keeper

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J

Jim train fan

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11 Feb 2013
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Hi all,

I'm totally new to this. I had an interview yesterday for a crossing keeper job and hopefully I'll get it. I've been wanting to work in the rail industry for years and this is the closest I have got, as vacancies are few and far between where I am. Does anybody know if there is there any literature out there that would help prepare me if I do get this position?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)
 
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RailUK Forums

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LCC106

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Hi Jim, welcome to the forum! Well done on reaching the interview stage, fingers crossed for you and hopefully someone will be along to help soon :)
 
T

Tomnick

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Whereabouts is the vacancy that you've applied for Jim? Crossing keepers generally lead straightforward lives, albeit carrying a fair amount of responsibility - usually, such locations have either their own non-block signals, no signals or slots on someone else's protecting signals, so don't have any real involvement in the signalling of trains. That greatly reduces what you need to know, you'll be pleased to hear!

You should be issued with the relevant bits of the Rule Book, and given training appropriate to your location - I'd not recommend trying to get ahead of that training, but the Rule Book is available online here. I'd certainly recommend getting hold of a copy of Red for Danger though - invaluable reading for anyone in the signalling grades (or anywhere else!), I think.
 
J

Jim train fan

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Brilliant, thanks for that :) I'll have a read. Yes I don't want to get too ahead of myself, just want to have a better idea of some of the basic rules and regs to give me a little bit of a head start. It's at brierfield, I've been to the crossing but didn't want to trespass on network rail property :) I'm trying not to get too excited but I feel the interview went very well and that I'm in with a real chance.
 
83G/84D

83G/84D

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Good luck, if you do get the job don't get intimidated by idiot motorists giving you lots of verbal. Don't be afraid to report any bad encounters to the BTP, hopefully you won't get any.
 
T

Tomnick

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Some photos of Brierfield box here - you might be particularly interested in the photo of the diagram (and switches controlling the protecting signals). Looks like a nice steady job, but not mind-numbingly quiet! No regular nights too, I'm guessing?

Good luck anyway :) .
 
J

Jim train fan

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Idiot motorists won't manage to upset me haha, like water off a ducks back. Yeah that diagram is ace, thanks for that :)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
As far as I'm aware it's 12 hour shifts including nights but that doesn't phase me at all, just means there's more rest days I can work for a bit of overtime :)
 
T

Toots

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Aye that's one way of putting it I suppose...although not if you read the posts of a certain Relief Signalman on Connect,then you'd think it was busier than Clapham Junction!..Have you passed out yet?..
 
T

Tomnick

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Yes chap, (finally) passed out in mid-December! Very much enjoying it - as much as we all like to moan, I don't think there are many better jobs out there :) .

I sometimes dip into Connect when there's not much going on, but have to be really bored to start wading through the drivel that's usually on there. I know who you're referring to though!
 
T

Toots

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Well done!,I'm glad you are enjoying it,let's just hope we get a few more years out of it,I don't fancy a move to a PSB or IECC,which incidentally is the reason for the job vacancy our friend Jim has put in for...
 
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Tomnick

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We've got four or five years left, the latest corporate gen claims. I think that relies on funding from 'elsewhere' rather than being part of the CP5 investment though. Obviously I'm keen to move the EMCC to lengthen my career rather than being dumped on the street, but there's nothing like being out in the middle of nowhere and left to get on with it!
 
J

Jim train fan

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Yes I should imagine your right there. I've been reading 'out of control' by Dave Borshik. I wish I could go back 40 years and enter the ranks then, there's something special about manual boxes, and having the view from one. My grandad was a driver, my dad a signalman and my stepdad too. And I couldn't help but have that boyish feeling of being mesmerized watching the trains going by while my dad controled their route with his levers when I was younger. I hope that I will be lucky enough to find open vacancies and try to climb the grades after brierfield closes in December, as unlikely as that may be with the predicted redundancies :(
 
M

mac

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Well done when do you start and is it full time or only 6 months like most seem to be now?
 
M

mac

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Has anything changed with them closing so many boxes, years ago they started closing them but had a few accidents so stopped now it seems they are all going.
 
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