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A day in your life...

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Bucephalus

Member
Joined
5 Feb 2018
Messages
419
Location
London
Could you describe a day (or brief week) in your transport / rail job? I think it might help us when applying for new jobs - especially with the "why do you want to be a" question...

I don't think mine is mention-worthy but I'll put it in:

Sign in to garage, check notice of events for diversions etc, find my bus, carry out first use checks for defects, fill in log card and vehicle condition report, drive to start point and commence service, follow timetable and headway (x minutes behind bus in front) - that's the jist of it really, not much else going on.

I'd be very interested to see the finer details of the railway jobs, even if it sounds obvious to the people that do it
 
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SlimJim1694

Member
Joined
8 Jan 2020
Messages
277
Location
Medway
Book on (swipe card).
Pick up diagram.
Pick up bag from locker.
Read notices.
Chat to colleagues.
Make tea.
Avoid managers.
Go to station or sidings as per diagram.
Find train.
Prep/work trains.
Have break. (Location varies depending on diagram, worst place is Orpington on a late shift as nothing is open to buy food).
Prep/work trains.
Go back to booking on point.
Dump bag.
Bin diagram.
Avoid managers.
Go home.
 

Busyboy89

Member
Joined
14 Nov 2018
Messages
132
Book on (swipe card).
Pick up diagram.
Pick up bag from locker.
Read notices.
Chat to colleagues.
Make tea.
Avoid managers.
Go to station or sidings as per diagram.
Find train.
Prep/work trains.
Have break. (Location varies depending on diagram, worst place is Orpington on a late shift as nothing is open to buy food).
Prep/work trains.
Go back to booking on point.
Dump bag.
Bin diagram.
Avoid managers.
Go home.
Only one make tea section.....something wrong with you buddy lol
 

PudseyBearHST

Member
Joined
28 Sep 2015
Messages
965
Location
South West
Only one make tea section.....something wrong with you buddy lol
I was just about to post that and then I saw your post haha


Book on (swipe card).
Make tea.
Pick up diagram.
Pick up bag from locker.
Read notices.
Make tea.
Chat to colleagues.
Make tea.
Avoid managers.
Go to station or sidings as per diagram.
Find train.
Make tea.
Prep/work trains.
Have break. (Location varies depending on diagram, worst place is Orpington on a late shift as nothing is open to buy food).
Make tea.
Prep/work trains.
Go back to booking on point.
Make tea.
Dump bag.
Bin diagram.
Avoid managers.
Go home.
Make tea.
Fixed that for you :D

Oh and moan about passengers, the company and the job
 

Class385

Member
Joined
16 Sep 2018
Messages
36
Location
Carlisle
Check weekly roster and diagrams
Check daily sheet
Phone in to book on
Hire car or pass to wherever I am working
Sign into site
Work can vary from shunting duties, train prep in possessions or passenger guard

Work can be pretty varied and keeps it interesting
 

Bucephalus

Member
Joined
5 Feb 2018
Messages
419
Location
London
Check weekly roster and diagrams
Check daily sheet
Phone in to book on
Hire car or pass to wherever I am working
Sign into site
Work can vary from shunting duties, train prep in possessions or passenger guard

Work can be pretty varied and keeps it interesting

The varied nature of the work sounds right up my street. Are you a depot driver? Is train prep basically checking that every single thing works?

And thanks, SlimJim
 

Class385

Member
Joined
16 Sep 2018
Messages
36
Location
Carlisle
Ground staff with a FOC. We do depot driving also. Train prep out of a worksite involves checking the paperwork matches the wagons involved and the loads, visual inspection of wagons and brakes then a brake test.
 

43066

Established Member
Joined
24 Nov 2019
Messages
9,217
Location
London
Also moan about the bloke/women who’s sat spare with no job......

Moan about the union, moan about the latest pay deal, and desperately try to avoid the messroom bore (every depot has at least one, some have a lot more than one!).
 

43066

Established Member
Joined
24 Nov 2019
Messages
9,217
Location
London
Orpington on a late shift as nothing is open to buy food

The cafe by the station entrance is really good and reasonably priced (as you’re most likely already well aware). But, yep, not much good to you on a late shift.
 

SlimJim1694

Member
Joined
8 Jan 2020
Messages
277
Location
Medway
Only one make tea section.....something wrong with you buddy lol

I was just about to post that and then I saw your post haha



Fixed that for you :D

Oh and moan about passengers, the company and the job

You've got me bang to rights there!

Also moan about the bloke/women who’s sat spare with no job......

Same old faces...

The cafe by the station entrance is really good and reasonably priced (as you’re most likely already well aware). But, yep, not much good to you on a late shift.

Yeah that's a good spot during the day but on lates there is nothing unless you walk to the high street which isn't feasible with most of the breaks. Slade Green is awful too but the Chinese makes up for that.
 

43066

Established Member
Joined
24 Nov 2019
Messages
9,217
Location
London
Yeah that's a good spot during the day but on lates there is nothing unless you walk to the high street which isn't feasible with most of the breaks. Slade Green is awful too but the Chinese makes up for that.

Yep the high street is bit of a trek. At least the room is decent.

Slade Green was no good if you’re not a Chinese fan (and it’s a truly horrible place). CST on a Sunday night was the absolute worst for me - nothing open and no choice but to sit it that disgusting broom cupboard of a room.

The less said about the “refurbished” Charing Cross room the better - good luck getting a minute’s peace and quiet in there with radios going off every five seconds.
 

SlimJim1694

Member
Joined
8 Jan 2020
Messages
277
Location
Medway
Yep the high street is bit of a trek. At least the room is decent.

Slade Green was no good if you’re not a Chinese fan (and it’s a truly horrible place). CST on a Sunday night was the absolute worst for me - nothing open and no choice but to sit it that disgusting broom cupboard of a room.

The less said about the “refurbished” Charing Cross room the better - good luck getting a minute’s peace and quiet in there with radios going off every five seconds.

Cannon Street room is a complete and utter toilet.
 

M Fishplate

Member
Joined
12 Mar 2019
Messages
17
Get to book-on
Read Notice Cases
Try to book on using new mobile system
Fail
Book on using old landline method
Get asked to hold for resources
Get asked by resources why I held for them
Curse new mobile booking on system
Check printer for Late Notices
Dismantle and repair printer
Pick up Late Notices
Go to TSSO
Pick up ticket machine
Ask for hand sanitiser
Run away from TSSO
Sit in messroom
Chat
Marvel at a) effort put in to do as little as possible
b) how much some people hate doing the job
Set up ticket machine
Check platform for train
Go to train
Check train
Check stops with driver
Do pre-departure announcement
Run out of things to say and start talking absolute crap over PA system
Dispatch train
Get to back cab
Relax
Thank my lucky stars
 

TheVicLine

Member
Joined
21 Aug 2012
Messages
430
Location
Liverpool
Get asked to hold for resources
Get asked by resources why I held for them

Hang up and redial resources as holding the line as requested just cuts you off.
Resources decide I was asked to hold because they wanted to check that I had booked on.
Tell resources that I had to book on to receive the message to hold the line

Move to next stage - make tea/coffee whilst slagging off resources to anyone in the messroom who will listen to you.
 

Coach Carter

Member
Joined
21 Sep 2018
Messages
227
My new routine is as follows.
Wake up.
Spend the whole day in the house.
Try not to get driven mad by the kids.
Try not to get driven mad by the Mrs.
Check company Coronavirus update emails.

Being stood down and payed to do nothing sounds alright in theory, but in practice I’ve had enough already haha
 

TheVicLine

Member
Joined
21 Aug 2012
Messages
430
Location
Liverpool
My new routine is as follows.
Wake up.
Spend the whole day in the house.
Try not to get driven mad by the kids.
Try not to get driven mad by the Mrs.
Check company Coronavirus update emails.

Being stood down and payed to do nothing sounds alright in theory, but in practice I’ve had enough already haha

Happy to swap.
Not even got PPE at my TOC. Most traincrew are being moved to spare and then sitting in a crowded messroom all day.
 

Grannyjoans

Member
Joined
29 Mar 2017
Messages
403
Most traincrew are being moved to spare and then sitting in a crowded messroom all day.

Same here, I'm finding that I'm at work to mainly sit in crowded messrooms and drive the very occasional empty train
 

Coach Carter

Member
Joined
21 Sep 2018
Messages
227
Happy to swap.
Not even got PPE at my TOC. Most traincrew are being moved to spare and then sitting in a crowded messroom all day.
Is poor planning isn’t it in terms of staff care, wish you guys where ever you are all the best.
 

Tomnick

Established Member
Joined
10 Jun 2005
Messages
5,826
Happy to swap.
Not even got PPE at my TOC. Most traincrew are being moved to spare and then sitting in a crowded messroom all day.
Yesterday early morning was a bit chaotic for us, but they quickly started sending spare traincrew home and telling others to book on from home and stay there (ready to go to work if called in) with just the bare minimum of spare cover in the messroom. When I went in today, they were even looking at chopping the hastily-issued diagrams about to eliminate long gaps and keep folk away from messrooms. All very sensible!
 
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