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I‘ve known plenty of ex-forces and emergency services drivers over the years in different depots and they have similar incident records as other drivers. Perhaps there are just some people who are suited to driving trains and others who are less so, regardless of previous work experience.

That was probably the same train I was on. The reason for the delay between Swindon and Bristol was that we were following two freight trains and they had a heat related speed restriction of 30mph.

When I learned to drive HST’s I was told not to use notch 5 until the rear power car had cleared the platform. That was the full length HST’s, not the castle class. I do still get to drive the castles occasionally.

The reason for this is the driver has put the train in 'turnaround' mode, where on a 5 car one of the three engines keep running to provide power etc (two engines on a 10 car) and on a 9 car two engines are kept running. The new driver will restart all the engines before the journey commences.

Trains left at Cardiff on a Saturday night are usually fully shut down (Auxed off) not left under power all night.

They also all sign to Carmarthen, plus link one signs Pembroke Dock in the summer. Swansea is a great depot to work at, that is why people don't leave.

The Coryton branch is very slippery during leaf fall so at this time of year it will almost certainly be the railhead treatment train.

I think its a great job. Previously, I spent 15 years in engineering and hated it. Luckily i got taken on as a driver straight off the road. I spent a few years driving units on intensive suburban work. Towards the end they had crammed more work into the diagrams with shorter breaks, it became...

Mine was for a couple of days and was held at Swindon. I think it is role dependent though as others who started the same day were there for the week.

They do, it's a large unit fitted in front of the secondman's seat. They actually do quite a good job of cooling the cab but I still like to open the door to let some fresh air in.

Utter nonsense. Let me help you out with some actual experience. I drive 125's every day on the GWML. I have also driven an M5 extensively (16000 miles). They do not compare!!!!

I'm sorry, but anyone who has been in an M5 will know that the acceleration times are not even comparable. M5's can do 0-100mph in around 8.5 seconds, the 125 takes minutes. Are you sure your M5 isn't a 520d with an M5 badge?

I used to drive them, they were not a nice place to spend over 4 hours. I always used to moan when I was booked a 150 and a Pacer pulled in. They were also a pain to drive during leaf fall.

I agree, I've done the 100+ stops a day driving Sprinters/Pacers and I did enjoy it, but it was hard work. I now drive HST's and it's a different world, I wouldn't go back in a hurry!

The four lines next to Canton wash are Down Barry, Up Barry, Down Barry relief and Up Barry relief. The two lines that curve around Canton (toward Ninian Park) are the Up Treforest and Down Treforest. The Up/Down Leckwith branch line links Ninian Park with the Mainline. The five lines on the...

Valley driver then. I've been driving the Valleys for nearly 5 years now, I really enjoy it.

Congrats, which depot are you based at?

Yes, we get rostered depot turns in our links. We don't do the dirty stuff like toilets/fuelling but we do all the moves around the depot, we have shunters to pull the points. I don't mind doing it as its a different work, but I'd much rather be out on the mainline actually driving a train than...

In my experience as long as the shifts are covered and you comply with the 12hr rule etc then you can swap as much as you want. There are people I know who work almost permanent nights, that makes it difficult for managers to do rides etc.

Cardiff mainline drivers often change at Shrewsbury but they also sign to Chester and Crewe so could change there too. Going west they do change at Carmarthen but can also go all the way.