A career as a signaller

[Kraken]

Yes, that was the final nail as it were
school starts on the 27th but I begin on the 20th. Doing 3 days visiting boxes in Leicester with LOM and then two days apprentice induction in York on that first week

27th July? I thought you were on in October for some reason. That makes me feel a bit better, I was anticipating waiting until the New Year to get a place at school based on that. Having driven round a few of the boxes on the line today there’s some absolutely beautiful looking locations.

 

[Kinglewood]

Similar to Tigerned371, I have also been lurking in the background reading the forum!

Received my pre-offer for one of the Oakham positions today. Look forward to meeting you all!

 

[Tigerned371]

It’s been a rapid process for Oakham, would be great if we all got the York course on 27th!

 

[amanda08]

Well done.

Welcome to the funny farm.
Calm down dear... Lol. Now the hard work begins. Getting a job is just the start of it.

Don't worry, I by no means underestimate the task ahead!

 

[cpn]

Evening all!

Yet another lurker here.
I'd been exploring becoming a signaller after my job in the theatre industry came to a grinding Covid-based halt, and I found the forum at the start of May. I had eventually put in 15 applications (6 of them rejected at the first sift), when an interview came good from the very first one I put in... and I got my start date confirmed today!
3 August kick-off; sig school in Basingstoke from 24 August; then Haslemere Relief (following in your footsteps, @TRain87!)

I read the entire thread through, and I'd like to echo the chorus of thanks to everyone who's contributed, especially @LOM, @Tom Quinne, @nom de guerre, @headshot119, @MylesHSG, and - for the unbeatable post on page 129 of the thread - @CygnusX1!
You guys are so generous with your advice, your knowledge and your enthusiasm, and we are all hugely grateful.

Can't wait for the adventure to start...
[2 bells]

 

[TRain87]

Evening all!

Yet another lurker here.
I'd been exploring becoming a signaller after my job in the theatre industry came to a grinding Covid-based halt, and I found the forum at the start of May. I had eventually put in 15 applications (6 of them rejected at the first sift), when an interview came good from the very first one I put in... and I got my start date confirmed today!
3 August kick-off; sig school in Basingstoke from 24 August; then Haslemere Relief (following in your footsteps, @TRain87!)

I read the entire thread through, and I'd like to echo the chorus of thanks to everyone who's contributed, especially @LOM, @Tom Quinne, @nom de guerre, @headshot119, @MylesHSG, and - for the unbeatable post on page 129 of the thread - @CygnusX1!
You guys are so generous with your advice, your knowledge and your enthusiasm, and we are all hugely grateful.

Can't wait for the adventure to start...
[2 bells]

Nice one mate! You’ll love it...keep the box clean and you’ll fit right inx

 

[Rigchick]

That’s it! Finally got my pre-offer through today having had the phone call mid-May. It’s been a nervous wait but getting closer at last. Expecting to start training school in January but that’s fits perfectly with my notice period from the current job. I can’t thank everyone enough for all the tips and info and words of encouragement. I’m so excited to start my next career. Onwards and upwards!

 

[WoollyMammoth]

Well, I just got the email to say I’d been successful in getting a ‘Pre-Offer’ for a relief job centred on Oakham (HR must be working late). Utterly delighted (and slightly nervous) now. I know it’s been said before but the advice provided by the many thousands of posts in this thread have been utterly invaluable and I have no doubt that I would not have got this offer without the tips, tricks and encouragement in here.

For all the signallers who post in here, thank you. You’ve no need to come here and help us aspiring signallers, but I’m ever so glad you do. I only really started idly looking at this forum in January and was very quickly ‘radicalised’ by reading how much people genuinely seem to love this job.

Fingers crossed for the medical now - I’m on the more, ahem, jolly side of the BMI scale so hopefully that won’t prove too much of an issue but we shall see.

Well done mate. Good journey and very good effort!!

 

[headshot119]

Morning all,

First time posting here, but have read through the majority of this information-filled forum. Very grateful for all the experience and wisdom that’s shared on here for all of us aspiring NR signallers.

I applied for Hellifield a few weeks ago, been looking for a vacancy for that area for quite some time. Does anyone happen to know the shift times for the box please?

Thanks in advance,
Liam

12 hour shifts, fairly sure they change over at 0600 / 1800

 

[HamSandwich]

I think cpn says everything I was going to say as a thank you again to all the contributors on here - I've passed my medical (North East pool) and my start date is the 5th October, I'm really keen to get started. I've bought "Red for Danger," and "The Railways:Nation, Network and People" for some swotting up to keep me going until then, and working my way through the Network Rail videos on youtube too.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for other interesting books or resources that might be relevant to the role? I haven't looked at the rule book as previously posters have said not to look at it until training starts, as it won't make much sense and I don't want to mis-learn things that need undoing when I learn them properly at signalling school. I've watched the series "Architecture the Railways Built" on the Yesterday channel, and all of the steam train collection on the iPlayer at the moment too. I'm not currently working so have a lot of time on my hands...

 

[Liam60009]

12 hour shifts, fairly sure they change over at 0600 / 1800

Thank you

 

[northeastnewbi]

I think cpn says everything I was going to say as a thank you again to all the contributors on here - I've passed my medical (North East pool) and my start date is the 5th October, I'm really keen to get started. I've bought "Red for Danger," and "The Railways:Nation, Network and People" for some swotting up to keep me going until then, and working my way through the Network Rail videos on youtube too.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for other interesting books or resources that might be relevant to the role? I haven't looked at the rule book as previously posters have said not to look at it until training starts, as it won't make much sense and I don't want to mis-learn things that need undoing when I learn them properly at signalling school. I've watched the series "Architecture the Railways Built" on the Yesterday channel, and all of the steam train collection on the iPlayer at the moment too. I'm not currently working so have a lot of time on my hands...

Awesome ! Im very excitrd to start on the 5th too! Do you know which sb you are going to be based at?

 

[HamSandwich]

Awesome ! Im very excitrd to start on the 5th too! Do you know which sb you are going to be based at?

My letter says Gateshead IECC but I think somewhere on the Blyth & Tyne line. You?

 

[Kraken]

I think cpn says everything I was going to say as a thank you again to all the contributors on here - I've passed my medical (North East pool) and my start date is the 5th October, I'm really keen to get started. I've bought "Red for Danger," and "The Railways:Nation, Network and People" for some swotting up to keep me going until then, and working my way through the Network Rail videos on youtube too.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for other interesting books or resources that might be relevant to the role? I haven't looked at the rule book as previously posters have said not to look at it until training starts, as it won't make much sense and I don't want to mis-learn things that need undoing when I learn them properly at signalling school. I've watched the series "Architecture the Railways Built" on the Yesterday channel, and all of the steam train collection on the iPlayer at the moment too. I'm not currently working so have a lot of time on my hands...

I really enjoyed this YouTube video about British signalling, especially the music! Thanks for the iplayer link - I wasn’t aware half of those were on there.

 

[Tigerned371]

Noob question that I’m sure will be answered at school but I can’t contain myself. Are the cloths used when moving levers to protect from hot/cold or are the levers oiled? Or is it a completely different reason?

 

[nom de guerre]

To prevent the handles from getting tarnished by signallers’ sweaty mitts!

 

[Llanigraham]

Noob question that I’m sure will be answered at school but I can’t contain myself. Are the cloths used when moving levers to protect from hot/cold or are the levers oiled? Or is it a completely different reason?

The tops of the levers are polished steel and the cloth stops sweat from the hands corroding them. Personally I hated using one and wore a pair of leather cycling gloves instead.
One of the Sunday morning jobs was to polish the levers and Brasso all the bells and other brasses. We had a chain mail linnishing glove for the levers one of the other residents had bought personally.

 

[HamSandwich]

I really enjoyed this YouTube video about British signalling, especially the music! Thanks for the iplayer link - I wasn’t aware half of those were on there.

Thank you Kraken - I'll give that a watch!

 

[Prerail]

My letter says Gateshead IECC but I think somewhere on the Blyth & Tyne line. You?

I’m the same as you. Starting 5th October on the Tyne Blyth line! No sign of a signal school date yet, so I’m not sure what we’ll be doing, but I’m looking forward to it!!

 

[Tigerned371]

The tops of the levers are polished steel and the cloth stops sweat from the hands corroding them. Personally I hated using one and wore a pair of leather cycling gloves instead.
One of the Sunday morning jobs was to polish the levers and Brasso all the bells and other brasses. We had a chain mail linnishing glove for the levers one of the other residents had bought personally.

To prevent the handles from getting tarnished by signallers’ sweaty mitts!

Ahhhhhh ok thankyou

 

[HamSandwich]

I’m the same as you. Starting 5th October on the Tyne Blyth line! No sign of a signal school date yet, so I’m not sure what we’ll be doing, but I’m looking forward to it!!

Hurray! We can be newbies together I wonder how many of us there are?

 

[Jlshaw100]

Hello!
I’ve also been lurking, this thread and forum is a goldmine.
I applied for Westbury a few weeks ago, and after passing the benchmark on the online tests I’m now playing the waiting game.

Fingers crossed I’ll hear something soon! I’ve always wanted to get into the transport industry, train signalling and ATC fascinate me.
I’ve always used the train to get to work in Swindon/Bristol over the past 8 years so it would be odd to be on the other side of operations.

 

[Habitat]

Noob question that I’m sure will be answered at school but I can’t contain myself. Are the cloths used when moving levers to protect from hot/cold or are the levers oiled? Or is it a completely different reason?

I operate mine naked, so no need for a cloth

 

[Tigerned371]

 

[ILoveLamp]

I operate mine naked, so no need for a cloth

Sounds like MORE need for a cloth!!

 

[olilee2]

When deciding if whether to interview a candidate, is it purely the shl scores or does the score on the 69 questions have any bearing on the decision?

 

[Davrossmithers]

Hi,
I've had a job offer at Kirkby Thore, passed all the checks.
I've had an email saying the hiring manager has been asked to hire! However they can't give me a start date due to the limited amount of space at signalling school. How frustrating.
Is anyone else in the same boat?, I'm worried that months will pass and then the offer will disapper.
Thanks Dave

 

[Gallius]

Hi,
I've had a job offer at Kirkby Thore, passed all the checks.
I've had an email saying the hiring manager has been asked to hire! However they can't give me a start date due to the limited amount of space at signalling school. How frustrating.
Is anyone else in the same boat?, I'm worried that months will pass and then the offer will disapper.
Thanks Dave

I had to wait 3 months after all my pre-employment checks were completed before being given a start date. I'm sure it will just be a case of waiting until spaces at school open up

 

[LOM]

When deciding if whether to interview a candidate, is it purely the shl scores or does the score on the 69 questions have any bearing on the decision?

Both!

 

[LOM]

I've had a job offer at Kirkby Thore, passed all the checks.
I've had an email saying the hiring manager has been asked to hire! However they can't give me a start date due to the limited amount of space at signalling school. How frustrating.
Is anyone else in the same boat?, I'm worried that months will pass and then the offer will disapper.
Thanks Dave

School places are in very short supply at the moment due to social distancing and a general shortage of trainers. My new starters interviewed last month will not be joining the company until the end of the year, I cannot get them on a course any earlier. It is very frustrating for hiring managers too!