Are there any train guards on here

[LilLoaf]

Hi all,
I was just wondering if anyone on here is a train guard or a train manager. I will hopefully be working on the railway some day and really want to be a train manager its always something that has interested me. I was just wondering what a typical day for a train manager or train guard is like. For example where you go in a day, what train you work, what services you work etc.

 

[Gizmogle]

Nat the Ned is a guard for FGW. He doesn't post often though.

 

[Aureol]

Nat the Ned is a guard for FGW. He doesn't post often though.

Probably cos he's more often than not late getting home, or can't move in his train

 

[LilLoaf]

Thanks i'll send him a PM.

 

[Mintona]

I'm not a "conductor" yet, but give it time - I know a fair bit too. What do you want exactly? Send me a PM.

 

[AlexS]

The days where you might have been expected to prep a train etc etc are long gone. Book on, pick up revenue equipment if applicable, open doors and close them on trains all day, check tickets, answer queries, return your kit and book off and go home shouldn't be too far from the norm for most TOCs.

Job is as with most of them what you make it I guess!

 

[me123]

Pretty true from my observations, AlexS. However, on the longer FSR routes to Aberdeen for example, the guards do seem to do a bit more preparation before departure. And the NXEC staff are still pretty hectic as well. Virgin and the shorter Scotrail routes, on the other hand...

 

[68]

Hi all,
I was just wondering if anyone on here is a train guard or a train manager. I will hopefully be working on the railway some day and really want to be a train manager its always something that has interested me. I was just wondering what a typical day for a train manager or train guard is like. For example where you go in a day, what train you work, what services you work etc.

Send a E-Mail to the TOC that you want to work for and they will supply you with some information about the job.

 

[LilLoaf]

hi 68 - yeah i've tried that but they have not replied back yet.

hi me123 and alex s - i mainly interested in what routes (diagrams think the correct term is ) that a typical guard will work in a day. Also the trains they work on aswell.
Are guards only train on a few types of stock as with drivers ?

 

[djw1981]

It varies a lot from company to company, and also from depot to depot. C2c for example have only 2 main stock types IIRC, and tend to operate the one main route. EMT or Northern on the other hand have 5-6 types of stock and a variety of routes from all depots.

 

[68]

hi 68 - yeah i've tried that but they have not replied back yet.

hi me123 and alex s - i mainly interested in what routes (diagrams think the correct term is ) that a typical guard will work in a day. Also the trains they work on aswell.
Are guards only train on a few types of stock as with drivers ?

I emailed S.E.T a few months ago and had a reply in a few days.


Where is your nearest TOC because a phone call may help.

 

[AlexS]

Routes that a guard works depends on the depot - to give a hypothetical example, here's one that a London Midland guard based at Shrewsbury might potentially work:

Book on at 1500 at Shrewsbury
Take over working of 1535 Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street from previous guard work through to New Street. (Booked 2 x 170/5)
Work 1657 New Street to Shrewsbury arrive 1710ish (Booked 2 x 170/5)
Break from 1710 to 1835
Work 1835 Shrewsbury to New Street (Booked 2 x 170/5)
Work 1957 New Street to Shrewsbury arrive 2110 ish (Booked 170/5)
Break from 2110 till 2205
Work 2205 Shrewsbury to Walsall arrive approx 2308 (Booked 170/5 or 170/6)
Work 2320 Walsall to Wolverhampton (Booked 153)
Taxi back to Shrewsbury
Book off at Shrewsbury at 2359.

This would be for a Shrewsbury London Midland guard who would obviously be somewhat limited in routes they sign - as for traction, that should now be 170 and 153 and possibly 150. I believe Shrewsbury LM depot is closing at any rate.

If you are say a Cross Country guard based at Leicester, you'd tend to sign Birmingham to Leicester and Stansted Airport, Birmingham to Nottingham via Derby. Traction is 170.

 

[Mintona]

Northern based at Manchester Piccadilly...

Book on 0420.
Work 0449 to Liverpool Lime Street.
Work 0614 to Manchester Airport.
Work 0726 to Liverpool Lime Street.
PNB
Work 0955 to Manchester Oxford Road.
Travel by train to Deansgate.
Work 1124 to Macclesfield.
Work 1241 to Deansgate.
Travel by train to Manchester Piccadilly.
Work 1349 to Hadfield.
Work 1431 to Manchester Piccadilly.
Book off 1515.

I doubt that's a real docket, and it is a pretty demanding one if it is, but gives some sort of idea.

 

[LilLoaf]

Right i see now. So guards tend to stick to roughly one area of the netowork then and not go all over the place.

So a XC New Street guard wouldn't be expected to go down to Plymouth and then up to Leeds.

I wasn't sure if you went all over the network in a day or just stuck to one area on one route.

Thanks people keep examples coming - Some day hopefully i will work on the railway and want to know what to expect.

 

[AlexS]

I don't think you'd generally be expected to go sailing up and down the country, hence crew changes on long distance trains.

The general exception being things like Stansted Airport to Birmingham where crews do work the whole journey (while obviously a shorter geographical journey than say Edinburgh to Plymouth, it does obviously take a while being on mainly backwater lines).

If for example a guard joined the train at Birmingham when it was Virgin Trains on Cross Country, and was working via the West Coast to Edinburgh, then they'd generally be relieved at Preston and work back to Birmingham.

 

[Mintona]

Birmingham Train Managers do go to Plymouth and Leeds I believe. But not in one day.

 

[1D53]

I was fairly certain that Birmingham signed to Leeds, York, Manchester, Preston, Reading and Bristol TM.

 

[TEW]

I was fairly certain that Birmingham signed to Leeds, York, Manchester, Preston, Reading and Bristol TM.

Pretty sure it is only Bristol and Plymouth train managers past Bristol and only Plymouth ones past Plymouth. Plymouth guards quite often work Plymouth- Birmingham- Plymouth though.

 

[Mintona]

Pretty sure it is only Bristol and Plymouth train managers past Bristol and only Plymouth ones past Plymouth. Plymouth guards quite often work Plymouth- Birmingham- Plymouth though.

Ah right cheers. I knew Plymouth TMs signed Birmingham, just presumed it worked the other way around too.

 

[LilLoaf]

There seems to be a lot of differant route that TM's based at Birmingham can go. Don't forget that there is also the 170's routes aswell. Mind i'm not sure if the voyager staff work 170's aswell like.
Seems to me if you were based in Birmingham then you would go a differant place evey day.