The night before you would check notice boards or your email to see that your turn of duty has not changed.
You would sign on at your booked time, which could be pretty much any time. Collect your revenue equipment and check any relevant safety or retail notices for the day - engineering work, safety incidents, special ticketing promotions. Go and count your float and sign into your ticket machine.
Have a coffee and wait for your first train, which in the morning could well be an empty stock going somewhere else. If required by your diagram prepare the train, checking it for cleanliness, working toilets, safety (fire extinguishers, emergency equipment, broken windows) - do a test of all doors if the depot has not done it for you. Check that all equipment in the cab is switched on and in working order. Set up your on-train passenger information system as required.
Arrive at your first stop, or let passengers on once your checks are done. Make some pre-departure announcements in a happy voice and wait until 2 minutes before time to start your dispatch process. Check you have the signal or inform the signaller you are ready to go (if applicable) and close your doors. Tell the driver the train is ready to go and observe the train leave the platform. Realise that if anyone is injured as a part of the dispatc process then you could well be liable for it - potentially even for manslaughter. Make a post-departure announcement and jump into revenue.
Help the passengers that are inevitably confused about some aspect of the ticketing system. Perhaps a wheelchair user has boarded and needs assistance at a later unstaffed stop. Maybe the train will stop at a red signal for 20 minutes and you will have hundreds of late commuters to tame.
On a bad day maybe a fire will break out on the train and you will have to evacuate hundreds of people onto the track whilst communicating with all the relevant authorities - the driver, the signaller, the emergency services, your passengers, your control. Maybe someone will take ill and you will have to not only look after your safety responsibilities for the whole train but also arrange medical care for the ill passenger whilst 20 miles from the nearest town.
At some point you will hand over to another conductor - let them know what has been going on. Communication is key - don't forget to tell them about that wheelchair user who is off at the next stop.
Take your break. Find your next train and work it and dispose of it at the end of the line as morning peak is over and it is going back to the depot. Make sure you do it thoroughly so you don't leave some poor soul locked in the toilet or the train. Work a few more trains. Cash up your float and wonder why you are not exact. Hand the float and ticket machine in and check your notices for the next day, ensuring your turn of duty has not changed.
