GPS Device for Driver Line Knowledge?

[paxman]

Hi everyone

I'm a trainee driver trying to master a bunch of quite challenging long-distance routes. I was thinking about investing in a GPS device, such as those made by Garmin, to assist me with this process. The idea would be to geofence important places such as speed restriction zones and station braking points. The device would then give me an audible and visual notification when I'm within, say, 2 km of them.

Can anyone recommend a particular brand and model of GPS device? It would need to be satellite-, not cellphone-, based.

As always, many thanks for your thoughts and advice.

 

[Bromley boy]

Hi everyone

I'm a trainee driver trying to master a bunch of quite challenging long-distance routes. I was thinking about investing in a GPS device, such as those made by Garmin, to assist me with this process. The idea would be to geofence important places such as speed restriction zones and station braking points. The device would then give me an audible and visual notification when I'm within, say, 2 km of them.

Can anyone recommend a particular brand and model of GPS device? It would need to be satellite-, not cellphone-, based.

As always, many thanks for your thoughts and advice.

As someone who finished training quite recently, I wouldn't recommend doing this.

It's likely to be a distraction and may well breach your TOC's restrictions around electronic devices in the cab. Certainly a driver using a gps device in a live driving cab would be on very thin ice at my TOC. (admittedly we don't do any long distance work, where I can imagine the distances involved make it hard to judge where you are).

Speed restrictions can appear and disappear all the time and you're best off with eyes-out of the cab looking for them. Unfortunately they aren't always laid out correctly by P'way and may appear during your shift, long after you've checked the notice cases. The danger of relying on gps would be a false sense of security leading to you barrelling through a new ESR at line speed.

You certainly don't want to be in a position where you get distracted by a GPS and end up tripping a TPWS or even SPADDing.

At the very least speak to your DI/DM to see if a. It's allowed, and b. If they would recommend it.

 

[Tomnick]

If it’s anywhere on the network in the U.K., then no! I’d be very concerned if a driver’s route knowledge was so poor that there was any level of reliance on a GPS device to draw attention to braking points etc., and it certainly wouldn’t be allowed in the cab.

If it’s elsewhere in the world, then maybe - but surely the same principles still apply?! What do other drivers do, and what guidance is there from your instructors and management?

 

[ExMover]

If it’s anywhere on the network in the U.K., then no! I’d be very concerned if a driver’s route knowledge was so poor that there was any level of reliance on a GPS device to draw attention to braking points etc., and it certainly wouldn’t be allowed in the cab.

If it’s elsewhere in the world, then maybe - but surely the same principles still apply?! What do other drivers do, and what guidance is there from your instructors and management?

Tomnick's absolutely right. Imagine the inquiry following a major accident caused by excessive speed through a tsr - 'so why didn't you obey the tsr?' "Well it's like this, I use a GPS to tell me when there's a tsr but it didn't warn me". 'Why was that?' "The battery must have been flat".........

 

[lammergeier]

As alluded to by other posters, you would never be passed out as competent if you needed a gps aid. At my TOC we are even meant to switch DAS off when route learning and it's certainly not allowed to be used on assessments.

Can i ask, how long is the route(s)? And how long are you given and how long have you taken so far? It will seem daunting at first but one day it'll just "click" and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

 

[lammergeier]

To add to the above, if you have a long route it can be difficult to get the last bit in your head as by the time you get there you're tired and fed up of crossings, junctions and tunnel names. On our long runs we are allowed to lodge should we wish whilst road learning, it can help get the last bit in (eg if you are learning KX to Newcastle then ask if you can lodge in York.) Not sure if your employer allows it but it can help.

 

[tlionhart]

I wouldn’t recommend this device.
Don’t worry too much. As everyone else has mentioned, it will all gradually fall into place. Repitition is key. Learning and understanding how your traction handles is equally important to how the set ‘brakes’ too. Don’t panic too much if you haven’t stopped at a station before (unusual stop/rarely scheduled) and it’s on a ride out/assessment. Take your time! It’s better to stop in the station late because you braked too early, then miss it!

 

[Gemz91]

Hundreds of drivers have been learning routes for years now, and never needed GPS to help them, there's a reason for that. Don't worry too much, as others have said, once you start you'll soon pick it up.

 

[driver9000]

You will not be allowed to use it as it will violate pretty much every operators electronic devices policies and it will be of absolutely no use to you as a Driver anyway.

When you are passed for driving solo you will know your route and they won't pass you out unless you do. Don't worry it will fall into place and it's something we have all gone through as trainee drivers. You really don't need a GPS gimmick bleeping at you.

 

[R Trevithick]

It’s a no from me....


.... and probably from just about everybody I know.

Most, if not all companies wouldn’t allow it under device rules.
Knowing your route thoroughly will get you out of trouble (it will happen)
And finally as most have said it seems hard, and it is but like driving a car it will all click into place.

There is no substitute for putting in the hard yards

 

[class 9]

As everyone has just said... DON'T!...... you'll soon be an Ex trainee driver if you do.
You maybe struggling with a route, but most TOCs give you ample time to learn it and you'll find it all falls into place eventually, also don't be pressured into signing a route if your not 100% happy with it.

 

[Dieseldriver]

Hi everyone

I'm a trainee driver trying to master a bunch of quite challenging long-distance routes. I was thinking about investing in a GPS device, such as those made by Garmin, to assist me with this process. The idea would be to geofence important places such as speed restriction zones and station braking points. The device would then give me an audible and visual notification when I'm within, say, 2 km of them.

Can anyone recommend a particular brand and model of GPS device? It would need to be satellite-, not cellphone-, based.

As always, many thanks for your thoughts and advice.

I've got to be honest, I really cannot believe what I've just read! I hope you're winding us all up? Probably going to be considered harsh but I'll put it bluntly, if you feel that you need this method to learn/retain the massive amount of information associated with route knowledge (what about rules, traction, local instructions etc), I think you should consider whether you fully appreciate what's involved in the job you are training for.

 

[choochoochoo]

As alluded to by other posters, you would never be passed out as competent if you needed a gps aid. At my TOC we are even meant to switch DAS off when route learning and it's certainly not allowed to be used on assessments.

Can i ask, how long is the route(s)? And how long are you given and how long have you taken so far? It will seem daunting at first but one day it'll just "click" and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

What is DAS ?

 

[tlionhart]

What is DAS ?

Driver Advisory System. Think of it a bit like the information you get on a sat nav. Time to destination if it continued at the speed the train is travelling, when to ‘coast’ to consume fuel-effiency, location of the train (nearest miles and chains), train formation and next station.

 

[martin2345uk]

Just for info, the OP is not driving trains in the UK.

 

[paxman]

Thanks to everyone for all your replies. I really appreciate the time and effort you've taken to responding.

We do indeed have access to track videos and route simulators, which we're free watch and practise with ad nauseam. To me, geofencing seems like a logical extension of using technology as a training enhancement. Since we don't face any in-cabin restrictions on the use of electronic devices, the main objection I've heard so far among my colleagues is along the lines of, "I never needed it, and nor did my dad and my dad's dad before him". But as several of you have helpfully observed, it's not something to tinker with without my trainers' express permission.

Our routes are up to 500 km long, and some of them are virtually bereft of rail infrastructure beyond the tracks themselves. You're heavily dependent on natural features such as trees and rocks. When you're barrelling along at night through pea-soup fog at 140 km/h trying to catch sight of a certain crooked branch to know where your next station is, the trainer is sweating just as hard as the trainee. I guess that's why we get a couple of years to figure it all out.

You guys (and girls) are great. Thanks again for all the advice!

 

[choochoochoo]

Driver Advisory System. Think of it a bit like the information you get on a sat nav. Time to destination if it continued at the speed the train is travelling, when to ‘coast’ to consume fuel-effiency, location of the train (nearest miles and chains), train formation and next station.

Sounds lovely. Must be an intercity feature. Not seen it on anything I'll be training on.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Sounds lovely. Must be an intercity feature. Not seen it on anything I'll be training on.

Widely used now on ATW I believe. It was certainly being rolled out during the cab rides I had when I was there 18 months ago