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Know it all trainspotters...

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91119

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Maybe it's just me, but why do a lot of trainspotters think they no more about the railways than the staff do?

This morning I was preparing a 91 for departure from the Cross (1D27 to Leeds). As I was on the platform checking the front lights some kid complete with notebook and holdall in his late teens started telling me I should be failing the train because "all the lights aren't working"... I tried explaining about different combinations of marker/headlights being used depending on what time of the day it is, but he wouldn't have it. I ended up locking myself in the cab until he went away :lol:

A definite candidate for stoatface I think :roll:
 
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Tom

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I know someone who will do that. It would assume it gets annoying for you lot as drivers and staff!

They do it cause they think that the one they've seen before is the correct sequence I would assume.
 

960012

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I ahev a friend not on this forum like that he thinks he knows more aobut swt training then my dad (trainee on swt)!!!!
 

47205

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I have encountered poeple when on TTi duty that say their tickets don't neeed clipping, even though I've been told to clip them. :?

EDIT: It only happens at Diesel Gala's/days :?
 

HSTfan!!!

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I wouldn't say I know more than the staff - but I do find my knowledge of the railways good when catching crowded trains! - for example once I caught a train at Cardiff Central for Barry Island - the platform was packed in the middle so using my knowledge I went close to the car stop sign for the pacer and as a result managed to secure my seat on the journey. :lol:
 

devon_metro

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I think questioning a qualified driver is a bit silly, Once i managed to help a very puzzled lady get onto a voyager by openening the door for her. Those buttons need notices next to them!
But telling a driver to take a train out of service is going over the top
 

Simming

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why bother telling the staff, if they have made a mistake, I would sooner stand to one side, and watch them get on with it. ;)

That kid no doubt is on here somewhere
 

bunnahabhain

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Know it all non-operational staff who have no idea what to do are probably worse.

I was told by a Steward on the Dining Train to shine the white light so that they could get the train going. I dont think he noticed that it wasnt time, and the Guard was still performing a brake test.

And ontop of that he then told me to get a haircut.
 

AlexS

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Of course you will get know it all enthusiasts - just nod your head politely while totally ignoring them! Although dont forget that drivers arent always infallible I reckon, so if you spot something that you are totally sure isn't right, it's most likely best for all concerned if you bring it to the traincrew's attention, and if you are told that you are incorrect, then don't push the matter!
 

metrocammel

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Ive been asked by a driver of an 87 if all his lights were on at Euston once (too lazy to get out of cab door and check himself :roll: )

Personally, I really cant be doing with trainspotters, and ty to avoid filming / photting trains from the ends of platforms. Like the time I was accosted by this stoat at Piccadilly telling me he's "viewed" all his 333's(!!!)

As for tickets that dont need gripping, Ive had several ticket inspectors who have attempted to, or have gripped my Rovers, on one occasion at Grantham, the woman on the barrier actually gripped it right through the date box, which i complained about, as it looked as though i'd defaced the ticket (attempting to get an extra day etc) . I went to the ticket office, and complained, and they issued me a fresh 3 in 7 rover, starting on that day, so i got several extra days travel for that womans mistake. :lol:
 

Techniquest

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I've had people stamp or otherwise mark rovers too. My Anglia Plus 1 day ticket was the most recent occasion I can remember, but it's also happened at other times.

Back to topic, telling a driver what to do is a bit much. Granted, if he was telling him that one of his lights was malfunctioning (flashing repeatedly for some reason, or whatever), then that's more reasonable. I've seen 170s with only one red light on the rear. I had assumed it to be two reds as requirement, but did not bother the train crew (they're the ones trained in how to run the train, not me), instead queried it via a forum, to find I was wrong.

That, in my opinion, is the better way to find out.
 

Nick

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FGWFan said:
I've seen 170s with only one red light on the rear. I had assumed it to be two reds as requirement, but did not bother the train crew (they're the ones trained in how to run the train, not me), instead queried it via a forum, to find I was wrong.

I beleive based on LHCS, that only one tail light is actually needed for the rear of the train, the other providing a fail safe if one as you have described malfunctions.

Met Cam said: "Personally, I really cant be doing with trainspotters"

Bit hypocritical aren't we ;)
 

bunnahabhain

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I believe, but I could be wrong, that it is a minimum requirement of 1 Red Lamp or Tail Light at the back. If the Tail Lights on a unit or locomotive fail then a Tail Lamp needs to be sourced and plonked on the back.
 

Tom B

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But isn't there a difference between saying "Hey, it looks like one of the lights has packed in there" which is a reasonable comment and "One of your lights has packed in. You need to do x, y and z. No, I know more than you." which isn't.
 

Nick

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Jamie C. Steel said:
I believe, but I could be wrong, that it is a minimum requirement of 1 Red Lamp or Tail Light at the back. If the Tail Lights on a unit or locomotive fail then a Tail Lamp needs to be sourced and plonked on the back.

Aye, as I said, glad I was right
 

TheSlash

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Jamie is 100% correct. In the event that the normal tail light{s} have failed, you need to put an emergency tail light on the lamp iron on the last vehicle.
158's used to lose their head or tail lights {depending on which direction the vehicle was facing} if the engine on that coach shut down
 

AlexS

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Or you could see the poor unfortunates who tootle off down the West Coast or wherever having forgot to turn the tail lights off on the leading cab on the turnaround - woopsie!
 

bunnahabhain

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In which case the internationally recognized Train Driving symbol for "You're showing the wrong headlights" would be used be a friendly Railwayman on a platform, or area where the Driver will see him.
 

nutter

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TheSlash said:
158's used to lose their head or tail lights {depending on which direction the vehicle was facing} if the engine on that coach shut down

Once I saw a 158 pull up at cosford and noticed neither tail lights were working. The signalman notified the driver who (I presume) confirmed it was only one 158 unit and so enabling the signalman to give an OOS bell to Madely. What I thought was strange was then the driver decended to track level and placed an orange sticker to the rear of the DMU. Is this normal practice if they don't have a spare tail lamp?
 

jd

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Sadly the reverse is known to happen too, when a rail employee thinks he knows everything but is actually talking total rubbish. On the other hand, what that guy did in the OP was totally unacceptable too.

Some are also rulebook lovers, for example the ticket office guy who wouldn't sell me a ticket on a FAM 'cos the adult wasn't present (the adult in question was getting the bags out of the car, I'd gone ahead to get tickets as were had about 4 mins to catch the train! :o ).
 

91119

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I wouldn't have minded so much if he'd accepted my explanation or he'd spotted a genuine problem. But it was his blind ignorance that he was right so I must have been wrong that pissed me off. I'd like to think that I was competent at my own job!

Generally I don't mind talking to people, but it's this minority who spoil things for everyone. A lot of my colleagues don't even acknowledge enthusiasts who try to speak to them, and half of the time I don't blame them :roll:

There's a distinct difference between the average person with an interest in railways and the frothing at the mouth trainspotter fraternity. I much prefer talking to the former...
 

91119

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jd said:
Sadly the reverse is known to happen too, when a rail employee thinks he knows everything but is actually talking total rubbish. On the other hand, what that guy did in the OP was totally unacceptable too.

Some are also rulebook lovers, for example the ticket office guy who wouldn't sell me a ticket on a FAM 'cos the adult wasn't present (the adult in question was getting the bags out of the car, I'd gone ahead to get tickets as were had about 4 mins to catch the train! :o ).
In this particular case the booking clerk would have been correct. For all he knew you could have been on your own trying to buy a cheap ticket. Admittedly he could have done you a favour and bent the rules, you would probably have been checked on the train anyway, but that would have been at his discretion not yours. The same applies for people who turn up last minute and want to buy a ticket on the train.
 

AJP

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There is one spotter/stoat that comes to Donny on a Tuesday, he drives me mad he says there is 6 hull trains 222's and wont accept he is wrong.

Some give a bad name to enthusasts :roll:
 

evil_hippo

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What surprises me and makes me rather loathe the enthusiast is he was trying to enforce the rules at the (massive) inconvenience of the passengers. Usually conflict between enthusiasts and staff is usually the other way round.

I'll trust the judgement of the professionals.
 

yorkie

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91119 said:
jd said:
Sadly the reverse is known to happen too, when a rail employee thinks he knows everything but is actually talking total rubbish. On the other hand, what that guy did in the OP was totally unacceptable too.

Some are also rulebook lovers, for example the ticket office guy who wouldn't sell me a ticket on a FAM 'cos the adult wasn't present (the adult in question was getting the bags out of the car, I'd gone ahead to get tickets as were had about 4 mins to catch the train! :o ).
In this particular case the booking clerk would have been correct. For all he knew you could have been on your own trying to buy a cheap ticket. Admittedly he could have done you a favour and bent the rules, you would probably have been checked on the train anyway, but that would have been at his discretion not yours. The same applies for people who turn up last minute and want to buy a ticket on the train.
I can't actually find such rules. There are means of buying tickets by avoiding a booking office (unfortunately this does not apply to Rovers, Rangers and tickets to start from an alternative destination) though, which would easily get round these 'rules' if they exist.

The rules for tickets relate to their use, not purchase, but there may well be hidden rules in the manuals that ATOC does not want us to see, such as the elusive 'Retail Manual'.

IMO the whole issue of ticket purchase should be reviewed, it should be much easier to purchase tickets and find out fares. All tickets should be purchasable online and from machines, this would help reduce queues.

There was one occasion when the queue for the ticket office was horrendous, over 10 minutes long, due to all machines being out of use at York (presumably a systems crash), so I boarded the train without a ticket, armed with a copy of the Passengers Charter. I didn't need it though as the train was then too crowded for a ticket check anyway and I got my ticket at Doncaster.
 

91119

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Not being ticket staff I'm not sure what the actual rule is, but I'm guessing one of the named cardholders should be present when purchasing tickets with a railcard. Otherwise anyone could buy a ticket with any random railcard, leading to misuse.
When tickets checks are taking place at Kings Cross I'll sometimes hang around if I'm not busy just as an extra member of staff. You'd be suprised at some of the rediculous reasons have for not having their railcard with them when they try to board the train.
 
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