Messrooms

[SkinnyDave]

Evening,

Do different TOCs share messrooms for their staff?
Also do drivers have different messrooms to other members of the train crew?

 

[AlexS]

It's different wherever you go. Large stations tend to have different messrooms for different TOCs etc. My station (largeish Intercity/regional, outside London) has one messroom that serves all grades of two TOC's staff - drivers, guards, revenue staff etc - we (platform staff) use it very occasionally but our offices are perfectly comfortable and it's not worth the effort of shipping your stuff over! It's used more by one TOC than the other though as the traincrew depot for that TOC is based there, the others just call in. There's another mess facility again for the retail/gateline staff in the booking office.

 

[Matt Taylor]

There are two messromms at Fratton, one for FGW and one for SWT, at Southampton there is one messroom used by SN, SW, GW and XC staff.

It varies from location to location.

 

[Vicpaul]

Seems to be a lot of "shared" mess rooms for example vic being southern and southeastern (and anything in between) red hill is southern and first

 

[455driver]

There are also a few places which have separate mess rooms for different "types" of driver within the same company, one room for high speed drivers and a separate room for unit drivers etc.

Very friendly, not!

Some places have 2 (small) messrooms for all staff but it seems to be that most of the drivers will congregate in one and most of the guards in the other.

 

[broadgage]

2 small mushrooms sounds a very mean diet for even one employee, let alone several.

 

[A-driver]

I am told that in the old days there would be a guards mess room and a drivers one. Drivers were allowed in the guards room but guards couldn't go in the drivers room...sad how things have changed... (That was a joke by the way).

Generally now it seems train crew share a mess room and other grades have their own separate rooms but as has been said this isn't always the case-at Victoria as vicpaul says everyone regardless of grade or company shares a room. Whereas at kings cross FCC have a drivers only mess room separate to any other grades or companies-infact at kings cross hull trains and grand central don't have mess facilities so tend to lock themselves in the train for a break.

Both peterbourgh and Cambridge have separate mess rooms for drivers from different companies based there.

 

[sarahj]

I mainly use the mess room on plat 19 at vic, once you get past the smell its ok. When you have only 20-30 mins are so, to wander over to the main mess room, climb the stairs as we mere mortals are banned from using the lift, its time to get back to our side of the station.

Brighton has two mess rooms, one for the FCC lot down in the basement, and up top for the southern lot. One side of the mess room is for drivers, with the top link ones on their own table, other is for conductors. The middle tables seems to be for the 'others' from other depots. Last year the FCC one flooded and they had to come and use ours.
Each place seems to be different on levels of talking and goings on. Some are silent, others loud, with Brighton being the loudest.

 

[A-driver]

I mainly use the mess room on plat 19 at vic, once you get past the smell its ok. When you have only 20-30 mins are so, to wander over to the main mess room, climb the stairs as we mere mortals are banned from using the lift, its time to get back to our side of the station.

Brighton has two mess rooms, one for the FCC lot down in the basement, and up top for the southern lot. One side of the mess room is for drivers, with the top link ones on their own table, other is for conductors. The middle tables seems to be for the 'others' from other depots. Last year the FCC one flooded and they had to come and use ours.
Each place seems to be different on levels of talking and goings on. Some are silent, others loud, with Brighton being the loudest.

Ah yes-the north/south divide. I remember occasionally using the platform 19 mess room to make a cup of tea/use the toilet and the 'stare of death' from the southern lot. Us 'northern' drivers were restricted to the main mess room.

I remember going into the Brighton mess room for a training day once. I sat down in an empty chair. A driver turned to me and said 'are you the cover man then?' I said I wasn't and he asked why I was sitting in the 'cover mans chair' (which was and remained empty whilst I was there as the cover man had got a job). I apologised and moved to the next seat and he asked if I was Brighton top link. I replied that I was a lower link London driver and he pointed to a table the other end of the room and told me to sit there!

 

[sarahj]

When we had to use the main mess room at Vic when 19 was closed again due to 'flooding', there was a view of, 'conductor from BML who wants to talk, oooo.

It does seem to be, Southern on one side, SE next to platform windows side, and none shall mix. Platform staff have to sit in the middle and must not speak.

The old mess room at london bridge was drivers had the long table, conductors had the little tables. In the new one its, oh, we have to mix. If I ingore them, they will go away.

All good fun :roll:

 

[ralphchadkirk]

A
I remember going into the Brighton mess room for a training day once. I sat down in an empty chair. A driver turned to me and said 'are you the cover man then?' I said I wasn't and he asked why I was sitting in the 'cover mans chair' (which was and remained empty whilst I was there as the cover man had got a job). I apologised and moved to the next seat and he asked if I was Brighton top link. I replied that I was a lower link London driver and he pointed to a table the other end of the room and told me to sit there!

I'm glad none of the crew rooms I go into where I work are as archaic as that!

 

[TheEdge]

Norwich has a big one for GA and a smaller one for EMT. Makes sense though given the comparative size of each TOC's depot.

 

[455driver]

2 small mushrooms sounds a very mean diet for even one employee, let alone several.

I was thinking about my dinner, corrected now!

 

[GB]

I'm glad none of the crew rooms I go into where I work are as archaic as that!

Indeed, think I would have told him where to go. Can't stand all this grade separation nonsense!

 

[Pumbaa]

What remains of the old boys at XC in Birmingham had a few grumbles when the new super messroom opened, as it was more difficult to get away from lower grades. Hopefully manglement told them where to stick it.

 

[306024]

A tale from yesteryear when Temple Mills Guards were 'invited' by management to share the Stratford drivers messroom at the depot.

There was an objection by the drivers LDC on the grounds of the noise the guards made when playing dominoes

These days you are lucky to find someone to play snap with.

 

[Pumbaa]

I can't stand the militant nonsense to be honest. Any traincrew think its better or worse now than back in yesteryear? A frequent grumble I've heard is that it's divided on TOC lines now, rather than by grade.

 

[455driver]

I am regularly seen talking to any grade, sometimes I let them get a word in as well!

 

[AlexS]

Railway is railway; passenger, freight, WCRC, driver, guard, ASLEF, RMT, TSSA, Network Rail, contractors, even managers - I'll say good morning/afternoon to any of them, and stop for a natter if they want - it's interesting to hear from other parts of the railway. No one with an ID card is ever refused access to my kettle or my spare chair if they want to sit somewhere quiet out of the way of 'the punters' while waiting for a train!

I don't hold with putting unnecessary self imposed divisions between the staff in an already over divided industry.

It's a sad state of affairs when you work at a station as I do which is run by one TOC, has another TOC based there with a traincrew depot, has a freight traincrew depot/sidings, and a Network Rail S&T/PWay maintenance depot (and up until recently, a signalbox) and no one knows anything about anyone outside of their little silo with very few exceptions.

I made it my business when I started to get to know the traincrew, some of the NR maintenance staff, the MOMs, a few of the freight drivers etc and I feel much happier in my work as a result as there's always a friendly face about.

 

[bunnahabhain]

Nottingham messroom is an all in job, EMT primarily, with XC dropping in, the odd Northern, Freightliner and DB Schenker guys have been in from time to time. Ditto with Lincoln!

 

[Mutant Lemming]

In days of yore guards sat with guards, drivers with drivers and the lines would have their own seperate areas of the canteen and you could only sit there if you 'belonged'. Then OPO came and drivers sat anywhere in the canteen - as long as it was at a table by themselves.

 

[High Dyke]

Nottingham messroom is an all in job, EMT primarily, with XC dropping in, the odd Northern, Freightliner and DB Schenker guys have been in from time to time. Ditto with Lincoln!

Even they aren't far enough away to escape 'Digital Doris' though...

Signal boxes didn't always fair much better either. Tales are told of places that were double-manned during a shift where a chalk line was drawn across the floor and each signalman kept to their own area of the box.

 

[David Barrett]

What a tribal lot we are. I recall the workshop mess room at Frodingham getting on for forty years ago where the wagon repairers all sat at one particular table away from the rest, the shed cleaner sat on a chair in the corner between the lockers and window but didn't get anywhere close to a table, the fitters sat pretty much where they liked but not on the C&W table, which was regarded as a no go area for higher mammals, with the mates close by and fresh faces sat close to the door presumably on the basis that they would be the first to go through it again if it came to redundancy.

Of course there was then "Them next door", drivers, second men and guards and each of the two rooms might just have well been surrounded by an invisible forcefield which only allowed the appropriate grades through.

What a culture shock for a seventeen year old convinced that we were entering a new egalitarian age.

 

[sarahj]

Hey, I talk, wave whatever to anyone, even FCC. But it is strange, some of them dont even give you a hi as you pass them in the station.

Even on Southern, you get some which dont go into the mess rooms. At the most they may grab a coffee or hot water, but then leave. Some do come in, but then sit there with headphones on or playing with their phones. Once you have read the metro for the third time, can get a bit dull. When you have spent 4 hours on a train where the only things being said to you are, single to lewes, or the toilet does not work (9 times out of 10 its cause someone is already in it), its sometimes nice to have a real chat, but then you spend an hour in haywards heath mess room with 4 others who say not a word due to phones etc.

 

[edwin_m]

but then you spend an hour in haywards heath mess room with 4 others who say not a word due to phones etc.

Maybe they're all posting on here?

 

[jon0844]

Set up a real-time chat board on this forum and maybe you lot can talk to each other, virtually.

 

[Blindtraveler]

i've gone through this thread with rapidly raising eyebrows! I would never have dreamed it was still like this in some places, I am shocked!

 

[A-driver]

i've gone through this thread with rapidly raising eyebrows! I would never have dreamed it was still like this in some places, I am shocked!

To be fair its very different and more friendly now adays. There are just still a few old school guys around who try to run the messrooms (I guess mainly because they were at the bottom of the pile when it really was like that and now want their turn at the top) but most places are a lot more friendly and most people won't stand for those who think they own the messroom.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I have to agree with both
AlexS
And
455driver
here, why shouldnt you all talk to, help, get on with, etc eachother no matter what it says on your contract, ID Badge or wage slip. Although as a passenger I avoid certain TOCs, I still see the railway as one network that should in theory work together. Chances are if nationalisation were to return or still be here I would avoid say, an end to end Scotland West Midlands journey on the current XC route as I dont like voyagers!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
@Adriver thats good to know. I can understand the old boys POV and would most likely do likewise if I had done 20 years plus

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I've never really noticed any segregation at Chiltern, we don't really share mess rooms with other TOCs (we might meet the odd LM or XC guy at Leamington Spa and Snow Hill has separate mess rooms for LM and Chiltern because historically they were attached to booking on points which have to be separate.) but all told it is a pretty friendly place. Moor Street mess room is one of the most inclusive places I have ever seen, you will have managers, drivers, guards, barrier staff and cleaners all chilling together in there and there is no elitism as far as I have ever seen. If you are on the railway then you are welcome.

Sometimes guards wont use the mess room at Marylebone, but that is because the guards are all based at the more northern depots and Marylebone is always full of drivers from the south so I guess they might feel they are walking on their own into a place where they don't really know anybody but I guess that is understandable. Stories of mess rooms with artificial barriers and tables you cant sit at if you are of a certain grade or from a certain depot are bizarre to me.