Visiting engines - driving and route knowledge

[Peter C]

Hello all,
I was just wondering the other day: when a new locomotive comes to a heritage railway, say, for a gala, what happens in terms of who drives it?
So, would it be someone at the railway who already knows how to drive that sort of engine and has route knowledge, or would someone from the visiting engine's base be sent over with the loco to ensure the correct driving procedures are carried out and they would be told where the speed limits are?

Thanks,

-Peter

 

[hexagon789]

Hello all,
I was just wondering the other day: when a new locomotive comes to a heritage railway, say, for a gala, what happens in terms of who drives it?
So, would it be someone at the railway who already knows how to drive that sort of engine and has route knowledge, or would someone from the visiting engine's base be sent over with the loco to ensure the correct driving procedures are carried out and they would be told where the speed limits are?

Thanks,

-Peter

I don't know if this is general practice, but from a few documentaries about some preserved railways, the railway which 'owned' the loaned loco seemed to send someone over with it.

 

[Peter C]

I don't know if this is general practice, but from a few documentaries about some preserved railways, the railway which 'owned' the loaned loco seemed to send someone over with it.

OK - thanks! I thought it would have been like that, but surely it would be a lot of effort to make sure that the driver breaks and accelerates correctly, as in the engine's brakes may be different to other stock on the railway?


-Peter

 

[hexagon789]

OK - thanks! I thought it would have been like that, but surely it would be a lot of effort to make sure that the driver breaks and accelerates correctly, as in the engine's brakes may be different to other stock on the railway?


-Peter

Presumably they'd need a local driver for route knowledge to conduct a visiting driver, but in some cases it seems as though the visiting driver didn't always drive the visiting loco, the local drivers did and I wonder if the visiting driver is often there more for just advisory reasons or something.

 

[ComUtoR]

With our depot open day, we had a Driver who knew both the route and the traction. He went and got the unit

OK - thanks! I thought it would have been like that, but surely it would be a lot of effort to make sure that the driver breaks and accelerates correctly, as in the engine's brakes may be different to other stock on the railway?

Not really. Piloting someone is a relatively simple skill to learn. Part of being a Driver is to learn to pilot/conduct and be piloted/conducted over a route.

 

[Peter C]

Presumably they'd need a local driver for route knowledge to conduct a visiting driver, but in some cases it seems as though the visiting driver didn't always drive the visiting loco, the local drivers did and I wonder if the visiting driver is often there more for just advisory reasons or something.

OK - I can see how that would be a requirement, just to make sure the receiving railway didn't ruin the visiting loco!
I wonder if, in that case, the driver from the engine's base then just sits there and tells the resident driver how to drive the engine, and the resident driver uses their pre-existing route knowledge?

-Peter

 

[Peter C]

With our depot open day, we had a Driver who knew both the route and the traction. He went and got the unit



Not really. Piloting someone is a relatively simple skill to learn. Part of being a Driver is to learn to pilot/conduct and be piloted/conducted over a route.

OK - Thanks for clearing that one up. I would have thought it would have been fairly difficult to get people in the right places.

-Peter

 

[hexagon789]

I wonder if, in that case, the driver from the engine's base then just sits there and tells the resident driver how to drive the engine, and the resident driver uses their pre-existing route knowledge?

Quite possibly, that seemed to be the case with steam locos, can't remember if any visiting diesels featured at all.

 

[Peter C]

Quite possibly, that seemed to be the case with steam locos, can't remember if any visiting diesels featured at all.

OK - thanks.

-Peter

 

[37057]

The loco may be piloted as stated above which has been the case previously with the "local" group I'm involved in during it's first collaboration with the "visiting" loco group. The reality is they will probably take in turns to save nodding off! (Joke)

This second collaboration with the same group's is a little different due to the required flexibility and maybe an established trust. The "visiting" locos competent representative trains and assesses the "local" groups traction inspector. He then trains and assesses more "local" group drivers as necessary. This is all documented formally.

One difference between the visiting loco compared to ours is the technical stuff (inside cubicles etc) as it's not necessary because we're not to carry out repairs etc. Any issues theres a number to call just like a TOC and maintenance control.

I imagine the latter is the case on the mainline when a TOC decides it wants to use Class 37 and stock. Obviously it's more logistical.

I've been at events at other railways where there are multiple groups and it's a day out for the crews too as they get to play swapsies with other loco groups providing the loco and route knowledge is in the cab.

It helps that diesel locos are a piece of p**s to drive especially if the auto brake valve / air-vac relay do as they're told!

 

[43096]

I wonder if, in that case, the driver from the engine's base then just sits there and tells the resident driver how to drive the engine, and the resident driver uses their pre-existing route knowledge?

-Peter

No, normal practice is the other way round. The driver who knows the traction drives and the driver with route knowledge “instructs” on the route: speed restrictions, braking points etc etc.

 

[Peter C]

No, normal practice is the other way round. The driver who knows the traction drives and the driver with route knowledge “instructs” on the route: speed restrictions, braking points etc etc.

Oh OK - thanks!

-Peter

 

[Peter C]

The loco may be piloted as stated above which has been the case previously with the "local" group I'm involved in during it's first collaboration with the "visiting" loco group. The reality is they will probably take in turns to save nodding off! (Joke)

This second collaboration with the same group's is a little different due to the required flexibility and maybe an established trust. The "visiting" locos competent representative trains and assesses the "local" groups traction inspector. He then trains and assesses more "local" group drivers as necessary. This is all documented formally.

One difference between the visiting loco compared to ours is the technical stuff (inside cubicles etc) as it's not necessary because we're not to carry out repairs etc. Any issues theres a number to call just like a TOC and maintenance control.

I imagine the latter is the case on the mainline when a TOC decides it wants to use Class 37 and stock. Obviously it's more logistical.

I've been at events at other railways where there are multiple groups and it's a day out for the crews too as they get to play swapsies with other loco groups providing the loco and route knowledge is in the cab.

It helps that diesel locos are a piece of p**s to drive especially if the auto brake valve / air-vac relay do as they're told!

Thanks for clearing that one up!

-Peter

 

[Peter C]

Hello all,

I went to the Mid Suffolk Light Railway on Wednesday and I saw the locomotive Sirapite in the engine shed there. This locomotive:

(Not my photo, would post my own but due to phone and laptop not working together that is currently impossible!)

is from the "Long Shop Museum" in Leiston, and is driven using cogs. The rails in the Long Shop Museum are in the car park and the engine only has a small shed there in the car park.
The locomotive has been sent over to the Middy for a while as the Long Shop are currently renovating/doing something to their track (can't remember what).
Sirapite is in full working order, but due to not having vacuum brakes she cannot haul passenger trains. To show her off and to keep her working, the Middy are running her up and down a small piece of track in the Brockford station area, and sometimes on the "mainline" there (I think).

My questions are these:
*Would a driver at the Middy have to undergo special training for driving Sirapite?
*Is driving this engine very much different to the other engines at the Middy?
*If a qualified/trained driver from Leiston was sent to the Middy, would they be there for every day of the running of Sirapite? Or would they be there for a few days and then leave it to the crews at Brockford?

Apologies if this seems like an excessive amount of questions and rubbish but I was just interested.

-Peter