28-03-2012 I have driven a train!!

455902. A unit to remember. My first ever drive ever on the 49 siding at Clapham Yard for just a short amount of time but it was brilliant. A massive smile on my face, and felt very comfortable in the hot seat!

Had a great day and we have it all again tomorrow but this time in a class 458. A train I have only ever been on once as a passenger!

my "special" unit 455902!

26-03-2012 No more rules, but it hasn't got any easier...

Today as we are a day ahead, we have started the introduction to basic traction before I get to drive for the first time later this week (Wednesday!!)

I say basic introduction, but it was anything but!! Now I'm not mechanically minded but at the same time I have a basic understanding on how things work and I wasn't ready for what we were thrown into!

We have had to draw diagrams of all South West Trains stock. We have had to draw to show how power is supplied, where it goes, how it gets there, how it moves the train, where air goes for the brake, where it comes from, how it's used, and all this in one day!!

I have uploaded some photos I took of the diagram we drew for a four car Class 450.

now the lines are different things going round the train. To keep things simple (so that I understand it!) The black lines is main power that comes from the third rail via the conductor shoes. It does through some circuit breakers for safety before it goes to things called the TCU's (Traction Control Units) and ACU's (Auxiliary Control Units).

Now the TCU's have the simple job of making sure when the driver asks for power the train moves and it supplies and controls the power to the traction motors.

The ACU's are responsible for altering the 750v DC current that goes into to various voltages and sometimes changing it to AC current to power other onboard systems. It powers everything from the lighting and air conditioning to the toilets and public address.

The red and purple lines are how air is distributed around the train. Trains old and new need air to operate the brakes on older trains they do lots more. On Class 450 trains, the air is made in the compressor and it is distributed to all the coaches. The BCU (Brake Control Units) then do some magic so that when the driver wants to slow his train down the brakes come on!

They are also very clever so that when there is no air because of a fault or a mechanical break, the brakes are automatically applied with a spring, so you can rest assured that it is impossible for your train to run away!

This is just basic traction knowledge, we have our full two weeks on Desiro class trains later in the year after we have done half our driving with Driving Instructors and I must admit that's one part of the course I am now looking forward!

That's it for today. I have a nice easy day at Fratton depot tomorrow to learn how to prep and dispose of trains (it also means I get a lie in for a change!)

And then... FINALLY... we will get to drive a train in Clapham Yard on Wednesday... Not long now!!

23-03-2012 ALL DONE!!!!

After a taxing hour and a half and 275 questions I have passed my drivers final.

Managed to get only 3 wrong and so very, very happy now and can enjoy my weekend.
Well done to everyone in my class as everyone passed with the worse score only being 95.6%!!

Now to look forward to next week and some driving!!

we celebrated by going to Burger King hence the crowns...

my certificate of competency :)

22-03-2012 Unexpected change

Good afternoon

Just a quick update. It would seem that we are ready for our final exam as we have revised like mad this week, and as a result my final rules exam is now tomorrow!!

Better go... Much revision to do still. Watch this space...

20-03-2012 Update to yesterday and last progress assessment

So today I have uploaded some photos I meant to do yesterday to show the track mock up at Basingstoke where we did SCB training yesterday!

the apparatus on the track is a mock of a trains wheels and third rail shoe (the shoe collects power from the rail). It can be used to practice paddling up, which I'll find out about in July when I do traction training!

As for the rest of the day, we took our final progress exam and I was good enough to get 100% which gives an overal average of 98% which I am chuffed to bits!!! I just need to keep revising this week for the final 275 question exam on Monday!!

8 DAYS UNTIL DRIVING FOR THE FIRST TIME

6 DAYS UNTIL FINAL EXAM!!!

19-03-2012 ONE WEEK TO GO!!!

Good afternoon! Nice early finish today after a practical days training and a good thing too. It would seem that some poor person has been hit by a train in the Surbiton area and that would have seen me very late home tonight. Hopefully all is well.

Anyway, today see's our intrepid group having to deal with outsiders (i.e a Guard's course!!) and we started by doing our practical Short Circuit Bar training. At Basingstoke training centre there is a small track rig which means we can do the training safely and allows mistakes to be made and this is where we were taught to use a paddle to get ballast out the way and how to apply the bar safely. Sadly, it isn't live anymore and so we all had to shout "bang" to simulate the noise it would normally make but it was still a good excuse to go out into the sun today!

We then had a trip up to Clapham Yard to have a practice at evacuating trains. This saw a fun trip to a colleagues home first as we had some spare time and with three of us pilled into his small Saxo, that was a laugh to say the least!
I can now also tick of Whitton station as somewhere I have never been.

Still at Clapham Yard we sat on a spare train in the shed while a volunteer had to get all 23 of us of the train quickly while we pretended to be useless passengers ignoring the PA and being generally useless!

Still leaving a train via a ladder is an experience trying to get away from a pretend fire and I have to admit that I was being insolent by plugging headphones in and ignoring the guard as he tried to help.

Below are some of my esteemed colleagues "saving" passengers lives!

14-03-2012 TWO weeks to go

Good afternoon

Well today was a momentus day as for the most part we have now completed reviewing the rule book. I can sit back and relax as there shouldn't be too much new information to learn now.
We finished today looking at the SP module of the blessed book (speeds) and I marveled at certain things such as a class 444 (100mph top speed) is NOT considered a HST (high speed train) in the rule book, but a 158 (90mph top speed) is!!

We also finished by looking at the third rail and how it works and what we do to get it turned off. Unfortunately we don't get to go to the ECO (electrical control operator) anymore to have a look round but fortunately I have been Brighton in the past and seen this.

All that's let to do is revise, revise and revise! I have Short Circuit bar Training soon as well which is a handle that can attach to the rail in an emergency and cut the power to the third rail. Otherwise we are just counting down the days...

TWO weeks until the final rules exam, and 16 DAYS until we drive for the first time!! can't wait!

12-03-2012 TWO WEEKS TO GO!!

Hi all

Our group have been hard at work revising and learning the last part of the rule book. We took another assessment today regarding the M modules which are for accidents and fire floods and snow which everyone passed as well, and now it is dawning on us that a fortnight today we will be taking (and hopefully passing!) our final exams!

We also had a fleet representative in today to talk to us about what they get up to and what they want from drivers. It seems to boil down to the fact that they want us to be better with fault reports and not to panic if our train breaks down. I was also amazed about how much just one unit costs to lease from the owners (South West Trains doesn't own its own trains). I won't put the figures on here in case they are sensitive information but maybe a google search will reveal all. However, it is safe to say that you can see why fares have to be as high as they are. We also realised just how many trains have to be available for service everyday and how every train has to have its equivalent of an MOT every several thousand miles.
Next time a train is cancelled because of a failure I might feel a little better about it and it is a shame that they don't put a transcript of today's lesson on the internet as passengers may sympathize a bit more as well.

Anyway, an interesting day and I'll definitely not complain next time I send a fault to fleet and it's not repaired by the next time I see the unit as they really do an amazing job in the depots!

07-03-2012 Three weeks to go

The driving centre at Basingstoke is starting to become a very busy place indeed. There are at the moment our class and the February class of drivers hard at work and tomorrow BDT3 (basic Driver training), the March course start at the centre as well. On top of that there is a new guard course starting and two currently at the centre as well so our course are quickly becoming the "senior drivers"!!

We have finished looking at the main accident handling modules and with nothing  much to do this afternoon we plowed on through the Single Line Working by Pilotman module so that we can practice in the simulator tomorrow!

This time in three weeks I should be able to report my first successful day of driving in the depot with pictures to follow!

Our final exam is now 19 days away, or 12 work days or 72ish working hours!! Scary stuff but we're getting there and I am pleased to say that no one on the course appears to be struggling and were all still together.

Good luck to BDT 3 starting basic rail tomorrow. If any one on that course is reading this then feel free to come and say hello, we're in the Avon suite and are happy to answer questions. Also a quick mention to a friend who is currently a conductor and will be joining South West Trains very soon on BDT 4. not long now mate!!

05-03-2012 TW's done and dusted

With the exam this afternoon I'm pleased to say that we are still as a group together and still working hard. Better still we don't have to look at the TW modules for a while! From tomorrow we start dealing with the M modules (Mishaps and accidents) and P modules (pilotman and single line working) so I'm happy again.

The training this week has been fairly dry as I mentioned earlier but it has been broken up with simulator training which has helped reinforce ideas and rules we are being taught.

The good news is that 3 weeks from now I should be able to report a successful completion of the final rules test!! and 23 days from now till my first drive!