I took my annuals rules test last week which consists of being tested on the rule book, my traction knowledge and my safety when walking on the track. I am happy to say that I passed and as this is my 2nd year rules, I am now considered an experienced driver!
Just a few more months to go now until I am no longer Post Qualified and become "low" risk!!
Many thanks to everyone who still looks on this blog. I have not had anything really worth writing about. I am considering writing a piece on non-technical skills soon as this seems to be the direction that the railway is going in and although I am not yet convinced, perhaps doing my own research and writing it up to this blog make me see something that perhaps I am missing!
Francis
Please note this site is to enable people aspiring to be drivers and to give them an idea of what the training is involved. It is not endorsed by South West Trains and all views are my own and not the companies...
Thursday 4 September 2014
04/09/2014 - Photo Competition 2014
Good evening - just about!
Having spent the day at Basingtsoke Operations and Training Centre being taught about Non-technical Skills (not there yet with it, but here's hoping that it will imprint in my mind soon!) I needed some light relief.
It occurred to me earlier today that there cannot be much time left before this years competition closes and after a bit of searching on the companies intranet I realised to my horror that it was tomorrow (5th!)
Panic! Not even taken a photo yet this year. That left just a late afternoon and evening to come up with some award winning photographs to win this year. As regular readers will know, I entered last year and having gone to London to see the photos on display sadly won nothing. Not to say that I am bitter as the quality of what I saw, far outweigh what I could produce! I decided that come this year I would plan ahead and take hundreds of photos so that I could take my time, plan my shots and have a shot at winning this year.
Well having only this afternoon and evening to do them all (with a bit taken off as I had arrange to see Sex Tape at the cinema - not a brilliant film sadly) I had my work cut out.
The afternoon was spent at Fratton and Havant to try and get some good shots and luckily some of colleagues posed for the staff category (which I didn't enter last year) and with some creative shots with my telephoto I came up with some good shots. Good - well the next thing I wanted to do was something that I have had in mind for quite some time. I wanted to play around with some long exposures at Automatic Half barriers. The nearest to where I live being up around the Petersfield and Liss areas.
So into the car and off we go the 15 miles to get there. By now it is 2200 and pitch black and I didn't think to bring a torch so I am struggling to frame photos as there is just no light. At the first AHB at Kings Fernsden I was luck as there was a street lamp however, when I moved up to Sheet AHB there was nothing. Still despite that, I think I got some reasonable shots. I have like I did last year uploaded in the hope that they may please my readers! Feel free to comment...
Having spent the day at Basingtsoke Operations and Training Centre being taught about Non-technical Skills (not there yet with it, but here's hoping that it will imprint in my mind soon!) I needed some light relief.
It occurred to me earlier today that there cannot be much time left before this years competition closes and after a bit of searching on the companies intranet I realised to my horror that it was tomorrow (5th!)
Panic! Not even taken a photo yet this year. That left just a late afternoon and evening to come up with some award winning photographs to win this year. As regular readers will know, I entered last year and having gone to London to see the photos on display sadly won nothing. Not to say that I am bitter as the quality of what I saw, far outweigh what I could produce! I decided that come this year I would plan ahead and take hundreds of photos so that I could take my time, plan my shots and have a shot at winning this year.
Well having only this afternoon and evening to do them all (with a bit taken off as I had arrange to see Sex Tape at the cinema - not a brilliant film sadly) I had my work cut out.
The afternoon was spent at Fratton and Havant to try and get some good shots and luckily some of colleagues posed for the staff category (which I didn't enter last year) and with some creative shots with my telephoto I came up with some good shots. Good - well the next thing I wanted to do was something that I have had in mind for quite some time. I wanted to play around with some long exposures at Automatic Half barriers. The nearest to where I live being up around the Petersfield and Liss areas.
So into the car and off we go the 15 miles to get there. By now it is 2200 and pitch black and I didn't think to bring a torch so I am struggling to frame photos as there is just no light. At the first AHB at Kings Fernsden I was luck as there was a street lamp however, when I moved up to Sheet AHB there was nothing. Still despite that, I think I got some reasonable shots. I have like I did last year uploaded in the hope that they may please my readers! Feel free to comment...
Down Signal on Up Main - Havant Station
Kings Fernsden Automatic Half Barrier crossing - near Petersfield
Havant Up Main Starting Signal (showing the route towards Petersfield and London Waterloo
Fratton Station Platforms 2/3
Havant Up Main Starting Signal (again showing the route towards Petersfield)
Class 444 leaves Fratton for London Waterloo
The driving control (of a safely stabled!) Desiro train
444043 Leaving Havant for London Waterloo
An Unidentified class 444 crossing over Kings Fernsden AHB
Another unidentified train crossing over Sheet (near Petersfield) AHB
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