17-05-2012 Train racing and other fun things...

So today I got to race another train. May seem like an unusual thing to type but its not and I'll explain. First off all I would also like to point out that its not racing in the conventional sense (as in Forumla One) and is not speeding or anything else like that. It happens when you are at Woking station. If you are ever there at xx59 past the hour, you will notice that in the London direction two trains will arrive at much the same time. One comes up from Basingstoke the other from Portsmouth. Well both these trains are timed to depart from Woking at exactly the same second. So once  you get the ready to start signal from the guard (which usually happens simultaneously between the two trains) you off and accelerating up to the linespeed (which is 100mph) at that point. Obviously, we are both on rails and have signals to obey (although these are usually greens for both) and can't steer so it's just a case of seeing which train is better than the other to accelerate.
Now as my train is a 444 (5 car train with two powered coaches) and my "opponent" is a 450 (4 car train with two powered coaches) I'm at a disadvantage as I have more weight for the power available, and this is obvious as we leave Woking as the 450 races away from me. My advantage is that my "opponent" has to call at Weybridge. So we head up the mainline still both perfectly safe and on green signals with him moving further away from me until we come round the corner approaching Weybridge. As we do so he has to start slowing for the station call whereas my next station is London Waterloo and I can carry on at 90mph! With Weybridge is sight I am gaining on the 450 very quickly and easily take victory on behalf of Fratton depot (my opponent being from Basingstoke I believe!)

Other fun things today..

Congratulations have to go to my DI who managed to have complete hicups all the way from Waterloo to Haslemere taking just over an hour! The ability to keep them despite trying every idea both of us have ever heard to get rid off hicups was truly something else. Fortunately, for him he got rid at Haslemere during our 11 stop!

And finally, while at Haslemere, I realised just how relaxed this job is. We are booked to arrive and wait at Haslemere for 11 minutes why the fast service overtakes. Well I secured the train, and sat out on the platform. I could hear birds singing and the sun was shinning with just enough breeze to make you think sometimes the weather is perfect! Below is a picture!

It's hard to believe when I got back here going towards London about 2 hours later there was heavy rain. Hey ho! It was lovely when this was taken!