It's been a while since an update as nothing interesting has really happened!
Since the last update a few things have happened:
SWT and NR alliance is still going strong
Platform 20 at Waterloo is almost ready to be brought back into use
I entered the South Western Railway competition
Almost a year since my final
So here we go, first of all the alliance which I may have mentioned before is still going strong. There are the odd improvement that front line staff are seeing but behind the scenes bigger things are happening and I cannot speak for everyone but I'm sure Emergency Speed Restrictions are being fixed much quicker!
Moving on platform 20: if you visit the website of the esteemed company I work for here http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/Historic-journey-marks-the-first-anniversary-of-the-South-West-Trains-and-Network-Rail-Alliance.aspx you can see the special train a class 444 that was name South Western Railway that visited platform 20. Every driver (except Salisbury) are going to be route learning for the new platform including a dvd and map being issued. I'll ask if I can upload the DVD to this site when I get it. Once we are all trained then we can start using the platform for passenger services. I am led to believe that SWT are hard at work to get the other platforms back in use. I have seen this signal just outside Waterloo showing 20 on a couple of occasions (for the platform) but can't photograph it while driving as you can imagine!
MORE TO COME when I get my go at driving in there!
Photo competition.. before the summer SWR (South Western Railway) began a photo competition with three categories: People, Infrastructure and Rolling Stock. As an avid photographer this seemed like a good opportunity and I duly entered. Next week I have been invited to a hotel in London for a lunch to celebrate the competition so here's hoping I have done well. I won't upload all the pictures but my favourites are these two:
as you can imagine, if I do well you will definitely here about it next week!
A years anniversary: Can you believe that a year ago next week, I was writing to say that my drivers final was starting. As you know I passed then but a rather worrying situation has arrived for next week. Rules Tests!
On the 16th I have a rules test, a route conducting test, and a traction test all have to be carried out. Now you are probably reading this and saying yes... what's the problem? Well it mainly consists of the fact that although I have been happily driving up and down the routes from Portsmouth to London, as you can see from this blog I have had nothing happen to me. Most of the rules are like the highway code, that meaning that you must stop at Red Lights, must not move with the doors open etc etc. There easy and I can answer those questions easily.
But what about the questions or rules that you do not use very often for example for those car drivers who have no children - would you know how tall a child has to be before they can sit without a child seat? I doubt it but what if you picked up a friend with a child? You still have to have a car seat.
It's the same with train drivers, I know speed restrictions, signal types and colours, but what is the form number for Single Line Working (I haven't had to do single line working since I qualified or ever for that matter) so I don't know.
In a nutshell, fair amount of revision to do this week!!
So that is an update post, have a look at the other post for today as it is all about low adhesion!
Francis
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