Other ranks

As a driver, it's not very often that you get the opportunity to mix with or talk to any of the many professions that keep the railways running. As a result, each grade tends to have a slightly jaundiced view of everyone else. Therefore, it was rather nice to dispell some of these myths today.

Because of the way that things have worked out with my assessment, I have indeed managed to wangle an extra day's route learning so that I can "sign" the diversionary routes. However, there are no scheduled passenger services over one of these routes, which meant that it had to be walked. Given the biting cold of the wind I guess I couldn't have chosen a better day, so I was glad that the route to be walked was only a mile or so long.

It also benefitted from a lovely warm signalbox at about half distance in which we could shelter and pick the signaller's brains. Although the precise workings of the signalbox are still as arcane to me as they were when we visited Cambridge PSB and Kings Lynn box all those months ago, the signaller himself was friendliness personified and a mine of useful information. It almost made me feel bad for all the nasty things I'd said and thought about his colleagues at Liverpool Street IECC. He talked through all the possible shunt moves and signal indications while skilfully juggling passenger and freight movements coming through his patch. He didn't even mind answering lots of questions that probably all came at the most inconvenient of times for him. What a lovely man.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about a look-out for a worksite we passed. Just as we drew up to him he started firing off lots of daft questions about why we weren't wearing hard hats and didn't have a look-out. He didn't seem to understand who we were (even though I was wearing the uniform coat) and why we were out there. He even earned us a reprimand from the site supervisor who yelled at us to "Stop distracting the look-out!!". So I yelled back to make clear that it was him talking to us and not the other way around.

Other than that, the assessments so far have been OK. I've had the written assessments for PTS and the core route together with a few hours driving. This still leaves the biggies of rules and traction, together with the additional diversionary routes and yet more driving. Still, I now have a nice long weekend in which to relax (although I fear I may spend a significant amount of that time fretting).