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BrianB
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Dec 28, 2004
Last Visited: Jan 9, 2009
Location: Brisbane
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:30 am
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Great stuff!!!! Interesting!!!! Keep it coming!!!!
So far we have been lucky that no idiot has jumped into the original Railway Yarns thread and messed it up - the original thread is nice and 'clean' with only the original poster's stories - can we all KEEP IT THAT WAY
If you want to comment about any part of the stories, or fly off in 'side issues' can you please post them only in here, not the original thread.
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2001
The Snow Lord
Joined: Jan 25, 2005
Last Visited: Jan 9, 2009
Location: The road jump at Charlotte Pass. Paxman Valenta on two planks.
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| 2001 |
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:30 pm
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It's usually appreciated when one puts a link to the corresponding thread.
www.railpage.com.au/f-t11344007.htm
2001
Member Falls Creek 2018 Olympics Committee.
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jm1941
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jan 16, 2003
Last Visited: Dec 17, 2008
Location: Mount Gambier
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| jm1941 |
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:05 pm
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Re: www.railpage.com.au/f-t11344007.htm
A few people suggested a should write a "memoirs" etc, about my railway experiences and my job.
But I am not really into that sort of thing.
BFCYU I'm throughly enjoying your railway "memoirs" You are doing well. It is great to see you have presented your early railway days to type. Myself, being a railwayman, now well retired and reading your exploits one can align them a little, though mine was with the S.A.R. so is just great to see yours about another rail system NSWGR.
Can hardly wait for your next page exploits.
Keep it up, is very interesting and well put.
Regards,
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DRR_Fireman
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Oct 22, 2006
Last Visited: Jan 9, 2009
Location: Here, under my welding shield!
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| DRR_Fireman |
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Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:00 pm
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BFCYU, its been fantastic reading your memoirs, I love hearing stories of railways in days past.
At the DRR there is an ex. EBR (Emu Bay Railway) driver who can recall events from 30 years ago like they were yesterday.
Best wishes,
Andrew
Don River Railway, Tasmania -U/V class driver, Trainee Fireman, Trainee Railcar driver and Shunter extraordinaire!
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BFCYU
Junior Train Controller
Joined: Jun 16, 2008
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Sydney "Sutherland Shire"
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jm1941
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jan 16, 2003
Last Visited: Dec 17, 2008
Location: Mount Gambier
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| jm1941 |
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Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:52 pm
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Well done BFCYU, no it was fantastic.
What a trip back in time. Then a time out in the ordinary world and then back into the thick of it as a whole different ballgame in a changed railway.
I'm from old school railways (was better in those days as you know) but it was quite an eye opener of the doings with the private operator operations. Just glad I lived the old rail days, more enjoyment in the job.
Anyway, excellent write-up and I could easily relate to it all, though a different rail system.
Funny does not matter what railways in the world one can relate to all railwaymen's stories.
Good one.
Regards,
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BFCYU
Junior Train Controller
Joined: Jun 16, 2008
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Sydney "Sutherland Shire"
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BFCYU
Junior Train Controller
Joined: Jun 16, 2008
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Sydney "Sutherland Shire"
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jd4980
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Feb 13, 2005
Last Visited: Jan 10, 2009
Location: Grafton
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:29 am
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| BFCYU wrote: |
I found out after about one years as a diesel fireman,
it was more than just playing choo choo trains,
and blowing the whistle at my home town at Oatley. 
It become a serious job.
I think looking back the "wonderment & glamour"
of being a locomotive engineman started to wear off.
YES: I loved the job, BUT I started to detest all the
intenerant & variable shift work.
It is not just the normal 24/7 other shift workers do.
eg 6am, 2pm & 10pm with a week in that roster which rotates.
It is more of any hour of any day/night that you either start or finish your shift. I reckon on the average every month; I either started or finished every shift in every hour of a 24 hour clock. 
eg Mon: 10am-8pm. Tue 3pm-Midnight. Wed 10pm-7am.
Thursday not requried, Fri 6am shunter-2pm. Sat 3pm shed.
Sun 8am to Goulburn & book off in barracks etc.
(these are not real rosters, just a guide to make a point)
It did start to affect me.
My body clock was "out of whack"
Some shifts like night work or early morning starts,
I would only get 3-4 hours sleep.
I started to get very irritable at times.
(not so much at work--but at home)
I saw a doctor once who gave me sleeping pills.
The next shift: I was like a "zombie".
Then when i got home I threw all down the toilets 
I just had to learn how to live with it.
I on my 2-3 days off (after night shifts) i would sleep for upto 12-14 hours
to recover lost sleep. When i went out socialising, I was always
"Yawning" and bit of a bore to be with. 
Just lethargic all the time.
As I stated about all the constant shift work and my "old" young body
clock was out of whack.
I had to make a decision??
Stay on the Railways as diesel train driver;
or maybe do something else?? 
I really was looking for a "change"
My childhood dreams of becoming a Diesel Locomotive Train Driver
were going further & further away from me.
Even though it was looking at me straight in the face.!!
I was envying the "dayworkers"
all the nights & weekends off to mix and socialise with.
My "girlfriends" were just about "ZERO"
with no real interaction with the opposite sex.
I was looking for a "sweetheart & soul mate" to share my life with
but unfortunately was not to be found.
I was starting to find out;
That working for the Railways--
esp Freight Train Locomotive Train Crew Work:
"To ME, it more than just a job;
It was Lifestyle. (or Life.) And that job becoming my LIFE.
I was never home or trying to sleep during the day
when my mates come around to see me.
In the end they just "gave up on me"
because of those reasons.
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Its not how you wrote it but these parts of your posting i've picked out ring so true in my ears, when i started 3.5 years ago with the shine in my eye and feeling of dreams comming true, the glamour of railway life isn't all its cracked up to be and has eroded to just being a job that pays the bills and provides a comfortable lifestyle when rostering permits.
Unless your very lucky, the job is not family or social freindly with often like you say you have to chase mates all the time cause they give up on you and take for granted your asleep or at work when there is something on, your wife and kids go to school stuff and parties without you because your at work. How many marriages have been crueled i wonder by this industry? I shudder to think.
I was driving trucks before i started on the railway but it was a good job and i could make my own arrangements with fatigue and was home at some stage nearly every night of the week and weekends off. So when you went home you wewnt home, relaxed and ready to take on the weekend mostly, there was always exceptions. As you say working on the footplate isn't just a job, it becomes your life and effects your very core and all those close to you. The random shift work really turns you into an old man before your time, there are a couple of older hands in my depot that can't sleep regular hours in a bed, and consider it a good rest if they can string anything more then 2 hours together in a rest.
I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet, but it certainly wears you down, and creates a divide between you and your family, and know exactly where the emotion in your post comes from. Its not shift work its clockwork, and when they ring you have to go, doesn't matter what the roster says(within reason) so even you time off isn't all your own. The issues this job creates to your body and time when off duty, doesn't get the credit of consideration before jumping into the industry it really deserves.
PS, Tony was a top bloke, always used to be on for a chat if you passed him in the hours of darkness, or a freindly wave heaven forbid you scored some daywork, i didn't have too much to do with him, only a few social club outings. We were blocked by the train he and his mate were to relieve that morning while they chased up another crew. Very sad happening, and shook a lot of drivers as news spread, one of the good ones taken too soon. RIP.
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jm1941
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jan 16, 2003
Last Visited: Dec 17, 2008
Location: Mount Gambier
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| jm1941 |
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 10:43 am
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| jd4980 wrote: | | Its not how you wrote it but these parts of your posting i've picked out ring so true in my ears, when i started 3.5 years ago with the shine in my eye and feeling of dreams comming true, the glamour of railway life isn't all its cracked up to be and has eroded to just being a job that pays the bills and provides a comfortable lifestyle when rostering permits. |
Yes, right on jd4980. It is not HOW you wrote the memoir, it is the meaning and feeling that it has been conveyed in it that one can relate too, and at least understand, or get to see a positive/negative side of perceived railway job, especially as a modern day train crew. Stuff the political correctness etc, as most of us our schooling was nothing much to write home about, but gsts or getting us through in life.
But that said as BFCYU mentioned, which I think he has given an excellent example of the old Govt run railway (in my view was the real railway life that often one perceives today) and new private run railway point of view. I fully understand that the locomotive crews since privatisation do get a bit of a raw deal, but one has the weigh up the hard cash against family/friends life sad to say, OR have a very understanding wife who stands behind your job all the way. One reason I never pursued a engine driver's job (tucker box jobs back then) in my railway days. Home life was more important to me, plus I literally loved shunting wagons around. So ended up with best of both worlds. Shunting today not like it was in earlier days as BFCYU also showed in his memoir. That has been a plus for me.
| jd4980 wrote: | | How many marriages have been crueled i wonder by this industry? I shudder to think. |
Laughing now-a-days, but certainly NOT at the time. Well ‘jd4980’ I was one. Married a city girl in 1960, joined the SAR in 1962, took shift to the bush 3 round the clock shifts and often long hours, crap pay, but the main thing was I always loved the job that I was doing, could not wait to get out of bed to got to work. By 1964 I was left on my own, as the little woman hopped it back to the city quick time. So it is not just engine crews, the pressure is/was on though these days not a lot of country manned stations now, so the no-life shift is now seems to be on the “on-demand” train crews these days. Of course the money is nice, BUT…… there is a price to pay, (like in all things in life) just be prepared to pay the price, as BFCYU found out in time.
Now I count myself a very lucky person as because of going to that country position, the positive spin off was, though I lost first wife who just could not hack it, as it does take a special woman to be a railwayman’s spouse. I gained a local country girl and we just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. So what seemed a terrible catastrophe, later turned into the light of my life for rest of my life. The railways actually bought out the best in us as a married team. I do miss the old railway life, but life goes on and changes, whether better or for worse only time will tell. Here today, change tomorrow, readjust plans, and just got to grin a bear it.
| jd4980 wrote: | | I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet, but it certainly wears you down, and creates a divide between you and your family, and know exactly where the emotion in your post comes from. Its not shift work its clockwork, and when they ring you have to go, doesn't matter what the roster says(within reason) so even you time off isn't all your own. The issues this job creates to your body and time when off duty, doesn't get the credit of consideration before jumping into the industry it really deserves. |
Very well said for those who maybe contemplating a train crew as a career.
Regards,
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dthead
Site Admin
Joined: Jan 15, 2003
Last Visited: Jan 9, 2009
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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| dthead |
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Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:01 pm
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BFCYU your stories have been wonderful. Thanks for sharing them. jm1941 - great to see you still around anyther person I respect here.
BFCYU, since your leaving the railways as employment, any stories of anything train related - be it a model, miniature or tourist Railway experiance ?
Regards,
David Head
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BFCYU
Junior Train Controller
Joined: Jun 16, 2008
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Sydney "Sutherland Shire"
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| BFCYU |
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Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:44 am
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| dthead wrote: | BFCYU your stories have been wonderful. Thanks for sharing them. jm1941 - great to see you still around anyther person I respect here.
BFCYU, since your leaving the railways as employment, any stories of anything train related - be it a model, miniature or tourist Railway experiance ?
Regards,
David Head |
Thanks David Head (dthead).
In my first instance leaving the State Rail in the mid 1980's;
I collected a lot of "paper" memorabilia: timetables, NSW & Sydney maps
& diagrams, signal box yards, stations, old STN notices etc.
I got this through my wife at the her work at Railcorp (STN Timetables)
I have so much now, there is not much more space in my garage & garden shed anymore (my 2nd home) LOL!!
I have got heaps of old Railway Digest's (gave half away once) and also
The Motive Power Magazine; (hello Stuart Ellis-from the ex BFC Train & Wagon examiner)---So I will have to eventually get rid of that above stuff
if I (when) the wife and I downsize our living accommodation one day.
(Will contact Railpage Australia™) But can see I am a collector and book worm. 
When i was there the 2nd Time; (2001-06) Mick Marsh with 40 years service as an ex SRA "Goods" Brake Van Guard then a senior shunter donated to me his old but still working two shunters lamps. Thanks Mick, I will keep those.
I also collected a NSWGR 44 class "Dept of NSW Railways"
silver oval plate--the ones from the outside nose hood type.
A fellow Oatley Boy and SRA Diesel Fitter at DELEC gave me that as "farewell gift" from him as parting gift. (mid 1980's)
(told me it was from a 44 class which was going to be condemned)
Thanks Grant "Chuck" Morris.
Other than that David;
I only keep in touch with any updates from your Railpage Australia™;
and from those who are contributing to it.
THANK'S for that. Much appreciated.
I haven't really got into miniature trains etc but looks interesting.
When I do retire (or semi retire) I may join a Rail museum in NSW.
I have already spoken (email info etc) to Cooma Monaro with their
CPH "Tin Hares". ....might even get a go driving them...like my first encounter with them in 1977 at Waterfall with Mal Ritchie. 
My other goal is maybe retire at Dorrigo with the fresh
North Coast "mountain plateau air" to breath in the nostrils in the morning.
(nearly as good as cranking up an old ALCO Goodwin Loco. and the smoky oily exhaust fumes HEY!! )
Probably join the Dorrigo Museum too. I Can drive the older type locomotive diesels, and shunt them, also a backhoe-front end loader and a tip truck. So that will keep the side rods moving and breathing in the "mountain air". 
I am now "contented" in my current employment
as Yard Backhoe & Front End Loader Operator for a local Council.
"The Shire" (as the Sydney people know it and best Shire in the world!)
It not actually like driving the "Big Wheels" but still get a sniff of diesel fumes--so that's fine by me. LOL! All daywork etc Mon-Friday.
Sometimes I do think of reapplying for a Freight Train work again
(eg a 2nd person--drivers assistant) but I realise it is only thought now, not reality. I did apply twice for Freight Train work actually,
but withdrew my applications.
A lot of things have changed since the NSWGR and State Rail days!
I think now it's more to do with the "Quantity" of work performed;
not the "Quality". I found that out in last couple of years on the Railways.
But; time will tell.
Sometimes I think it would be great for me to be a
"full time yard shunting engine driver" ie on the engine and not on the ground, but probably only dreaming 
Talk to you all soon.
Regards BFCYU.
4458; Feb 1961 (same D.O.B.'s)
and we are both still alive
(sort of !!)
Botany Freight Corp Yes Utopia.
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