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When did driver only operation DOO start in locomotives?


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Coupling a loco to a train is the driver's responsibility, which doesn't mean that he actually has to do it.  The more conscientious men would get down and observe the procedure while the secondman, shunter, or guard did it, but most didn't bother.  Back in the 70s, the rule demanding that the driver should be in the leading cab of the loco was mostly observed in default for light engine setting back movements, and the other man, guard or secondman, would either signal him in from the back cab by hand or with the bell, or the loco would simply be driven from the front cab with nobody in the back cab at all, handsignalled from a man on the ground.  

 

In the case of, for example, a single manned light engine from Canton picking up a train at Radyr Quarry, I would secondman the loco off shed from the front cab, and change ends, usually in one of the platform roads, 3, 4, 6, or 7, with the driver for the light engine run to RQ via Waterhall (nowadays the 'City Line').  I would observe the reversing crossover ground signal and tell the driver when it cleared, then abandon ship to walk across to the shunter's cabin to pick up the train's documentation.  While I was doing this, the driver would set back to clear the yard inlet ground signal, and drive forwards when it cleared to buffer up to the train.  By that time the shunter would be in position to couple on, and I would be on my way back to the van to carry out my examination before giving the driver the load.  He would have left his bag in what was now the front cab since changing ends at Cardiff Central.

 

Now, quite a lot of this was rather wobbly rules observance, but it was normal procedure.  If you'd asked me the minutiae of the rules, I've have been hard put to it to give other than a subjective answer; my job was to act as secondman until the loco had reached the yard we were to pick the train up from.  Had I reached this destination by being within Radyr Quarry box's station limits, or was I supposed to stay aboard the loco during the shunting movement doing what the driver told me even if it did not conform to the rules until the loco had buffered up to the train?  Even drivers I considered as conscientious did this.

 

Incidentally, shunting duties within yards and station limits on 08s and other locos with controls on both sides of the cab were single manned from the introduction of such locos.  With regard to physical needs breaks, main line diesel (and I presume electric) locos were fitted with urinals in the engine compartments, so that need could be satisfied in motion if there was another man in the cab, who could hold the deadman's isolating switch for you without putting the engine into 'engine only', and a man without traction or route knowledge could do this under the driver's supervision if the driver authorised him to; I've done it myself.  I'm still not clear who was breaking the rule in this situation, but we would both have been bending it!

 

Railway procedures that seem simple at first sight often prove much more complex when you 'drill down' into them.  But I recall a dispute during which ASLEF called an overtime ban and work to rule in which they intended to illustrate to the railway (we still called it 'the company') that they needed the goodwill of their members and this sort of interpretation of the rules and their general co-operation, or the timetable will collapse into anarchy.  The footplate grades duly worked to rule, which meant we had to when we were aboard locomotives as well.

 

The timetable ran perfectly because everybody was doing their job properly.  I didn't like Ray Buckton and enjoyed this epic fail!

 

You could start or stop the engine in 'engine only'; fitters were able to do this, but without the driver's key the selector was locked in that position and the loco could not be moved

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We hd duties at KX where the train would be doube manned to Cambridge, evening peak, some times blockenders, sometime corridor stock. At KX it was the shunter's job to couple the loco to the train. At Cambridge it was the 2ndman's job to couple and uncouple the loco and train.

 

Then we'd have our PNB then work a DMU back to KX.

 

I had to have the services of a 2ndman as an EMU driver at Waterloo, both times the DSD was defective.

 

Coupling duties were laid down in local agreements. On the Eastern, the shunter done it in the London area. Beyond Peterborough and at Cambridge it was the 2nd man's job. 

 

Re double manned locos on early tube lines, I seem to remember Brian Hardy mentioning this in one of his posts.

Edited by roythebus
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On 03/05/2020 at 18:48, The Johnster said:

You could start or stop the engine in 'engine only'; fitters were able to do this, but without the driver's key the selector was locked in that position and the loco could not be moved

As I understand it that's the only position that you can start the engine in. Though I've only ever started a loco once (a 45), I've spent quite a while staring at the electrical drawings for it...

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20 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

As I understand it that's the only position that you can start the engine in. Though I've only ever started a loco once (a 45), I've spent quite a while staring at the electrical drawings for it...

 Yes without the key the selector is in 'off' not 'engine only' and cannot be started

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On 03/05/2020 at 18:48, The Johnster said:

 

You could start or stop the engine in 'engine only'; fitters were able to do this, but without the driver's key the selector was locked in that position and the loco could not be moved

Not strictly correct. The reverser had 4 positions, in order, OFF, REVERSE, ENGINE ONLY or EO, FORWARD. The engine could only be started with the reverser in ENGINE ONLY. Normally the reverser was locked in the OFF position, and had to be unlocked with a Drivers key to get it into EO to start it. The engine could be stopped with the reverser in any position, although you normally only did it with the reverser at OFF. On some locos it was possible to start it locally, but it depended on the loco as to whether the reverser was unlocked. I can't remember exactly. Sometimes you would find a desk that was unlocked with no Drivers key in it. This was known as 'Jimmied' and sometimes was a source of trouble as it would lead to a partial loss of power if you were driving from the other. Something to do with Control Air loss due to two drivers desks being opened. You would have to lock up the open desk that was not required, using either a 'Jimmey' key, a modified Drivers Key or the handle of any convenient piece of cutlery. I had a long 'Knickerbocker Glory spoon I used for my tea can that could act as a 'Jimmey' key in an emergency. It was common for fitting staff and shed drivers to have a 'Jimmey' key as they could start up multiple locos without having to carry multiple Drivers keys, which would weigh quite a bit. I usually carried at least three Drivers keys with me on duty to make it easier to swap over when relieving another driver, and a couple spare.

 

Paul J.

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