BBC2 The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track

[John M Upton]

It was interesting seeing the lady driver for East Coast on the final programme.  There are many more female drivers and guards these days which is a very good thing but there are still a number of died in the wool old school BR types who still loudly express the opinion that females have no place on the footplate.  Thankfully these dinosaurs are now very few in number and on the way out.

[The Stationmaster]

It was interesting seeing the lady driver for East Coast on the final programme.  There are many more female drivers and guards these days which is a very good thing but there are still a number of died in the wool old school BR types who still loudly express the opinion that females have no place on the footplate.  Thankfully these dinosaurs are now very few in number and on the way out.

I find that quite surprising (not that I doubt what you're saying) as I would have thought most of the 'old school BR types' would have left the industry by now on either redundancy or due to retirement.  For example I know that Thames Trains (as it was, now part of FGW of course) lost the last of its long established ex BR Drivers a long time back and even on other operators the number of ex BR men always appears to be well in decline with lots of younger folk about.

 

I suspect any resistance is probably more down to some sort of sexism than anything to do with the 'old school' part of those who might still be around.  Females are just as capable as many males - and probably a lot more capable than some males - when it comes to driving modern trains where the only really physical effort which might be involved is dealing with coupling in an emergency - and if the Driver candidate can manage that it doesn't really matter what on earth their gender happens to be, and that has been the case since the end of steam traction.

[winterbournecm]

That recalls a story I was once told about a group of 8 or 9 Traction trainees (one lady). The "old school" Instructor was emphasising the young lady had understood each demonstration more then the men there. Near the end of the session she curtly informed all there that the only thing she wouldnt be able to do that everyone else there that day could involved taking a personal needs break in certain position!

[AngusDe]

After nearly 30 years of shift work I agree.  Our doctor at work (In the police) once said that the best shift system was to keep on the same shift so that the body clock gets reset and sticks to it.   He also said that on nights you should stay up after the end of the shift rather than going straight to bed and then get up shortly before going to work.

 

However as to rotating shifts I would say that there is no such thing as a good shift system only a least worst.

 

Jamie

 

In the past I was a elected union branch official and was involved on several occasions with negotiations over shift pay. The powers that be invariably wanting to reduce the allowances. All the medical evidence is pretty damming on the effects of shift-work on ones health.  One strong argument for the payment was that shift workers didn't live long enough to enjoy their pensions and the shift pay was a upfront payment of their pension they wouldn't enjoy. The longer runs are undoubtedly the better ones, but who wants to do 2/3/4 weeks of nights?

 

Having spent virtually all my 31 working years before redundancy/retirement on 24/7 rosters and almost always on 12 hour, often solo, Day/Night/Sleep rotations and with some long spells (at times measured in months!) of no days off at all I feel my body was on a 36 hour clock, work 12, off 12, sleep 12, etc After 15 months of redundancy/early retirement I still feel that if left to myself I'd be staying up later each day and sleeping longer each night if I wasn't now a full time carer.

 

Both my daughters work shifts now, one as a cop, the other as a ODP in a hospital. I don't envy them their shifts at all nowadays.

 

Angus

[AngusDe]

....

 

A question for everyone to mull over, would you offer to assist rail staff against abusive ranting customers or those accusing them of abuse?

 

In late 85 I was on a late evening circle line train, heading to Liverpool St when an incident at one of the stations occurred. A gang of young men were keeping the doors open for one of their friends who hadn't arrived yet. When one of the other passengers complained, they threw him onto the platform and kicked him unconscious, then got back on train and sat down. Train doors shut, train didn't go anywhere. Eventually ambulance crew and police arrive. Police ask passengers, "did anyone see what happened?", nobody said a word, so I put my hand up, told my story and pointed out the guys involved and they were hauled away. Never heard a word about it again, I'm not sure what the CCTV situation was like back then. Arrived at Liverpool St thinking I'd missed my last train, but it was still there, then on way home, it got held in outer London as someone had been stabbed on the train! The next day, I'm talking to a woman at Stansted Airport and she asks where I'm from, Glasgow, I tell her, "oh, isn't that a very violent city?!" she exclaims, "nothing compared to London" I reply.

 

Angus

 

PS Late to the show and this thread, but I've enjoyed it, with the usual caveats about simplistic explanations and personal driven story lines, but any such show is the same these days.

[unravelled]

I wonder if the first episode was a pilot one completed  before the others, which might explain the different "feel" it has. It was also interesting that at least one later episode reused/extended some of the Kings Cross footage.

 

Overall I enjoyed the series, though I would have liked  more on the jobs and less on the individuals. There were several missed opportunities, where a comment by a worker would have benefited from an explanation of the constraints they work under.

 

Dave

[Jawfin]

In late 85 I was on a late evening circle line train, heading to Liverpool St when an incident at one of the stations occurred. A gang of young men were keeping the doors open for one of their friends who hadn't arrived yet. When one of the other passengers complained, they threw him onto the platform and kicked him unconscious, then got back on train and sat down. Train doors shut, train didn't go anywhere. Eventually ambulance crew and police arrive. Police ask passengers, "did anyone see what happened?", nobody said a word, so I put my hand up, told my story and pointed out the guys involved and they were hauled away.

That's great. People are just too afraid to stand up to a yob recently, so they think they can just seriously injure/rob whoever they want whenever they want. Glad you stood up to them.

(Edit for typo.)

[St. Simon]

I watched the final programme last night - I have huge admiration for those who work directly with the public. I wonder if some 'customers' may be a little embarrassed when they see themselves on the programme? Hopefully though, it's given a real insight for those who don't work on the railway as to some of the more 'hidden' jobs which exist and keep the railway going.

 

The final comment from the trackwalker on the West Highland were, I thought, very appropriate

 

Hi,

 

I do hope it has shown people how the railway works and what railwaymen have to go through, but unfortunatly, everyone I have talked to that aren't interested in railways didn't watch it because they decided to watch "the only way is talent" or "Britains got dancing" or some other reality show that does nothing to the mind.

 

It was a great series and do hope the BBC does another series.

 

Simon

[PaternosterRow]

I do hope it has shown people how the railway works and what railwaymen have to go through, but unfortunatly, everyone I have talked to that aren't interested in railways didn't watch it because they decided to watch "the only way is talent" or "Britains got dancing" or some other reality show that does nothing to the mind.

 

 

Therein lies the problem with the modern world; we are bombarded with mind numbing rubbish most of the time.  Nobody seems to take the time to think about anything other than themselves and their wants anymore.

 

Another loss in this new 'society of individualism' of ours is people's lack of empathy.  Wouldn't it be refreshing if people put themselves in others shoes for once, for example; the staff on the platform as the mass hoard descended for the next train.  It would frighten the crap out of me to be faced with that wall of impatience!  I had nothing but admiration for the way they were shown handling themselves and the passengers.

 

In this computer age we have come to expect instant gratification and that includes all forms of travel.  It simply doesn't occur to most numb skulls that a railway is a very complicated thing to operate and that it is just as susceptible to traffic jams as a motorway is.  In fact, more so, as there are no convenient exit roads when things clog up.  

 

One last thing, a message to that lady who was seen complaining about how dangerous it was to be packed in like sardines; simply get off if you feel that way and create more room for others!

 

Grumpy old man rant over!

[James]

 

I do hope it has shown people how the railway works and what railwaymen have to go through, but unfortunatly, everyone I have talked to that aren't interested in railways didn't watch it because they decided to watch "the only way is talent" or "Britains got dancing" or some other reality show that does nothing to the mind.

 

 

Of those non-railway types I know, quite a few watched it. This may be a reflection of their awareness of the subject due to knowing me!

 

But let's face it, those who make an effort to watch a documentary on BBC2 are more like to be those wanting to find out more about a subject than others within our society!