Re: NSW CityRail Apprenticeship Info HERE

[signal_spotter@my-deja.com]

In article <01c8f74d.dd5a9674@usw-ex0106-048.remarq.com>,
  pdwyer <pdwyerNOpdSPAM@ecn.net.au.invalid> wrote:
> In article <011c5cf8.ed19ae1f@usw-ex0106-044.remarq.com>,
> signal_engineer <hayesipNOhaSPAM@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
>
> > Hey don't knock the SRA apprentice scheme. I'm a product of that
> > scheme (Elec Fitter). Err...maybe that's not a good arguement after
> > all.
>
> Sigh, get a good news feed from my ISP (finally), but no right of
reply
> ;-(
>
> Another product of a raiway apprenticeship - elect fitter/mech.
>
> Apparently no more fitters, only mechs. The benefits of progress.
>
> (Fogey mode on) When IO did my apprenticeship with QR, I got four
> different areas of work through which I progressed.
>
> Workshops - Motors, Signal repeaters, Line 'phones (what every
> trackside person needed), Drills, Grinders, Staff Bells, never got to
> do a full instrument overhaul (thank those lucky stars).
>
> Power & Light. - First day , hang off the Indooroopilly bridge to
> change a navigation light. Welcome to the wire jerkers.  Seee how the
> lovely rail workers spend their time destroying their quarters. Repair
> those quarters, smile at the offspring.
>
> Telecoms. Learn the fastest way to the local pub. Spend all day there.
> Leave the apprentice to answer the phone.
> When the modern marvel of the Commodore 64 enters the diagnostic
arena,
> scare friends and influemce techs with Leaderboard Golf and the
> America's Cup. Be the ony person using these applications when
> Engineers pass by.
>
> Signals.
>
> Be the envy of the block. Not only do you comprehend the marvels of
> series track circuits (after missing an entire week of courses) you go
> on to learn what marvellous acronyms lay before you. Sounds a lot
> better than chess, so you stick around to see the latest thing since
> the towers of Hanoi.
>
> I mean - Signals
>
> You don't get disappointed, this is much better than chess. You want
a
> logic puzzle? Meeet the greatest. People who want to eliminate the
> slightest chance of error. Who keep getting taught by Joe Idiot the
> best method of getting around the best safeguards.
>
> And by Joe Idiot I mean everyone, even you. You'd be surprised what
can
> cause an accident. Fortunately by the time you're born most of the
> damage you can do has been thought of :-)
>
> Guess where I ended up. I have a job where I can go to work every day
> and say I'm doing something. Not everyone can.
>
> I go to work to make sure you can. My job is to ensure that you make
> every rail journey you take is one you finish. You can't guarantee
that
> much about cars as much as you can quantitively state about rail
travel
> (excepting NSW of course :-) )
>
> The thing about rail apprenticeships is that sometimes you can find
> things you never knew existed. Or appreciated.
>
> Seeya.
>
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>
Yeah we had to go through all areas of the Railways too as described.
However I did get to pull apart (and I managed to put it back together)
a block instrument. Talk about fiddley. I had to totally dismantle it,
clean and polish the brass bits (too many to count), rewire it (with
perfectly straight looms tied with string) and put it together. The
same with signalling shelf relays. Yep there is plenty to learn about
the railways in an apprenticeship. I too am in a job where I do
something new every day that leads to an end product. Not many people
can come to the office each day (or work from home as I do a lot) and
design, check or test signalling from any part of the world. Very
satisfying.

regards Ian
Signal Design Engineer


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