As a supposed former Locomotive Engineer (a term that I have found many real drivers don't actually call themselves in this country), I am suprised by your comments.
I am not implying driving trains is like open heart or brain surgery, but a certain element of ability is required, if you hope to do a half decent job.(applies for Horizontal Lift drivers as well).
I am aware that in my employers eyes that I am only a skilled labourer but I would imagine the same goes for pilots etc.(remember the pilots strike). And no I am not comparing myself to an airline pilot!
But there are some similarities and some marked differences.
1. Both vocations are responsible for the lives of large numbers of
people.
2. There is also a large amount of training to achieve these positions,
as well as continuation training.
3. Some of the differences are: Planes can fly themselves, Trains can't.
Pilots have a heap of Navigational equipment to tell them where they
are in inclement weather, In this country most trains do not(I would love
to see you working a 115km/h , 3000 tonne Superfreighter on the main South(of
Sydney) in a blinding fog with no instrumentation to tell you where the
hell you are(except the skilled labourers knowledge of the road).
These are just some of the main points.
I believe it is comments like these that have kept peoples opinion that we are only skilled labourers. Instead of a least being recognised as tradesmen.
After all it takes between 2 and 5 years(of study and practical) to become a driver, then years of refining your skills to a point where you do a decent job( a carpenters apprenticeship takes 4 years(of study and practical) and they bcome known as tradesmen.
I know that this will probably attract some wide ranging differences of opinion, but at the end of the day I think most drivers etc do a reasonable job in this country(which has some of the harshest and unforgiving climate in the world). So if you care to think yourself as nothing more than a skilled labourer I can see why you are no longer a LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER and have chosen an alternate career path.
Me personally I think I'm a person who can drive trains(as there are train drivers and people who can drive trains).
Hope you like your new job better than your old one
Regards BEE EFF
Greg wrote:
"JoeC" <jcostello@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
VlJf6.2186$sS4.74675@ozemail.com.au">news:VlJf6.2186$sS4.74675@ozemail.com.au...
> They may be able to drive an elevator and sometimes without an incident
but
> to give them control of a 3000 tonnes coal or freight train is definitely
> beyond their capabilities, BTW who the hell are you to make an uneducated
> comment like that.
>
> Joea former locomotive engineer with 17 yrs rail experience driving shunts ..
suburban shunts.. freight trains .. express freights, suburban passenger and
intercity passenger trains....who the hell were you apart from a trumped up labourer?