Re: TRAIN DRIVER

[markbau1@aol.com (MarkBau1)]

<<<<<< Some years ago there was a trial to employ
ETR drivers off the street and put them through a crash course on driving
trains. The whole thing was a dismal failure and to my knowledge there was only
one from a school of twenty that got through and he was an enthusiast.>>>>>

Its strange that Australian railways have such poor training programs. To
qualify as a VR driver I took 5 years. When I moved to the US and got hired by
SP/DRGW I was qualified as an Engineer in 12 months as were my fellow new hires
who were off the street. These "off the street" hires were in control of 15,000
ton coal trains on 1 in 30 grades after only 12 months and were far better
train handlers than most of the drivers I ever fired for on VR. It comes down
to quality of training.

In Victoria we had to know crap like ports and passages of the triple valve/A7
brake valve/distributing valve but were taught almost nothing about train
handling. In the US our course was much more focused on track/train dynamics,
train handling with extensive use of hi-tech simulators.

I know I'll get flamed for this, (what's new) but I bet (with the right course)
that a very well trained spark driver could be turned out after 6 months off
the street.

Mark.
THE ROCK is dead
Long live THE ROCK!