Re: Becoming a Train Driver

[cjg@tik.com.au (Chris)]

On Wed, 17 Jun 1998 23:37:30 GMT, phaedrus@mailhost.ultra.net.au
(Darryl Georgee) wrote:

>"Paul Pickford" <brougham@bigpond.com> wrote:
>
>>I've seen a few posts about becoming a train driver. There are ways to
>>practice and become highly skilled, before you can even start. ie:
>>#1> Pack 2 days food into a tin box, and wait until midnight. (an hour or
>>two sleep is ok) Go into your ensuite or bathroom, and pretend it's a loco
>>cab. You can look out of the window, but no sleeping. Come out at lunchtime
>>the next day, and go to bed. Tea time wake up, eat, and back into the
>>bathroom for say a shortish 9 hours shift. 4am the following day come out
>>again, and go to bed until say 8am, when the kids wake you up. (Thank god it
>>wasn't a 16hr shift eh?)
>>Congratulations! You have simulated 2 shifts for a driver. Better get a good
>>rest, because your on again this arvo!

And if that isn't enough to turn you into an overtired, cranky old
bastard with failing health, you've done well. So try a fwe more years
of it.

>>   *      ---------===== Paul Pickford =====---------

>
>>> You forgot, rig up an alarm device so every 90 seconds ot so a loud horn sounds in your ear
>>> unless you press a button to cancel it :-)

>  Darryl Georgee, Townsville, Australia

God I remember that. 15 years of it. Seems like a bad dream  now.  I 
work a regular shift roster 2 days/2nites (12hrs)/4 days
off/3days/2nites/5days off. And to think that I've been considering
applying to Westrail and Fastrack !!! Thanks for the reality check,
guys.
I'd like to see some of the know alls  who sometimes  post here try
it. You know the intelligentsia who reckon you're all a bunch of lazy,
unskilled slobs, too stupid to know what a good deal you're on.

Chris.