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Post by dave1 on Jun 18, 2016 16:42:27 GMT
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Post by railtechnician on Jun 21, 2016 7:20:35 GMT
Compared to nowadays there is just so much 'wrong' in that film. That said when I began my LT career in 1977 it wasn't really too much further on than in the film. Back then we needed only a hi-vi vest to be on or about the track during traffic hours, a lookout man only being required if one was working and thus deemed quite rightly unable to lookout for oneself. In engineering hours not even a hi-vi vest was needed although one needed a lamp and anyone below chargehand grade carried a Tilley paraffin lamp. Those lamps were great as long as one looked after them, we even took them out on days back in 1978 and used them to heat up the temporary relay room (a draughty wooden hut) adjacent to Cockfosters signal cabin during the installation as part of stage 1 Picc east end resignalling project. That was the year we had snow from Christmas right through to April as I recall. Even so it was the only time in my LT/LU career that I attended work wearing two pairs of trousers, two pairs of socks a fleece lined jacket, scarf and a donkey jacket. We were glad of the 73 stock that was coming on stream that year with it's half close door system that meant the heat stayed in the cars for longer while the trains sat in the terminal platforms between arrival and departure. The old 59 stock that was the predominant stock on the line at that time was absolutely freezing to sit in awaiting departure. Back then Lookout man training, compulsory for all new signals staff, was undertaken at the P Way training school at Neasden and it was a 3 day course which was classroom based but which included a track walk to West Hampstead station with the P Way instructor and an interactive discussion and questions with him pointing out trackside features, obstacles, relating horn and whistle codes, demonstrating how to cross the tracks, where to walk and where not to and of course also highlighting the correct procedure for acknowledging approaching trains. The first day was all theory, the instructor reading all the relevant rules from the 1973 rule book and the students writing them down verbatim. The second day was questions about the rules we had learnt on the first day and any necessary follow up during the morning and after lunch was the track walk and finish at West Hampstead. The third day was the Lookout Man test with the P Way Chief Instructor, it was a theory only test and one was expected to know all the rules that had been taught the first day with a Lookout Man certificate awarded to those who passed and a quick away after lunch. One never went to the school again under that regime unless becoming a Possession Master but at that time such was a P Way only remit, the P Way supplying them to signals and other departments as and when required. The 'refresher' training was part of the annual reading of the rules session usually held by a light duty former AET in a room in the old training area at Hammersmith station. It was usually a very sleepy affair with around 50 or 60 people at a time having to sit through the three hour slide show and listen to the related live commentary where some incidents were highlighted with particular regard to safety on the track. Apart from the above working on or about the track was a matter of recalling what had been taught on the Lookout man course and then doing what one was told to do by chargehands and supervisors. Nothing changed until Line Safe came in with the new rule book circa 1983 and Line Clear for tunnel work some time later. These being the forerunners of what became the Engineering Works Controllers which these days are I believe known as Track Access Controllers. Today's SOtT world is far removed from that which I first worked in almost 40 years ago but I would still recognise it as the vast majority of changes thereto under H&S were instigated during the 4 decades that I worked on the system. I guess today's workforce would be amazed at some of the things that were quite routine years ago i.e. pulling in lead covered cable across live tracks in the pouring rain, following trains into tunnels to work on equipment in a place of safety and then waiting for one to pass before hurrying back to the platform, pulling cables over cable bridges without ladders or walkways during traffic hours, using cleat runs as fixed ladders when running in new cabling, working in a tunnel where a train was known to be operating and relying upon the timetable or published EWSA & special notice information, never having to book in at a station to work there, never having to book in anywhere to work on open sections, only having to leave a message on the old Leicester Square answerphone numbers when working in tunnels in engineering hours, storing tools, equipment and cable on platforms without needing a storage license, using the tunnel lights alone to check for juice off, using ropes and chains to manhandle cable drums around station subways, stairways and platforms while the station was still open to passengers, using stepladders on platforms without restriction during traffic hours, working on points with the juice on etc and so much more that has long been outlawed. Modern H&S is lauded as protecting and keeping safe the working person and while I cannot disagree with that I do believe that the levels of protection applied nowadays make modern workers complacent as they believe that they are fully protected at all times. There is as a result IMHO less common sense to the average worker's thought processes now whereas in my days on the system my own thoughts were always safety first and working tasks second because one had to look after number one in order to protect one's gang or section. Those who were never there will probably never fully understand the point but much of what they do today under a very fat working manual we used to do with a pocket rule rule book and common sense. |
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Post by dave1 on Jun 21, 2016 10:22:54 GMT
You would not believe it today and those who were not born then would be horrified although that was the way it was done. With all the training that is involved as I understand you have to pass exams to walk on the track.
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