Passed my S.D.R. medical

No, not the search engine…After some concerns re the peepers, I passed my South Devon Railway medical yesterday with flying colours and on 19th and 24th of March have full days training in the signal box at Buckfastleigh in addition to my regular Crossing Box duties at Staverton and, hopefully, more thereafter. I've had three proper training days so far and now I'm 'going for it'.

I hope to get passed out this year if possible, before I get too old and dopey to pass the exams. It's not a case of 'preservation railway "Oh, that'll do…"', as the Office of Rail Regulation oversees railway operations including Preservation Railways and ultimately if I am responsible for a loud, expensive noise that  included even the slightest danger to the travelling public I could end up in court with fines and a custodial sentence.

Am I mad at 70 to try it? I just don't feel that my three-score-and-ten defines me although I'm nearly twenty years older than one of my trainers!

So far I've learned that operating the box when nothing is going wrong and the timetable bears at least some resemblance to what is hapening outside the windows is not too difficult with only 25 levers. B'leigh is well [over] interlocked so in theory you can't make a serious co&k-up. Our Signalling Inspector and Head Trainer Ian Wannel worked Newton Abbot East with 206 levers and speaks of days when he never as much as sat down in a whole tour of duty….

Well, for those of a nervous disposition, I've given you the dates to avoid!!

Keep safe,

Douglas

Hearty congratulations Douglas on continuing to achieve worthwhile accomplishments and expanding that sensible head of yours :thumbs

South Devon rails will continue to be safe and I look forward to revisiting my old haunts around Buckfastleigh before too long.

If you were to get yourself 3D modelled, you could come and populate all our signal boxes courtesy of those very nice people at Modelu and your multi tasking badge would be well and truly earned.

Well done and enjoy the continuing adventure.

Best,

Bill

Yes,  Congrats Chubber.  :cheers 

Just because one has a certain number of years under ones belt , doesn't make them old. I try to think my 78 is just starting to get to the middle age range.

Absolutely Ron, we are just as old as we want to be, notwithstanding the back mind!

 Good health and fortitude to all,

Bill

:doublethumb :doublethumb :doublethumb

Congratulations Doug.Good luck with your training. I'll try to pop over and perhaps see you when the weather gets a bit warmer.

Congratulations!There's no such thing as too old to learn something new.  Good luck with the courses and the exams.
Michael

Congratulations Doug - you're only as old as the woman you feel !!

Many congratulations Douglas. Excellent achievement.
Age doesn't come into it and you are going where many of us fear to tread. Go for it!
The way things are going at the moment, you are no where near retirement age anyway.

👍👍👍.

Nigel

Congratulations Douglas

 :cheers

thumbs  
Well done Doug….you must be quite chuffed

Best wishes

John

Wow!
Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words…I did expect a little sarcasm but your response has, as John said, made me chuufed.

Douglas

Well done Doug. Hope to catch you at the SDR again later n the year.

Well done Doug and tanks for the heads up on the dates to avoid ………………….do you think I'm far enough away here ? 

You must be absolutely cock-a-hoop with yourself.  Is Kings Cross more complex or just more levers ?

Once fully qualified, will you have a regular rosta or is it random ?

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Well done Doug and tanks for the heads up on the dates to avoid ………………….do you think I'm far enough away here ? 

You must be absolutely cock-a-hoop with yourself.  Is Kings Cross more complex or just more levers ?

Once fully qualified, will you have a regular rosta or is it random ?

Bonsoir Pierre,

I'll not join a regular rosta, I'll still volunteer for 1/2/3/4 days per month, and the roster clerk will assign turns as needed. There are more than enough for the Staverton Crossing box, quite a few for Buckfastleigh, and comparively few for both Bishops Bridge and Ashburton Junction [read 'Totnes Littlehempston']

Bishops Bridge is the most complex box as it controls the crossing loop on two train days as well as the adjacent P.W. yard.

I haven't heard of 'Kings Cross', was there a railway station there?   

Poop-poop!

D

Bolliques! SDR shut down…Just in time to stymie down my fortnightly training session at B'leigh box.

Grumpy Chubber

Late to the party but congratulations! I feel your frustrations though. I had just returned to my State Emergency Service Unit to help with training after 18 months of “having a rest from volunteering “, in time for in-house training to be cancelled by the pandemic precautions, I had just been getting to know all the new peoples names too.

C'est la vie!

D