Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Jun 16, 2006 22:38:05 GMT
A question for the train drivers (of all sorts) who read this forum. Do you find driving trains more or less tiring (and/or stressful?) than driving a car on roads you know for a similar amount of time? What about roads you don't know?
admin: I'm really not certain where on the forum this belongs, so feel to move it if you feel I've guessed wrongly
Chris
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2006 22:46:04 GMT
Can't say, never driven a road vehicle - pedal bikes dont count!!!
but i will say this; the feeling of speed when travelling passenger in a car is much GREATER than the actual speed we happen to be travelling at.
Do sometimes find myself dropping off momentarily when in tunnel sections, open sections on new CWR track are the worst in my opinion, because its so quiet; wouldn't say it's stressful doing the driving, but it is a bit stressful when you've gotta train packed to the hilt of punters and the train comes up with a fault thats not easily rectified....
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2006 22:46:48 GMT
Hmmm. A difficult question to answer because they're like chalk and cheese.
I personally don't find driving a train tiring or boring (most of the time) although sometimes I do feel my eyes dropping in the tunnel sections. However I always manage to stay awake and obviusly my concentration is always there, even if I don't realise it!
Driving a car through built-up areas on 'normal' roads, I never get tired as I'm paying so much attention to what's going on around me etc. However driving a car on the motorway is a different thing altogether and I regularly have to stop at the services and have coffee or Red Bull to try and wake me up!
It doesn't matter how much sleep I have before a long journey on the motorway, I still start getting tired within about half hour. That's what repetive scenery and straight roads do to you!
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Phil
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Post by Phil on Jun 16, 2006 22:59:54 GMT
The main reason I find driving trains is less stressful is that there are less unexpected happenings. Signals are always in the same place. You always know gradients and stopping points. People don't pull out of side turnings at you, or change lanes right in front. However when unexpected occurrences happen on the railways they are often more serious (no details here....). Unlike Alan though, I have no trouble on the motorways because I normally (road conditions permitting) drive at a speed which forces me to stay awake. Conversely the 1435 departure from Bishops Lydeard was always a killer in the summer: just after a break, full stomach, sun shining straight at you, nice and warm......zzzzzz  . |
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Colin
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Post by Colin on Jun 17, 2006 3:12:15 GMT
In one sense, driving a train requires intense concentration because of those pesky signals - especially on the District line. But then driving on the road needs a fair degree of concentration too as you have to actually steer the vehicle and be ready to respond to unexpected hazards.
The more I think about it, the more I agree with Alan & Phil in that they are two very different scenarios - but I would say this; since becoming a train operator, i've never passed a red traffic light ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2006 4:18:26 GMT
Do sometimes find myself dropping off momentarily when in tunnel sections, open sections on new CWR track are the worst in my opinion, because its so quiet; wouldn't say it's stressful doing the driving, but it is a bit stressful when you've gotta train packed to the hilt of punters and the train comes up with a fault thats not easily rectified.... Esepcially, in good 92ts style, if its a fault that noone has ever seen before!  As for driving cars, when i first learnt to drive and had 2 hour lessons, I was knackered after a lesson, but now im ok, I wouldnt call it stressful or tiring, but i do sometimes get annoyed with others on the road, particually kids on bikes who like pulling out in front of you.  |
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Post by ttran on Jun 17, 2006 5:10:29 GMT
I've been a learner car driver now for over 2 weeks and I'd have to say driving a car's not really stressful, just dangerous and monotonous at times... As for driving trains, well I've only driven a train once so I'm not really qualified to answer the question, but from what I experienced it's much harder and requires more precision than car driving. I shudder to think what the guard of the train I drove was thinking at the time.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2006 6:50:22 GMT
I shudder to think what the guard of the train I drove was thinking at the time. ;D Did you give him a rough stop then??? |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2006 15:39:54 GMT
Sorry, slightly OT, but I found that flying a light aircraft is easier than driving a car. There are less things to crash into in the sky!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2006 16:10:46 GMT
I'd say it's easier and less tiring to drive a train for 4 hours than a car for a similar length of time. This is partly because you can stand up and move about at stations.
Also there isn't so much to look for - you know the driver of the train coming the other way or behind you isn't going to affect you, no matter how much of an idiot they are! In a car you're constantly (mostly subconciously) making use of the steering - there's no equivalent on a train.
The only part of train driving that is worse than car driving is the passengers - you can't choose who gets on your train!
Having said that, car driving can be more interesting if you've got a nice bit of clear road ahead, especially on the back roads.
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Oracle
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Post by Oracle on Jun 17, 2006 16:58:32 GMT
I first rode a moped at aged 14 in France, then motorbike at 16 in England, 17 car and then a few years later Transot van then steam and diesel locos. I also did something like 40 hours flying and the most stressful time was flying through a fog bank in the middle of the Channel with nil forward viz and some downward, and flying back from Dinard and through a Cold Front/rainstorm over the Channel Islands. It's the landing I used to get nervous about and still do. Firing and driving a steam loco was absolute fun. Now I have driven hundreds and hundreds of thousands of miles since 1973 in cars and it's no fun, sometimes a real chore. I wish I was a tube driver!
However Picc and Northern guys I knew in the past seemed to have got bored with the job over a period of years and wished that they could do something else so I suppose it gets to some in time. My pal Dave is as mentioned before a signaller for Westinghouse at Neasden Depot. Seems he likes that more than he ever did driving trains.
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Post by mandgc on Jun 18, 2006 0:22:47 GMT
One advantage in driving a car is that you, yourself, can choose whether to Turn Left for Ealing or head out to the country by turning Right. - Only joking! :-)
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Colin
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Post by Colin on Jun 18, 2006 1:21:00 GMT
you know the driver of the train coming the other way or behind you isn't going to affect you, no matter how much of an idiot they are! Might be best if I don't mention what I did at Wimbledon the other day then  |
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Post by ttran on Jun 18, 2006 2:13:25 GMT
;D Did you give him a rough stop then??? Ha, that's not the word for it. Still, I did manage to put all 300 tonnes of the thing about 1m past the marker... |
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