off topic.............but anyone fancy driving a train?

[alf892]

There are loads of posts on here about why people want to change career so I thought I would share this...............I have heard Freightliner are offering 18k starting money for trainee freight drivers and training period is 6 months initially. 

 

After training 35 to 50k is the going rate (depending on route knowledge) and companies are struggling to recruit............which I suppose is why Freightliner are doing this as someone has realised you can't just keep poaching.

 

Most also provide a van for travel to and from work.

[Shep Shepherd]

Sounds interesting

 

Incidentally, my cousin is training to be a driver for Eurostar, which apparently pays its drivers a stupendous amount of money.

[Grundig]

Me - I'll give it a go, any links?? 

[cort16]

Sorry, it's my first day.

 

[CortinaDave]

ScotRail were recruiting for trainee train drivers for the new Borders railway recently, but I was told competition was fierce, and although they advertised the jobs externally, the actual gigs all went to folk who were already with the company as conductors etc and any of the external applicants they liked were actually offered jobs as conductors rather than drivers.

 

Still, wouldnt mind a gig like that myself. £35k and its not like you even need to steer ! how hard can it be?

 

make sure you have plenty of screenwash for all the deer/suicidal people you'd inevitably mow down though.

 

On a serious note although it is good money, appaerently its shifts, some of which are at silly o clock, and id I'd have thought hours and hours on your Jack Jones sat in a cab of a 30mph freight train could get pretty mind numbing over time.

[cort16]

The train to the borders is going to be towed by a donkey anyway so no need to worry about speed.

[Junkman]

What's the max age?

[Doctormop]

I worked as a Railway booking office clerk for First North Western about 10 years ago, applied for trainee driver's jobs a few times but was never successful, as mentioned above the usual route seems to be conductor then driver if you make the grade,

One thing I did find out was that uncorrected 20/20 vision was essential if you were to be considered, having worn glasses since Primary school seemed to be my undoing, I knew many drivers that wore glasses but none of them did when they were chosen for the job, if you see what I mean.

[M'coli]

Somehow I think that getting a conductor's job on a Freightliner train may be a little more difficult than getting a driver's job!

[Cavcraft]

I'd have a bash but couldn't afford to live on the starting salary for the first few months.

[warren t claim]

Cracking severance pay on Miseryrail if someone jumps out on you, 6 months off on full pay and the rest of your life off on full pension after your third impact with human.

[CortinaDave]

Yet if you mow three folk down in your car you get the jail.

[Cavcraft]

Yeah, but it's a lot easier driving up pavements at Celtic supporters than it is in a train. 

[Pillock]

I'm with Billy, it sounds like a decent job and the 35k sounds alright, but 18k to start on would kill me. 

 

Take an iPod, bit of gaffer tape over the dead man's handle, sorted. Occasionally liven it up by flicking commuters the bird whilst cruising through a station at 5mph with the doors locked.

[garbaldy]

ScotRail were recruiting for trainee train drivers for the new Borders railway recently, but I was told competition was fierce, and although they advertised the jobs externally, the actual gigs all went to folk who were already with the company as conductors etc and any of the external applicants they liked were actually offered jobs as conductors rather than drivers.

 

 

a friend of mine who works for them said they had over 300 applicants for the two jobs

[garbaldy]

I'm with Billy, it sounds like a decent job and the 35k sounds alright, but 18k to start on would kill me. 

 

.

 

18k that's £346 a week which is a bloody good wage   I wouldn't say no to it that's for sure

[Cavcraft]

Hey, I'm not playing E-WAGES THREAD here, it's just I have an expensive wife, expensive son and expensive daughter. And a fleet of incontinent cars.

[jakebullet]

Slight topic derail (sorry!) - Anyone done drive a steam train?

 

I'm officially a failure next Feb (40. Always thought I'd be dead before then), n the family are bound to try and make out it's summat special, and I must do something to celebrate*. So quite fancy drive a train, but there appears to be massive price variation, n haven't a clue what's good  or bad.

[garbaldy]

Hey, I'm not playing E-WAGES THREAD here, it's just I have an expensive wife, expensive son and expensive daughter. And a fleet of incontinent cars.

 

Haha don't we all but I have two daughters instead 

[Lankytim]

I'd drive a train, bet it's piss easy, there isn't even a steering wheel!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I'm with Billy, it sounds like a decent job and the 35k sounds alright, but 18k to start on would kill me. 

 

Take an iPod, bit of gaffer tape over the dead man's handle, sorted. Occasionally liven it up by flicking commuters the bird whilst cruising through a station at 5mph with the doors locked.

 

I'm sure on the Freightliners they encourage you to keep the doors locked while passing through stations. 

 

[Cavcraft]

Slight topic derail (sorry!) - Anyone done drive a steam train?

 

I'm officially a failure next Feb (40. Always thought I'd be dead before then), n the family are bound to try and make out it's summat special, and I must do something to celebrate*. So quite fancy drive a train, but there appears to be massive price variation, n haven't a clue what's good  or bad.

 

 

Oddly enough... I happened by chance upon a little station at Llynclys (near Oswestry) and they do it. Handily* enough I don't know how much it costs but I quite fancy a bash at it... 

 

http://cambrianrailways.com/html/driver_experience.html

[Doctormop]

Somehow I think that getting a conductor's job on a Freightliner train may be a little more difficult than getting a driver's job!

 

Very true

That may be why Freightliner had a bit of a reputation for poaching drivers from mainstream companies, best of luck to anyone who applies, wasn't meaning to sound negative.

A quick look on Freightliner website revealed these jobs but nothing about trainee drivers;

http://www.freightliner.co.uk/en/jobs/

Found this from Feb 2008 about Freightliner recruiting,,makes interesting reading

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16763

[Ghosty]

I'd genuinely be interested if I was of an eligible age.

[Bobthebeard]

After training 35 to 50k is the going rate (depending on route knowledge) .

Route knowledge?

 

I presumed that one of the most unlikely things to 'do wrong' when driving a train is to accidentally take a wrong turn and, for example, end up miles up a country lane outside Glasgow, at 19.35, when you should really be in Paddington station at 19.37.

[warren t claim]

Route knowledge?

 

I presumed that one of the most unlikely things to 'do wrong' when driving a train is to accidentally take a wrong turn and, for example, end up miles up a country lane outside Glasgow, at 19.35, when you should really be in Paddington station at 19.37.

Just use a Binatone satnav, they love to route you on to railway lines.

[Pillock]

I think route knowledge mainly consists of knowing where the signals are, so you don't go hooning through a red at 90mph and into the back of a commuter train. And knowing where the straights are, so you can close your eyes for a nap.

[Bobthebeard]

Just use a Binatone satnav, they love to route you on to railway lines.

Must be a right bugger looking for somewhere to pull over in a Freightliner whilst you check the map book. Especially in Milton Keynes.

(Having smashed the satnav in a rage)

[Lankytim]

I have one of those Binatone Sat-navs, it sometimes tells me to drive off motorway bridges onto A roads, then tells me off for not doing so. "TURN AROUND NOW"

[Junkman]

I posted it in the 'what would you want to drive' thread and I'm happy  to post it again:

 

 

I was told I could do it for 200 quid. Alas, daughter #1 decided to go to fuggin college now instead of marrying an oil sheik.

Hence it's Mobylette instead of Deltic for me.

 

Those fuggin Deltics fuggin rule like fuggin Scammells do, lemme fuggin tellyas. Fuggin British engineering when good was good and AIDS was unheard of.