Pilot Men

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

Reading the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Steam Loco Dept Blog I was reminded of a bit of a side-debate we had about the use of 'pilots' or 'pilot men' in a signalling context (see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6405.msg219974#msg219974):

... the next plan was to get a photo of Dinmore Manor's fireman collecting the token, then follow it up the line.  As you'll have spotted by now, my cunning plans usually come unstuck somewhere, and this was where it happened on Friday.  The token for Dinmore Manor to take couldn't be coaxed out of the Tyer's machine.  Calls were made to Winchcombe box, plungers were plunged, points and signals unset and reset again, all to no avail. 

Phone calls were made to the Duty Operations Officer and it was decided that the quickest way to get the trains moving again, was to invoke pilotman working... now if only there was a some mug suitably qualified volunteer nearby who could do that.  You know what's coming next already don't you... my photography plans were put on ice (rather than snow) and with a red "pilotman" arm band on my left arm, phone calls to Winchcombe box made and forms filled in, I joined the crew of Dinmore Manor as far as Winchcombe.

I'd envisaged spending the rest of the day running up and down as pilotman between Gotherington and Winchcombe, but it turned out that when I got back to Gotherington, the problem had been discovered (lever 19 needed slamming home) and my services as a human token were no longer required.

The rule book doesn't actually demand it, however the fireman training material recommends that for the avoidance of confusion that the ex-pilotman should not remain on the railway, it even helpfully suggests going to the pub as an acceptable alternative.  By now, all the steam locos were either running tender first or behind something else, so I set off to do a spot of shopping in Cheltenham and grab some lunch.

I have to say that 'going to the pub' has always struck me as an acceptable alternative to being at work... you'd have to ask my co-workers whether things become less confusing while I'm away though.