OT Is this how sweller started out

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/5151370.stm

"A 19-year-old train buff from Rawmarsh has been sentenced to 200
hours community service after going joyriding in a 49-tonne
locomotive. "

 

*Chuckle*

 

I just love the completely stupid contradiction in the report of Mr
Joyrider being

a) Such an expert he could work the points properly and
b) So useless that he could have ended up on the main line and have
caused an accident.

FFS make your mind up!

Not exactly the most exciting loco to ramble up and down in though - he
could at least have joyridden in a big class 66 or something.

 

"Pour encourager les autres".

 

Well, quite. Next thing you know they'll be prosecuting people for doing
things that *might* lead to accidents, like going too fast on the roads.

Fucking absurd, iyam.

 

The points in the yard would have been hand operated levers and just
require a knack rather than any real skill.

He would have required authority via signalling and interlocked point
protection; these are operated from a remote signalbox. The yard would
have had catch points (short stubby points in the open position) that
would automatically derail the engine [1]; unless the route was correctly
set (by the signalman) it couldn't go onto the mainline so he wouldn't
have got far.

66s are utterly dreadful things. Imagine a 5 year old base model Rover
owned by a tramp without any money and we're getting there.

The 08 pilot in the footage are great [2]. Although they're governed to
15mph (the Southern Region 09s are set to a heady and improbably precise
27.5 mph) they jump about, clank and roar quite impressively for things
approaching half a century old.

They also don't need a key and can be started and operated with a cloth.
Which is handy if the previous driver has taken the special key/lever
with him or hidden it in an unusual place. i.e. not on the desk or in
position.


[1] Known in the trade as a "major earth fault".
[2] Unless you get an 8 hour shift wagon bashing.