Driver Changes

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Rob Jamieson
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Location: Pretoria

Driver Changes

Post by Rob Jamieson »

In the old days before the electrification of the line between Beaufort West and Kimberley, driver changes for passenger trains between Cape Town and Pretoria used to take place at Touwsriver, Beaufort West (with locomotive change), De Aar, Kimberley (with locomotive change), Klerksdorp and Johannesburg.

Today, only the Blue Train continues onto Pretoria with the Shosholoza Meyl and Premier Classe terminating in Johannesburg. So how does this affect the locomotive and driver changes that now take place.

With the Blue Train using 14E locomotives all the way through from Cape Town to Pretoria, do the driving crew now man the train all the way or do they carry a spare crew and change after a certain amount of hours.

With the Shosholoza Meyl and Premier Classe still using 6E1's and 7E's on the route, where do there driver changes now take place. Obviously locomotive changes will still take place at Beaufort West and Kimberley.
Rob
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John Ashworth
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by John Ashworth »

Rob, I believe this is your first post to the FOTR forum. Welcome, and I hope one of our experts will be able to answer your queries.
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Greg Hart
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Greg Hart »

hey.

A few drivers from those depots have done trainning on 14E 's etc, So I think its only there to minimise loco change time.., even some of the Umbilo and Danskraal drivers are qualified on 14 E's when the blue train comes to durban

cheers
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Steve Appleton
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Steve Appleton »

When travelling southbound on the Premier Classe from JNB to CPT a few years ago, a loco and crew change took place at Beaufort West (25kV to 3kV) and another crew change took place at the first loop immediately after Laingsburg. In this instance the southbound P-Classe locos stopped alongside the locos of a northbound freight waiting in the loop. The crew passed their gear across to each other and then they themselves stepped across the gap between locos. In minutes, we were under way again.

In 2007, the P-Classe southbound (train 71006) was scheduled to have crew changes at Klerksdorp, Ronaldsvlei (loco and crew), De Aar, Hutchinson, Beaufort West (loco and crew), Laingsburg (although as related this happened at the next loop. We whizzed right through the station without stopping. I assume the change location was pre-arranged on the radios), and Worcester. The up train (train 17005) was also scheduled for crew and loco changes at those same places.
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Stefan Andrzejewski
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Stefan Andrzejewski »

From Cape Town up Worcester is always the first driver change. These days they always change at some or other siding. Crews change Loco's and go back the way they came. Seen in this photo of a crew change in Christiana. Our crew from Beaconsfield to Christiana. The guys with the reflective vests had just got off the Coal Train and were to take us to Klerksdorp where the changed driver took us to JHB. Interesting subject. I have always wondered where they change between B/West and wherever. It never seems to be in the same place. Surely the drivers would work a six hour shift at least before been replaced.
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allanroy
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by allanroy »

When we went on the Shosholoza Meyl from Cape town to Jhb we had two driver changes in the middle of now where.

First was between majiesfontein and laingsberg where are drivers changed with a goods train going back towards cape Town. our train was been pulled by 6E1 and the goods trains by class 14E locos.

Then between Kimberley and Klerksdorp we changed drivers in the middle of no where, also with a goods train but been pulled with class 18 locos
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Stefan Andrzejewski
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Stefan Andrzejewski »

We also had that change between Matjies and Lainsburg. Our other one was at Christiana seen above
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allanroy
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by allanroy »

Put the photos of our driver changes into the photo section.

http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/ ... 144&t=6348
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Luca Lategan
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Luca Lategan »

Apparently new PRASA/TFR arrangements has it that each has its own locos and crews. Wonder how this will affect crew changes...
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Rob Jamieson
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Rob Jamieson »

Thanks chaps for all the replys. It really seems as if the days where the drivers changed at specific stations is gone and that they now operate from their bases until a predetermined cross point. I suppose this does save on overtime expenses having to be paid to drivers due to their lay off at distant depots. Now it seems they can do a +/- 8 round trip, thus cutting back on overtime.

I can remember when my father worked for the SARS in the 60's and 70's. He worked as Driver's Assistant at Cape Town (Salt River) and also did a stint in Durban(Umbilo). From Cape Town he used to operate 4E's and 5E1's on goods and the odd passenger trains to Touwsriver. The crew would then lay over at Touws River for +/-8 hours before working a train back to Cape Town. I can remember that sometimes one return trip would keep him away from home for 3 days. Those were the days before CTC and there was also many more trains that were run compared to today.
Rob
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Luca Lategan
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Luca Lategan »

I forgot to mention that between City Deep and Durban drivers go until Ladysmith these days. Drivers no longer work long shifts and change halfway through to Ladysmith. They go to Ladysmith, get booked into a guest house there and 8 hours later, work back to City Deep.
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Rob Jamieson
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Rob Jamieson »

Luca

Does the City Deep to Ladysmith the take more that eight hours and involve one crew (a driver and assistant) or are there two crews, one to work the first eight hours and the second crew to work the rest of the trip to Ladysmith.

I suppose the reason for putting the crews up in guest houses nowadays is because the train crews now also have females.
Rob
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Luca Lategan
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Re: Driver Changes

Post by Luca Lategan »

Well, total km between City Deep and Ladysmith is 431km @ 55km/h = 7 3/4 hour. I think max for goods trains are (only) 60km/h.
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