Train Driver Extraordinaire

Now that I live in a county that boasts a number of Heritage Railways, I decided to treat myself to a Driver Experience Day. The top picture shows me in the driving seat of a DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) on the Wensleydale Railway recently. The train (pictured in the middle) was the same as the ones I used to take to school in the early Sixties (Class 101 should you be interested), so it was a great thrill. Unfortunately I released the pressure on the "Dead Man's Handle" and the train brought itself to a halt. This explains the look of consternation on my face.

My left hand was on the throttle/accelerator, and my right hand is on the brake. The gear lever is just to the left of my right hand. The controls are similar to a car but they are all hand operated and feel very different to what I am used to. In the bottom picture I'm doing the maximum permitted speed of 25 mph, and am loving it.

My sincere thanks to Kev who was also on the course, and took all the above pictures. We shot pictures of each others efforts and then swapped by email later. The wonders of technology!

In Training

I can't believe two years have gone by since my last post. There is far too much to relate in one go, but I'll give you the main points.

After our mother died in late 2007 I had a long think about my position. Although I had a good job in an accountancy firm in Edinburgh there was little else to keep me there. After a long hard think I decided to relocate to Yorkshire, like Martyne. I have visited her and Hester a few times in the last couple of years. She lives in a little village, which is not really for me, but the county is lovely and there are plenty of towns and cities, which are more to my taste. Consequently I got a job with a firm in York, and am now living in rented accommodation there. Strangely ironical since I have rented out my flat in Edinburgh in order to pay my rent in York! But that is the state of the housing market at the moment. One day, when things have improved, I will probably sell up and buy a property down here.

The big plus point, apart from being closer to my sister, is that I can now visit the National Rail Museum any time I want. The above picture is of Mallard (or 4468 to her friends), taken during one of my now frequent visits.

I have tried to encourage Martyne to return to her writing, now that she has had time to settle in Yorkshire, and I am confident I can get her back to composing her Blog. Time will tell!