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!
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing to us that such motivating thoughts. And I would say that it was really something extraordinary. Train drivers are special, they are extraordinary, and you are! I know how much risk you put on for your profession but that made you a lot more inspiring! Keep the spirit with you!
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