Who does shifts then?
 

How do you cope in the summer? I do the odd stint of nights, and this week has been one such week, but the fatigue through a lack of sleep just seems really bad this week. I got out of bed last Sunday morning about 8 am, then worked Sunday night, had 4 hours kip Monday morning and then stayed up.. It's been much like that right through to today, since 8am Sunday morning I've had the grand total of 15 hours kip so far.... Er, and it feels like it at the moment...

Alex does it (typical railway worker!!). Starts at 03:30 till midday every other week, sometimes 2 or 3 weeks on the trot. Which means getting up between 1:30 and 2am and leaving around 3.
She'll go to bed around 8-9pm and grab 5 hours and have a couple of hours granny nap every other day to catch up during the afternoon.

I ised to love shifts on the railway myself. Especially the late shift (4pm till 11pm) as you'd get all day to mess around with cars and used to get off shortly after 10 anyway.

Like you I really don't mind the lates, or even the nights, but I do become a grumpy bastard with a lack of sleep.... But for some reason this week I really can't seem to sleep in the day.

did a mixtures of lates and night only for 3 years (21 nights on the trot on a couple of occasions in the TOPS office - remember them!!??!) and just got used to it. Never liked earlies!
Used to get home shortly after 6 and sleep till when Home & Away came on at 12:35!
Really don't think I could do them now though!

Cor, Blimey, yes, the old TOPS offices, we used to get the TOPS printouts for the freight trains, the Wagons were in the right order, but the Weight and Brake Force were a complete work of Fiction:lol:... Moved onto Web Gemini now...

Probably down to a tired TOPS clerk working nights putting in the wrong stock consist!

Done that a couple of times on the old Ruby - Shrewsbury postal train back in the day!!!

On the Hoo Juntion spoil trains, they'd come through as 1998 tonnes medium loaded wagons with a pair of 37's... One look at the wagons and there it was, the shit piled higher than the 37's nose... They were closer to 2500 tonnes.

Me, Me, Me, Me,
zzzzzz

They get to be a killer sometimes.

We have tight controls over what hours are legal, and start/finish times, daily duty limits, etc. Unfortunately, while the rulebook is written as a set of limits which should never be exceeded, companies tend to use these limits was targets to always be achieved. it's often self defeating, It's dumb, but there you go.

I work for a company that advertises having friendly departure times, but it doesn't quite cut it.

try this little beauty:

friday 4pm - midnight
midnight - 8am saturday On Call
saturday 8am - 8pm
8pm - 8am sunday On Call
sunday 8am - 4pm
4pm - 8am MONDAY On Call.

you won't see any smiling faces on "Real Rescues" after THIS stretch!

:hmmm:

what do you do apart from A LOT of hours!!

I think he glues people back together, and provides comforting cuddles to broken folk:tup:

Yeah, when I'm working on a team it's drive anywhere in the country, then do any given set of 12 on-12 off until the end of the stint, then drive home from wherever you may be. It's a bit crap but you get used to it, and there's always an end in sight.

My personal record on nights is 28 12 hour nights in a row.

When I'm working by myself, it's another story, I get paid per the job, so keep my own schedule. As a result, I work some very weird hours. I tried Mon-Fri 9-5 once. It was weird... I didn't like it :shocked:

you're not far off it, mark - i'm a paramedic for my sins

craig :wierdo:

you, sir are truly one sick individual!! ten years off of your life for permanent night shifters, you know!!

:nono:

That's alright.

If I die - I get off nights sooner :tup:

LMAO!! I totally get that reasoning!

:lol:

I'm early turn cover tomorrow.... From nights Wednesday night.... Then late turn Incident response Saturday, to a suited and booted meeting first thing Monday morning... They're going to love how I run that one....:lol:

imagining you in a suit, and I can't help but think of the long lost Kray sibling!

Really? Where do i sign?

You should see me rock up at employment tribunals!... You're not far wrong....:lol:

And to yourself, and the rest of you who do what you do, I doff my cap. I have a lot to thank you guys and gals for, for which I am eternally grateful :tup:

Don't envy you on a Saturday night having the drunks to deal with:shake:

I used to work in the TOPS office in Middlesbrough. Brilliant job that I really enjoyed.

Now I drive freight trains for a living. Shifts are totally mental, starting any time of the day rather than a nice easy 0600, 1400 and 2200 pattern. Love the job and can't imagine ever doing anything else. I do struggle a bit on my week of eleven hour shifts at 0100 though.

Cheers

David

david, you've got my dream job you lucky swine!!
how did you get into that side of train driving?

:tup:

what happened to you that you required the attention of the green suit brigade, sir?!

craig

ps love the photos of your car! :arf:

I've been doing shifts of various patterns my whole working life. Current job is 7-7 4weeks of days 4 weeks of nights. Come to think of it, ive never worked a "normal" 9-5 job :D

No great plan to it. I've been on the freight side all my railway career so I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Did take a few years though. First applied in 1992 then again in 1998 and finally got the job in 2000.

Been through the ringer a bit with work in the last couple of years. Got made redundant when the recession hit and had to relocate down to the Midlands. Just started with a new company today (Freightliner Heavy Haul) and am heading back up to the North East.

Cheers

David

13 years of nights, can't sleep on my days off :shake:

Urgh, permanent nights :yikes:

The only time I've done that full time I lasted 3 months before I had one of my :wierdo: moments.

well, top marks for getting there in the end and for doing an amazing job. i often see the coal train making it's way to and from hunterston coal terminal and am amazed how you lot deal with such a beast.

nice one!

:nod:

Lovin my shifts, so much 'selfish' time.