I haven't been to London for quite a few years, but I did go there by train quite a few times. When I was a train driver, one of the perks of the job was a certain amount of free train journeys each year, and on one occasion I fancied having a day out, so I jumped on an early morning train to London, spent the day wandering around town, then caught an evening train back to Edinburgh. I would like to do something like that again this year. I feel as if my life has been on hold for the past couple of years, and it's time to start living again.
You certainly should come to Scotland. We have rain and midges, but also some very spectacular scenery, and we even get the occasional sunny day!
I was indeed a train driver. I did it for ten years, and that was more than enough! Driving is actually the easiest part of the job - it soon becomes automatic, like driving a car - but it certainly takes skill to bring a train running at 100mph (or more) to a stand at a precise point at every station. You're in deep shit if you overrun a platform! If I remember correctly, there was a six-month induction course where new-starts learn the general rules of the railway, then there was a further year's training which was specific to train-driving: about how trains work, signalling, rules specific to drivers, and route-learning. In terms of the knowledge and skill required, I'd say it's closer to being an airline pilot than a bus driver. However, for a job that requires no formal qualifications, the pay is fairly reasonable. It's not a job for people like me who are very crap at sleeping though
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You certainly should come to Scotland. We have rain and midges, but also some very spectacular scenery, and we even get the occasional sunny day!
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