Ever wondered what the lad in Clonsilla signal cabin did all day....

murphaph

.....while being paid by Iarnrod Eireann......



Answer: Weight training and a spot of cardio on the old Air Walker. I have my doubts this would be allowed in a WORKING signal cabin in the UK or here in Germany. IE really is a joke isn't it.

spadder

Well at least it's "training" of some sort.

fh041205

Tbh thats probably not ALL he does. Anyway I doubt IR would keep it open unneccesarily. They've closed other signal cabins which would have been very useful at times.

Also, That pic isn't displaying for me.

Judgement Day

I seem to remember a rock band used to practice in Multyfarnham cabin back in the 1980s.

L1011

fh041205 wrote: »

Tbh thats probably not ALL he does. Anyway I doubt IR would keep it open unneccesarily. They've closed other signal cabins which would have been very useful at times.

Also, That pic isn't displaying for me.

He operates the crossing gate via a manual wheel. I'd SERIOUSLY hope they're planning to automate this when even more trains are added to the line for the Dunboyne services...

http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/C/Clonsilla/slides/The%20leavers%20in%20Clonsilla%20signal%20cabin2.html is the page with the image btw. You can't hotlink to eiretrain's images; but if you've viewed them yourself they stay in cache so it looks like its worked.

murphaph

I know it's not all he does, but it's symptomatic of a highly dysfunctional railway operator that they apparently allow people to bring weights benches and the like into work....Even if he's doing his duties it's just wrong to see this in a working signal cabin, isn't it???

Guy:Incognito

Yeah damn him for not sitting in a chair eating and looking out the window all dy in an effort to get fat.

I assume he has nothing to do between trains so fair play that he actually keeps himself occupied and healthy.

murphaph

Stekelly wrote: »

Yeah damn him for not sitting in a chair eating and looking out the window all dy in an effort to get fat.

I assume he has nothing to do between trains so fair play that he actually keeps himself occupied and healthy.

Lots of people (most people?) have sedantry jobs. They manage without bringing a gym to the office. He has a break, in which to take a strole if he wishes.

highlydebased

People use the net at work for personal purposes, use the phone to ring home, at least he's doing something worthwhile for himself and not costing the company anything, or causing any harm at all.

Zebra3

MYOB wrote: »

He operates the crossing gate via a manual wheel. I'd SERIOUSLY hope they're planning to automate this when even more trains are added to the line for the Dunboyne services...

Same story at Ashtown, isn't it?

Joey the lips

This is funny. I worked in many jobs and i remember if the machines were running well I was bored. If there was problems I was busy. However I had to be there cause if something went wrong I was needed.

I figure this sums your mans job up.

As for weight training.... Lets see....

Choice A. Sit around on asre all say. Slowly put on weight. Slowly gain heart problems become a burden on the health service in his 40's 50's 60's

Or

Choice B In between work Do some exercise lift a few weights and eat a bit healthy..

Yep. He sounds like a right owl sh1t to be...



Man in box question " I wounder what that bloke does all day that stairs up at me and wonders what I am doing. He cant be very happy what ever it is"

lord lucan

MYOB wrote: »

He operates the crossing gate via a manual wheel. I'd SERIOUSLY hope they're planning to automate this when even more trains are added to the line for the Dunboyne services...

The reason they've never automated that crossing is because of it's location and the sharp curve and rise over the bridge. They figure that it would be an accident blackspot with drivers running the gauntlet through closing gates.

I'd have thought the best solution there would be a half barrier before the bridge on the clonsilla side,stop the traffic before it comes over the bridge. While cost may be an issue surely it would be more cost efficient in the long term instead of employing a gatekeeper?!

L1011

Zebra3 wrote: »

Same story at Ashtown, isn't it?

Apparently (had to check on eiretrains, didn't know myself) it is, yeah.

KC61

The level crossings on the Maynooth line are all to be automated/replaced by bridges as part of the City Centre resignalling project.

This will also result in the PIS screens finally becoming operational.

corktina

is this a SIGNAL cabin or a CROSSING KEEPERS cabin? If its the former, in the Aold Days you werent even allowed to bring in a portable radio! If its the latter, probably not quite so important provided the gates are interlocked with the signalling.

bg07

KC61 wrote: »

The level crossings on the Maynooth line are all to be automated/replaced by bridges as part of the City Centre resignalling project.

This will also result in the PIS screens finally becoming operational.

What's the proposed timescale for that? Is that part of the up in the air electrification project on the line?

KC61

bg07 wrote: »

What's the proposed timescale for that? Is that part of the up in the air electrification project on the line?

2010-2011. It is independent of the electrification.

Victor

corktina wrote: »

is this a SIGNAL cabin or a CROSSING KEEPERS cabin?

Its in the style of a signal cabin, but acts as both. The canal bridge bump is quite sharp, as is the bend coming southbound.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=swxdrwgfy8nc&scene=29498915&lvl=2&sty=o

csd

I think it's officially classed as a gate cabin, having ceased to be a signal cabin (ie block post) with the advent of CTC.

/csd

Absurdum

murphaph wrote: »

.....while being paid by Iarnrod Eireann......



Answer: Weight training and a spot of cardio on the old Air Walker. I have my doubts this would be allowed in a WORKING signal cabin in the UK or here in Germany. IE really is a joke isn't it.

Don't forget the dart board!

liamh22

Here's what he had to deal with last night
I was driving from Blanch to Lucan last night 10.10 approx behind a Heineken logo'd van, kept a bit behind as the muppet driving it was fond of the accelerator pedal, as I came over the humpbacked bridge I could hear the squeal of his brakes his, saw that the gates were half closed & had stopped moving, from the angle of the van the moron must have seen the gates starting to close & decided to try & weave between them & get through, wasn't good or quick enough so ended up slamming on brakes, luckily for him I saw this & left him enough room to reverse out 4x4 behind me so if I hadn't stopped in time neither of us would have been able to reverse
If that had been an automated gate & he'd got stuck between them........
The Train the gates closed for didn't stop at Clonsilla so was travelling at speed
Until that bridge changes the having the crossing manned looks very necessary

Zoney

lord lucan wrote: »

The reason they've never automated that crossing is because of it's location and the sharp curve and rise over the bridge. They figure that it would be an accident blackspot with drivers running the gauntlet through closing gates.

I'd have thought the best solution there would be a half barrier before the bridge on the clonsilla side,stop the traffic before it comes over the bridge. While cost may be an issue surely it would be more cost efficient in the long term instead of employing a gatekeeper?!

Or have such locations modernised and "semi-automated", i.e. controlled remotely from a central location by a human operator (or operators if there were enough such locations/traffic) with video feeds etc. and complete ability to interfere in the automated process if there was an emergency.

thomasj

Zoney wrote: »

Or have such locations modernised and "semi-automated", i.e. controlled remotely from a central location by a human operator (or operators if there were enough such locations/traffic) with video feeds etc. and complete ability to interfere in the automated process if there was an emergency.

weren't fingal county council meant to be closing that road to motorists in the future.

seamus

murphaph wrote: »

Lots of people (most people?) have sedantry jobs. They manage without bringing a gym to the office. He has a break, in which to take a strole if he wishes.

To be fair though, if he does his job up to scratch, who cares what else he does during his working day?
Some people have jobs where you can always find a piece of work to fill your time. This guy doesn't. I don't know what you expect him to do when there's nothing for him to do.

SeanW

murphaph wrote: »

.....while being paid by Iarnrod Eireann......

<snip>

Answer: Weight training and a spot of cardio on the old Air Walker. I have my doubts this would be allowed in a WORKING signal cabin in the UK or here in Germany. IE really is a joke isn't it.

Much ado about nothing TBH, it is NOT a working signal cabin AFAIK, its a crossing keepers shack. He probably has nothing to do most of the day in keeping with his manual crossing control job and as such has the stark choice of sitting on his backside eating donuts, or find some productive use for the time.

Fair ****s to him for choosing the latter.

As long as he keeps his eye on the ball wrt the crossing, there really is no cause to complain about performace.

Now, as to why IE is paying a person to sit around all day monitoring a level crossing that should either a) not exist or b) be automated, that is another, and valid, question.

KC61

SeanW wrote: »

Now, as to why IE is paying a person to sit around all day monitoring a level crossing that should either a) not exist or b) be automated, that is another, and valid, question.

Probably a question for the DoT that is only funding the upgrade in 2010-2011.

L1011

thomasj wrote: »

weren't fingal county council meant to be closing that road to motorists in the future.

Traffic on it is huge - they'd need to build a full replacement first.

Lab_Mouse

seamus wrote: »

I don't know what you expect him to do when there's nothing for him to do.

Be busy damm it:D

spareman

I just dont get this thread at all, to all the people who dont like the guy keeping himself busy, what would you's do in his position?

One thing I do understand now though, Is why you's dont pick on bus drivers no more, you's have moved on to rail staff.;)

Poor guy trying to keep himself sane and people having a pop at him.

Terrontress

No harm to the lad doing the job but when drawing up the job spec could they not have that person doing something else like reading and responding to letters or emails?

zagmund

liamh22 wrote: »

Until that bridge changes the having the crossing manned looks very necessary

I don't get it.

I know nothing about the bridge, or the guy and I don't mean to sound like Mr Burns, but why is a human required on the spot to verify that the junction is clear ?

We don't have people sitting at Merrion Gates from 0600 to 2400 every day making sure someone hasn't crept on to the junction. No, we have a camera and either a person looking at a monitor or even a piece of pretty basic image recognition software which says "if car on tracks, stop train, if bird flying by or fox darting (boom, boom) across the tracks don't stop train".

z

lord lucan

zagmund wrote: »

I don't get it.

I know nothing about the bridge, or the guy and I don't mean to sound like Mr Burns, but why is a human required on the spot to verify that the junction is clear ?

We don't have people sitting at Merrion Gates from 0600 to 2400 every day making sure someone hasn't crept on to the junction. No, we have a camera and either a person looking at a monitor or even a piece of pretty basic image recognition software which says "if car on tracks, stop train, if bird flying by or fox darting (boom, boom) across the tracks don't stop train".

z

It's a manually operated crossing with old style wooden gates. The gatekeeper is responsible for the opening and closing of the gates and ensuring the crossing is clear.

Here's a pic:http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/C/Clonsilla/slides/DSC05694.html

Eiretrains

It's a gate cabin now, used for merely opening and closing the level crossing.
As someone said, it lost most of its privileges as a working signal when electronic CTC signalling took over in 2000/1 or so.

Very few people in recent years have had access to the cabin, I would like to thank the very kind and obliging staff member who allowed me to record it for posterity.
It was several years ago, so anything in the photo is probably well out of date with the staff who man the cabin these days.
The section of the cabin was largely out of use anyway and used for storage. It is common with the few remaining signal cabins in Ireland to retain personal affects, as it has always been throughout the years.

The level crossing is intended to be replaced by a road overbridge at some unknown date. The difficulties with diverting the traffic and the nature of its very cramped site between the canal and railway is the main problematic issue.
The limited visibility (the repaired gates are testament of this careless driving) of the crossing, and the high number of road users, means that for the moment the gates will be manually operated.

The other manually operated crossings on the Maynooth line are at Reily's Bridge near Broombridge, and Ashtown. These are hand operated, unlike Clonsilla which makes use of the wheel. I imagine the crossings will be automated when the signalling is upgraded (which as someone also mentioned is why most of the the station info displays are still not yet commissioned).

I'm delighted to find the photo to be of interesting discussion!
Please try not embed the image within the boards thread, as they are intended be viewed only on the website, please post links instead.

dowlingm

Hopefully any future bridge can permit relocation/rebuilding of the station to handle 3+ tracks and platforms rather than having to replace it when the time comes to add capacity.

Hungerford

Eiretrains wrote: »

It was several years ago, so anything in the photo is probably well out of date with the staff who man the cabin these days.

To be honest, I don't see what the issue is. There are relatively large gaps between trains on the Maynooth line at times and I rather that the gatekeeper kept fit and alert with exercise equipment than nod off in front of a TV set.

If you swapped the exercise gear for a TV, nobody here would be getting remotely excited :rolleyes:.