Hi Raphael,
raphael wrote:2- Alstom Prima... I'll drive this locomotive this year !! for expending my tracks knowledges, this locomotive was made for the freight trafic but they turn into passenger traffic, but I can't respond on this point, why did they made it with only one sit it's not very comfortable for the second person in cab !! in France I think it's the only locomotive with this caracteristic, but when you're on the seat it's very cool, central position, very large windshield and it's a very powerfull locomotive !
Yep, cool it is, especially if you're suited to driving on the right side. The Prima certainly offers a - let's call it "commanding" - view and position for the driver, but it's all nonsense if there's no seat at all for the guy who's riding along with you.
raphael wrote:3 - In France our conductors (controleurs) wear uniforms because they're in contact with the passenger they need to be recognize, but engineers don't need to be recognize we come at work in civil clothes.
Has this ever been this way?
Certain engineers here, even if they are with private companys now, still take their pride in wearing the uniform the Deutsche Bundesbahn (West) or Deutsche Reichsbahn (East) gave them, meaning they will wear jackets, insignia, and caps as ushered to them once. If you're still employed by Deutsche Bahn, you'll better wear their current kind of uniform, which looks like a bad caricature of a pilot's uniform. There's even a number of shoulder stripes (called "Pommes", "french fries") you'll have to wear, distingushing between "Bereitstellungslokführer" and "Streckenlokführer'" which means - if you abbreviate it - you're either driving the trains from the depot to the terminus station (like Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg) or you are actually operating them. Not wearing the company dress may result in discharge. Let's just say that engineers are very well in the public deception here, and everybody wants them dressed up. Might be very German.
You are relieved of this circus stuff if you are not in the perception of the public - meaning, if you drive freighters. I'm not with DB and I drive freighters, which means that I can dress whichever way I want at work
raphael wrote:4 - KVB !!! a German security system !!!
KVB is genuinely French, I thought?
raphael wrote:I'm curious to know your rules in the same situation in Germany... here there are two possibility... depending of hour of the day, in rush hours we can keep on just with an oral order transmit by radio by the chief regulator without any restrictions of speed, in this situation we can stay with this locomotive during rush hours (6H9h/16H-19h). second possibility we're not in rush hours, we can keep on to the terminus (without any restrictions of speed) where the locomotive will be come back to the maintenance service, you're allowed to go to the maintenance service only with a written order in this case.
Do you really couple your procedures regarding a non-functional KVB equipment on your train to the time of the day that malfunction happens? What's the point of that? Commuters first, safety second?
We've got two stages of PZB (our take on the KVB) malfunction. I've yet to find a guy who had to employ it, but the first stage is "
abschalten", which literally means to switch it off. It's not gone, it's only in trouble mode. To do so, you will have to check back with operations center, and they will have to give you their go ahead. Your top speed will be limited to 100 km/h with a 5 km/h threshold, if you'll exceed it, you'll get a penalty brake application. Doesn't matter what kind of train you are, freight or ICE, the rules are the same, and you will only do so if you're really troubled. It's absolutely rare, but there are no sealed switches, it's merely the press of a button away.
The second stage is
ausschalten of the PZB, which means you'll kill it with several fuses. It's the last resort. There will be no protection at all. You'll never do this in your career. It's only a theoretical exercise. Even now there aren't any seals to be broken, but on most locomotives, it'll be recorded if you'll flip-da-switch.
"Railways are not intended to generate a profit, but to be a beneficial institution for the public." - Otto von Bismarck
) regarding the KVB train protection. Let's assume it becomes inoperable on your loco while you're underway. How can you proceed then - with a written order, permission from operations control over the radio or something else? What kind of operational or speed limits will come into effect?