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Great Western Coffee Shop > All across the Great Western territory > Introductions and chat > De commissioning of an Electrification Engineer
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Electric train
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« on: October 07, 2025, 18:24:16 »
In a few days time I will be retiring from Network Rail, I have not openly stated I work for NR» (Network Rail - home page) but nor have I hidden it.

I started my railway career in September 1975 as a First Year Traction & Rolling Stock apprentice, the first year was spent in Swindon, I was an Old Oak Common based apprentice.  I finished my time working at Paddington as an electrician I worked on everything there from Station lights, office lights, general power, heating boilers, lifts, electric trucks ....... etc. I was also the High Voltage supervisor Old Oak and Paddington had a complex HV system.   

I was in 1990 head hunted into the DM▸ (Down Main (railway track))&EE Electrification Group as a Distribution Trainer, during the time there I also worked as commissioning supervisor working of power supply up grade in Anglia, North London Line re-electrification also HEX.

Privatisation (dark days) I ended up working for GTRM (Carillion) as a Distribution Commission Engineer working on the WCML▸ (West Coast Main Line) but mainly on the ECML▸ (East Coast Main Line) on SCADA▸ (System Control And Data Acquisition, the 'generic' term used for the telemetry control from the Electrical Control Room) and protection relays also commissioning new 25kV buildings.

17 years ago I joined Network Rail as a Project Engineer renewing 33kV switchgear in Wessex Sussex and Kent, I became Senior Project Engineer and around 2012 move to Thameslink as a Designated Project Engineer for Canal Tunnels (the link between St Pancras and the ECML), and several traction power substations on the Thameslink route.

I moved to the Kent Route about 8 years ago as Distribution Senior Asset Engineer which basically acts as the asset owner for all the Traction power Distribution assets in the Route

I think 50 years is long enough

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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
JayMac
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« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2025, 18:26:19 »
Enjoy your retirement ET. And thank you for your service!
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"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
Oxonhutch
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« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2025, 18:36:47 »
ET stays home!  Smiley

Enjoy - life is about to get very busy for you - from mine and other's experiences.  Hopefully you will still be around to answer our technical questions regarding things sparky and rail-borne.
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Timmer
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« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2025, 19:06:24 »
Happy retirement ET and thank you for your 50 years of service to the railways.
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2025, 19:12:13 »
It is - current tense a pleasure having you here. Always has been, and always will be too.  Make sure to enjoy your retirement; enjoy some of it here amongst friends.
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2025, 19:48:11 »
Blimey!  That is a very impressive career history, Electric train.  Shocked

May I add my own personal thanks to you, for all of your clearly well-informed and authoritative posts here on the Coffee Shop forum over the years.

I wish you a long and happy retirement, and look forward to your (hopefully) continuing to post here, as we move towards more electricity on the railways.

Regards, Chris from Nailsea.  Wink
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William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
John D
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« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2025, 21:07:06 »
Er what a sparkling (or should that be sparky) career
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bobm
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« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2025, 22:15:01 »
Quote from: grahame on October 07, 2025, 19:12:13
It is - current tense a pleasure having you here. Always has been, and always will be too.  Make sure to enjoy your retirement; enjoy some of it here amongst friends.

Love the pun there.  Grin
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2025, 07:40:05 »
A great railway career and hopefully you’ll stay as engaged on here as ever.
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To view my GWML▸ (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
Oxonhutch
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« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2025, 09:33:13 »
Quote from: IndustryInsider on October 08, 2025, 07:40:05
A great railway career and hopefully you’ll stay as engaged on here as ever.

I think the term is 'energised'.
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rogerw
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« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2025, 12:46:03 »
Enjoy your retirement from work. I hope that you will remain with us, and assisting us, into the future
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I like to travel.  It lets me feel I'm getting somewhere.
Electric train
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« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2025, 16:02:23 »
Quote from: IndustryInsider on October 08, 2025, 07:40:05
A great railway career and hopefully you’ll stay as engaged on here as ever.
I intend too ................. once a railwayman always a railwayman its engrained  Grin

Quote from: Oxonhutch on October 08, 2025, 09:33:13
Quote from: IndustryInsider on October 08, 2025, 07:40:05
A great railway career and hopefully you’ll stay as engaged on here as ever.

I think the term is 'energised'.

This electrification Engineer has been discharged and Earthed applied .............. but is not dead n buried  Grin
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
Western Pathfinder
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« Reply #12 on: October 10, 2025, 19:14:52 »
So what is planned for the next phase?..
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Electric train
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« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2025, 20:28:43 »
Quote from: Western Pathfinder on October 10, 2025, 19:14:52
So what is planned for the next phase?..

My last job was working on DC▸ (Direct Current) so there were no phases  Grin

personally I have holiday in a few weeks to pursue one of my hobbies ..... photography and then a list of jobs that need doing and then another holiday .............
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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