Interesting Encounter With A Driver!

[Katketty]

Last night I was down at a station just outside of Glasgow waiting to see the Fort William - London Euston Caledonian Sleeper service. As I was waiting, a ScotRail service pulled in to the station and the driver pushed down his window before asking "Seeing any interesting trains?". I told him I was just waiting for the sleeper after which he asked if I would like a "driver's key". I was pretty confused but he repeated his question and i said "Sure!" at which point he lent out of his window and threw a key across the tracks and on to the opposite platform. I hurried to pick it up whilst yelling "Thanks!" but alas, he was already off and pulling out of the station.

Can anyone shed some light on what on earth actually happened? I now have this curious item and no idea what it does. Nevertheless it is an interesting item to have!

A picture can be found here but if you can't make it out too clearly, it says "RPT" on one of the wings.

 

[GB]

Presumably its the key that activates the drivers cab desk when inserted. Bit confused why a driver would throw one to any Tom, Dick and Harry though!

 

[Skoodle]

Yup that's a traction key. Very irresponsible of said driver to give one away.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

They will start pretty much any train in the country. Seems absolutely bizarre that a driver would offer one up in a random encounter at a station. It's probably his last day or something.

 

[JB25]

To be honest as much as it seems irresponsible I have heard (but never actually looked) that there are hundreds of things for sale on Ebay.

I imagine that the driver probably appreciated you are a genuine rail enthusiast given your location, rather than a terrorist. Not that I condone his actions of course.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Actually it was supposed to be his hotel room key, he just threw the wrong thing...

 

[the sniper]

I wonder whether it was their last day too, as most staff I know keep as many found keys as they can for spares! Odd but nice of them I suppose.

 

[JB25]

I wonder whether it was their last day too, as most staff I know keep as many found keys as they can for spares! Odd but nice of them I suppose.

Always handy to have a spare as I found out when I left my DI's in a train when I was training.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I'll always carry two on me. From time to time I have found I have had six or seven on me though.

 

[JB25]

I still have the one I was given when I passed out at Home like a little trophy as I was given a Spare.

 

[Railsigns]

Last night I was down at a station just outside of Glasgow waiting to see the Fort William - London Euston Caledonian Sleeper service. As I was waiting, a ScotRail service pulled in to the station and the driver pushed down his window before asking "Seeing any interesting trains?". I told him I was just waiting for the sleeper after which he asked if I would like a "driver's key". I was pretty confused but he repeated his question and i said "Sure!" at which point he lent out of his window and threw a key across the tracks and on to the opposite platform. I hurried to pick it up whilst yelling "Thanks!" but alas, he was already off and pulling out of the station.

Can anyone shed some light on what on earth actually happened?

I once had a similar random act of kindness from train staff happen to me, not far from yours. As a child, I was on board a Glasgow-bound West Highland Line loco-hauled train. Arriving at Ardlui station, I saw that there was a breakdown train in the Down loop, waiting to continue its journey northwards to attend to a freight train derailment somewhere on the way to Fort William. I went to a door and opened the window to get a look at this train, an unusual sight. A man on the platform, who had been travelling with the breakdown train, walked over and began talking to me. He then produced a quantity of metal "Eastfield ED" loco allocation plates - something I had always wanted - from his jacket pocket and handed one to me. I thanked him and he asked if I would like any more of them but I replied that I was pleased just to have one. I recall that some of the others had his handwritten notes on the back.

More recently, I was in New Orleans with a friend watching and photographing a freight train coming slowly towards us. As it passed us, he driver threw us some bottles of water from his cab.

 

[455driver]

I still have the one I was given when I passed out at Home like a little trophy as I was given a Spare.

Mine is still in the plastic bag, unopened!

I always have at least 2 keys on me plus a spare in my bag, on some trains if you isolate the EBS etc it wont be possible to remove the key afterwards, which would be a bit of a problem if you only have one key.

 

[JB25]

Mine is still in the plastic bag, unopened!

I always have at least 2 keys on me plus a spare in my bag, on some trains if you isolate the EBS etc it wont be possible to remove the key afterwards, which would be a bit of a problem if you only have one key.

I have heard that about the EBS but not had to do one yet thankfully.

Plastic bag... We just got given a key, no bag! hock:

 

[Nym]

I'll always carry two on me. From time to time I have found I have had six or seven on me though.

Out of curiosity I just checked my bag and there was 78 keys in there for varing trains and varying parts to turn on/off, reverse or open... (Three Four unique types)

Proberbly did want to throw his hotel room key though

 

[455driver]

I have heard that about the EBS but not had to do one yet thankfully.

Plastic bag... We just got given a key, no bag! hock:

We all got a new key in its plastic pouch and some of us had our photo taken as the instructor presented the certificate to us, but that was dependant on the instructor.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Now try and start an 08 with that key...

 

[bishdunster]

Now try and start an 08 with that key...

All you need is a large spanner !