Freightliner’s Bessie Matthews takes a look under the bonnet of her charge.
We all know how important it is to look after ourselves so that we’re fit, healthy and ready to work some of the most safety-critical roles on the railway.
It can be the smallest of things that keep our bodies going, from that little bit of extra sleep thanks to an early bedtime, or a glass of water with a meal.
Then there’s the big things we can do to ensure we’re mentally and physically fit, like exercise, setting aside time to relax, or even having regular eye tests or sticking to a healthy diet. Most of us go through medicals before and during our railway career to make sure we are at our best, in order to keep ourselves, and others, safe.
It’ll be no surprise that our trains and locos go through the same thing. The difference is, they have teams of highly skilled fitters there to keep all the ins and outs fighting fit and ready to move people and property.
Within the wonderful world of Southampton Maritime, you’ll find the maintenance depot (SMMD) – a huge wagon shed with an inside pit, and just to the left, an outside pit for locos too. There are containers stemming from all sides, each one filled to the brim with old parts, new parts, just-in-case parts, and everything in between. In amongst all the doodads and oojamaflips are some of the most hardworking, dedicated fitters I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.
Every loco goes through a range of exams throughout its life, some more in-depth than others and each one being curated specifically for that class and their elements. A Class 66’s D exam, for example, is expected to take around 54 hours and looks into the health of its engine, electrics, in-cab equipment… and the rest.
The fitters share the workload, adhering to a strict list, until the jobs are done. I got to tag along with of one during a D exam on 66514.
Every loco goes through a range of exams throughout its life, some more in-depth than others and each one being curated specifically for that class and their elements.
Jacob is a 20-year-old fitter here at SMMD, with some amazing experiences already in his time on the railway. His knowledge is nothing short of impressive, and I was well and truly impressed watching the work he put into caring for this loco.
I felt like I was helping out by holding the clipboard with his list as he was deep in a compression test, all while explaining everything he was doing.
‘These gauges we’ve placed within the compression test points will give us a reading of the PSI and if there’s any pressure leaks,’ he told me, popping components out of the side of the engine and replacing them with round indicators on pipes.
We spent hours together, Jacob and I. Me, clipboard in hand and Jacob, unstoppable, doing the real dirty work. I finally got hands-on towards the end of the shift when there was something I was qualified to help with. Vacuum cleaner in one hand and a disinfectant spray in the other, me and my ever-dedicated colleague deep-cleaned the cabs until they looked like they’d rolled straight out of 1998.
What’s that familiar saying? ‘Preserve and cherish the driver’s cab; it’s the home from home we’ll always know.’
Written by Freightliner's Bessie Matthews
