A Brief Update

A brief run through of what's happened in the time I was AWOL...

Firstly, my apologies for being AWOL but I think I underestimated the shock of moving to London and starting full time work would have on my body & mind.

Nov

Well I completed my stint driving trains towards the end of November. It was much too short but I have a lot to fit into 2 years and I've already used 6 months of it. I enjoyed my time on the east end of the Piccadilly Line. The majority of the Train Ops were very welcoming and I learnt a few things about employee relations. The slightest mention of the forthcoming upgrade (not even scheduled until 2014) raised some very heated conversations between the Train Operators and their manager.

I moved onto a project management placement in the Tunnel Cooling Project, better known as Cooling the Tube. I worked mainly as a project manager/planner but did get some technical exposure by reading and writing some on train temperature monitoring reports. Spending a week riding up and down the Victoria Line taking temperature measurements was a very hot and sweaty week. Even in November. I was glad I wouldn't be around for the Summer runs.

Dec

Christmas: Spent Christmas day with my better half in London. This was my first Xmas away from family so it was different. We had a great day and proceeded to head first to my family and then hers in a round trip of England. Needless to say I was very tired when we got back to London.

Jan

Birthday: Went down to central London and saw in the big day with the fireworks and celebrations on Westminster Bridge. This is something I've wanted to do for a while so I was very happy.

Feb

Survived the snow. I made it into work all week doing my full hours and not staying at home being a wimp as most others in London seemed to be doing:

Lunch Cruise on Thames to celebrate the better half's Birthday. Absolutely Amazing! Food was delicious and the views were fantastic. Worth every penny and more.

Mar
I changed placements to work on the S Stock Integration project which is all about getting the new trains for the Metropolitan (& Circle, H&C & District) Line into service. It's interesting work and I'm getting a wide angled view of the whole railway.

April so far...
Still working on the SSR upgrade but I'm getting swamped with work and not getting the satisfaction of completing the work as I was before. More on that when I post again.

Went for a walk out at the far end of the Met line at the weekend. I needed some fresh air and some green fields. It was just what I needed. I'm not sure I'm cut out for city life.

To come...

Anniversary: Toward the end of April I will have been with my other half for 4, yes four!!!, years.

Power Systems is my next placement, hopefully I'll get a small placement in the gap between my current one ending and the Power one starting in June. Oh, I have a big course in the first week of June so it's the week after that. I'm looking forward to this placement it'll give me chance to learn a new area. Or it'll give me a shock of realising I know nothing about Electrical Systems despite being a Electrical Engineer....Trainee.

Anyway, that was a quick update. I know I am not the most reliable blogger but I hope now I am catching up with my body I'll at least be able to improve.