Nodding Off
 

I think the word you are looking for locojoe is Nodding Donkey thats what we used to call it and yes it did happen i remember back in the 70s coming down Hemerdon Bank early in the morning with a train of box vans max speed 45mph, Donald the driver woke up and said some choice words then put the brake into full service i dont know the speed we were going but it was more than 45.
I have also come back from Bristol and had a job to keep my eyes open head out of the window talk and sing to yourself make a cup of tea anything to try and stay awake but you can still nod off.
The picture i put on a while ago with the 50 on its side in Paddington station was all down to the driver being asleep.

ccmmick.

I have to admit to nodding off as second man on a diesel Locojoe. My driver at the time was one of those unusual people who just said "You were tired so I let you sleep". Some time later I was able to return the favor as he often let me drive.

Not loco driving, but I had to go down to Hampshire with a colleague one day by road. He dropped after a couple of miles. When he woke up he was desperately apologetic, I was just happy he felt safe enough with my driving!

I had very similar
I drove to London with the trailer to bring a lot of things back from my daughters she said can i drive dad so i said when we get on the A303 you can i pulled in and she took over i had been driving all night and i was tired so i dropped off, around Stonehenge she went onto the rumble strips i woke said what the hell then i took over again she told my a long time after that she had dropped off as well :eek:.

ccmmick.

Chingford
 

Eric Currell an Enfield firemen I knew very well told us about this close call on a Liverpool Street to Chingford train. Chingford was a dead end and terminus for the branch. It was a bit of a climb into Chingford Station and the regulator was only shut at the last possible moment .Eric told us what happened on this particular day. He said he thought they were going a bit fast getting close to the station, he looked across the cab and his driver had fallen asleep. Don't forget this was a dead end, Eric quickly closed the regulator and applied the brake. They managed to stop ok but what would the outcome have been if Eric had not acted so quickly. :eek:

Dont tell me about Chingford locojoe my daughter lives right across the road from the station and last October i caught the 11.20 to Liverpool St to come home the dam thing went about 1 mile then broke down we were there for over one hour missed my train from Paddington not very happy :mad: :mad:..........

ccmmick.

N7
 

South Wales
 

Off topic a bit but here goes.

Years ago I did long distance lorry driving or as we called it journey work. One evening I pulled out of Morriston steelworks in South Wales loaded up with tinplate destined for London. I was feeling tired so I thought I'd find somewhere to park and cab it (sleep in cab) for the night, As I approached a roundabout there was a chap thumbing a lift, he had trade number plates under his arm and told me he was heading for London. So I picked him up and told him I was not going far as I was feeling tired. Most of these trade plate drivers could drive anything so when he offered to take over the driving and give me a break I said ok. I nodded off and slept and the chap drove us all the way to London. A long journey in those days before the Severn bridge.:)

well locojoe as long as you were watching the rail then thats ok.