A nice hobby...

..since I love to travel and visit other towns and cities.

I became a Rail Road enginedriver in order to do this I had to learn an industrial trade, like a metal fitter, electrician or a mechanic etc.

In my mind I did the most positive and enrolled in the apprenticeship program at OEBB in Knittelfeld ( Stmk. ) as a metal fitter.

After this I had to complete 27 month of training as a enginedriver in Villach ,after completion followed yet another staat exam and a technical exam and with 21 years of age I was a proud electro and diesel engineer. (today the schooling is much different from what I experienced )

As a brand new EDE and inexperienced I was not allowed to drive passenger trains just yet, first I had to prove myself and drive in the displacement unit, than you get to drive the freight trains and then maybe you could it to the top.

To drive this special train, you had to take one more test over the years you gather a lot of experience.

The type of engine that I drive...

	ÖBB-E-Engines:	1141, 1245, 1161, 1010, 1110, 1020, 1042, 1043, 1044, 4030, 4130, 4010
		pictures from all OEBB E-Engines you can find with Christian Knop
	DB-E-Engines:	110, 111, 151, 139, 140
	Diesel:	2060, 2062, 2067, 2043
		pictures from all OEBB D-Engines you can find with Christian Knop

My travels and distance ( route ) is as followes :

	Direction Vienna:	Klagenfurt, Feldkirchen St.Veit/Glan, Knittelfeld, Wien Süd.
	Richtung Salzburg:	Spittal/Drau, Mallnitz, Schwarzach/St.Veit, Bischofshofen, Salzburg.
	Regional:	Arnoldstein, Tarvisio, Rosenbach, Jesenice

1044lauf.gif (79197 Byte)

In order to do a good and responsible job as an engineer, you must keep decent hours, be sober and rested.The worst time is between 0:00 -4:00Am . Any shift can last from 8- 14 hours ( sometimes even 16 hours ) and after a dayshift , a nightshift will follow, then you get a day off and if your lucky even 2 days .

Worktimes

Example, my roster:

June 1998

		Planday	Start	Finish
1	Mo	R
2	Di	3/15	17:20
3	Mi	3/16		6:40
4	Do	3/17	6:00	20:28
5	Fr	3/18a	16:57
6	Sa	3/19a		6:17
7	So	R
8	Mo	3/21b	5:20	20:40
9	Di	3/22	17:20
10	Mi	3/23		5:25
11	Do	3/24	6:00	20:35
12	Fr	R
13	Sa	3/26	3:26	13:27
14	So	3/27b	15:20
15	Mo	3/28b		2:39
16	Di	3/29	13:52	21:13
17	Mi	R
18	Do	3/1	8:40	21:20
19	Fr	3/2	14:25
20	Sa	3/3		2:02
21	So	R
22	Mo	3/5	15:20
23	Di	3/6		4:53
24	Mi	3/7	13:27	22:10
25	Do	3/8	17:31
26	Fr	3/9		3:47
27	Sa	R
28	So	A
29	Mo	3/12b	18:21
30	Di	3/13b		5:34

As an enginedriver you'll have a lot off free time on your hands during the week, what is a plus, because you get all your appointments and other things done play tennis , go skiing, however nightschool is out, so are evening meetings, so is theatre, or maybe a concert and you certainly do not want to use some of your vacation time to full fill these obligations.	Recreational activities
If the wife works, the family life will suffer because of the irregular hours. she comes in the door and you leave. Just think if you also have to work on the holidays, not a pretty thought. I think thats why so many engineers are divorced.

Officiosness

I'm one of the few people who did'nt want to become a Rail Road enginedriver as a child. But I look forward of going to my job everyday I have to work, I feel it is enjoyable and relaxing for me. I believe it has to do with my positive outlook on live. Most of my colleagues don't share the same feeling as I do. I only feel how demanding my job is, when I don't feel up to par. It is of great satisfaction to me, even after 22 years of service to bring a 300 passanger Express train to its destionation on time.

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