Ooooh. That was a day! 40!! Blimey!

I’ve been talking a little bit (cheers insta character limit) about being autistic and the railway over on instagram today. If you’d like to see the post, featuring this fantastic photo by the amazing Jamie Squibbs, the link is below. instagram.com/p/DBgOoV9tZ_-/…

Challenging first day back on the iron road with 3W90 today. ‘The wrong kind of rain’ made driving a challenge. It’s a very different skill set driving these RHTT trains. I love how this job challenges me every day.

wild that there’s no human help feature on Ubereats. If you use the ‘order took longer than expected’ it gives a generic script about traffic. No Uber Eats UK my food was stone cold because you allocated 5 different couriers before one collected it so it stood going cold🤦‍♀️

66795 sits under the early morning sky as the sun breaks through the mist at Newhaven Town Yard last Thursday. It was a glorious day once that sun broke.

It’s been a nicely varied week this week. Every day a different turn, a light loco move, varied freight turns. Back to RHTT tomorrow, just in time for the adhesion forecast to get a bit punchy. I’ve said it before but I love the variety of this job & how much it challenges me

Also, as I went through Blackheath today, I noticed the pop up Christmas tree shop in the car park. It was called ‘Pines and needles’. I can’t tell you how much that made me smile. Love a good name pun. Excellent work! 🎄🎄🎄

My last post about the RHTT work seems to have blown up a bit compared to my usual stuff. It’s gained me a load of new followers too, so hi.! 👋 I post more on instagram so if you’re interested, tou can find me @helen_drives_trains over there. If not, happy to have you here 💙

East Green-stead? 69005 at East Grinstead earlier today with the last Saturday 3W90 of the season. One week left to go then it’s onto SITT (snow & ice treatment train) season through winter.

For both ADHD and autistic traits. I cannot explain just how much some basic things are a struggle for me. I guess NT people may be trying to be kind/relate when they do this but I dunno. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Yesterday was my last working day before Christmas, so 3Y90 had a touch of tinsel. Merry Christmas everyone 🎄🎄🎄

I’m not convinced Sky Sports can call it temporary when it’s been the entire programme? Every leg has had an outage of some sort. Every single one. Remind me again why I pay a fortune for this ‘service’ ?!?

Oh hi Sky Sports Sky Sports Darts any chance you can send someone round the back of the Brighton centre to have a look at the truck/cables? It’s a bit 💩. I’m only down the road, want me to pop down and have a look? I can’t do a worse job than you’re doing currently?

Haha. The actual irony that the picture and sound cuts COMPLETELY just as they’re making an apology about the ‘temporary’ fault on Sky sports Sky Sports Darts. You couldn’t make it up. Certainly not for £135 a month 😂😂 what even is this. 😂😂😂

I had a lot of fun helping to make this. I’ve long said the railway is a special industry and it’s given me so much. You can’t be what you can’t see though, so I’m always more than happy to try and represent, and hopefully help inspire.

Still can’t quite believe I’ve been shortlisted for an award at Women in Rail Awards this year. It’s going to be an incredible night to be surrounded by such inspirational women from the greatest industry there could be.