If you are a regular reader you know that my French husband retired in August from his job as a driver of the French TGV trains – those are the fast ones. I went with him on his final train to share the experience and to memorialize the ride on video. I made him a special video which included the surprise party his friends organized for him. Then I made this version for the blog since I thought the experience was so rare, it should be shared.
There are a few things I want to point out. What looks like a steering wheel on the video, isn’t. It’s the brake. On the brake is a rod that must be pushed continually or an alarm will go off in the cockpit to awaken a driver who might have dozed off. If the rod isn’t pushed after the alarm for about 30 seconds to a minute, then the train will automatically stop. This is a precaution in case a driver has a heart attack or other serious health event. There is only one driver per train so these kinds of precautions are essential. You’ll also notice how loud the cockpit is. It’s one of the reasons many drivers retire with hearing problems. They can’t use ear plugs because they have to be able to hear the nuances of the engine and calls on the radios. In fact, if the train breaks down, it’s their responsibility to fix it!
If you are a train buff, you will love this video. If you aren’t, you may still find it interesting to see what goes on in a cockpit of a French TGV bullet train. Enjoy the journey!
October 20th, 2011 at 8:27 am
This was great. That sound would make me crazy!! Beautiful scenery is a plus but then all the time, I guess it gets old. Happy Reirement Bernard!
October 22nd, 2011 at 7:03 am
Thanks, Linda, for watching and commenting. Yes, now I understand better why my husband can’t stand the sound of putting away plates in the cabinets! Cynthia
October 24th, 2011 at 4:43 am
The film is very nice, it is a good idea !
Your video diary is very interesting I just visited it !! It is a good way to show the French way of life to americans. I will send it to my Canadian ‘s friends !
Sorry for the mistakes …
Good continuation !
October 24th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Hi, Patricia, thanks for the compliment. It’s nice to receive approval from a French person and a friend. Cynthia
October 26th, 2011 at 4:33 am
hi, thanks for sharing ‘the TGV train ride’ with us..As we couldn’t take time off
to Europe this summer, your video served as a ‘consolation train ride’ for us here from Singapore.
we enjoy the ride ‘emotionally’ . Thank you. wish your husband happy retirement & many happy
holidays moments with you…
Do come visit Singapore and try our MRT train rides. (mass rapid transport).
i enjoy visiting your site & read your posting so that i can learnt about France.
At our singapore french embassy this week, a movie about a maid & a postman is shown, i forgot the name of the movie..and we have many french restaurants here too.
do keep the postings coming, all of us appreciate your time & effort. And reading it make our day !
October 26th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Thanks for your kind comment, and please come back and comment again. I’d love to see Singapore! Cynthia
January 31st, 2012 at 3:33 am
The round thing is actually the throttle, the brakes are controlled by the levers on the left.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:07 am
Hi, James, you are correct that the main brakes are on the left. The ‘wheel’ is a rheostatique which my husband describes as both a throttle and a way to slow down the train depending on how he sets it. I should have clarified that. Cynthia
April 11th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
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