Whistle blows on train driver’s long ride

WHEN the VLine service from Swan Hill pulled into Bendigo Station at about 9.20am on Friday, 18 November, it was more than just a regular train ride.

At the controls was David Aisbett and after more than 48 years of driving trains, this was his last time at the helm of a locomotive.

For Mr Aisbett it was an emotional final journey.

“It was very difficult,” he said. “It was really a blur and I don’t really remember that much of the last trip.

“I had a road foreman with me, he was scheduled to inspect the track after the floods, so he asked could he come and that was good because I had someone to talk to on the way and keep me grounded and focused.

“I’m going to miss everything. The mateship, I love driving trains, I love the people I work with, they’re just a great bunch, the drivers, conductors, station staff, yard staff, everybody.

“Everybody in the VLine are a great bunch of people to work with.”

Nearly half-a-century before, on 19 August 1974, Mr Aisbett began his life-long journey on the rail system.

“I started as a trainee and worked on diesel locomotives,” he said.

“I had a lot of mates that were doing it. They kept telling me what a great job it was, conditions were good, it was fun, and you go places and see things. So I thought, well, I’ll give it a try out.”

After four-and-a-half years of training, Mr Aisbett was given an ultimatum, either relocate to Melbourne and take up work on the metropolitan system or move on.

He chose to stick with trains, and it took more than 20 years for him to return to Bendigo.

“Because there was no work left in Bendigo, and the suburban rail system in Melbourne was screaming for drivers, they compulsory transferred us all,” Mr Aisbett said.

“We had no choice. We either went, or we left the job. So, my wife and I elected to go and in October 1979 we moved to Melbourne.

“In 2000 I was successful in obtaining a position back in Bendigo because they were starting to build up VLine passenger services.

“It all worked around seniority, you had to be senior enough to back and by that time I’d accrued enough seniority to obtain a position in Bendigo.”

So, what keeps someone coming back to a job for almost half-a-decade?

“I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely loved it,” Mr Aisbett said. “You can’t do a job for 48 years, and not like it, it just becomes a chore otherwise.

“I loved it and if I could do another 20 years I would.”

While Mr Aisbett may no longer be at the controls of VLine services, he is still employed by the company.

As it turns out he’d worked as a driver for so long, he’s built up almost two years leave.

That means Mr Aisbett is still on the books and when his last pay cheque comes in, he’ll be able to mark half-a-century of employment.

“As I kept going in the job and got longer and longer service, I had it in the back of my mind that I’d like to do 50 years,” he said. “It was going to be a personal milestone.

“I’ll always have an interest in trains, and I still want to be involved in what happens in the Bendigo depot because it’s given me 48 years of a great job and I want the next 48 years for the people there now to enjoy what I’ve had.”