I am a little conflicted by this. Working on the railway is tiring. It is well paid monotony to be honest - repetition and mentally draining. The shift work also kills you - literally and figuratively.
I therefore have no wish to see the next generation to do the job I am engaged in. But that will be his choice. It is difficult to explain to an 8 year old how boredom kills you, that working regular (irregular) hours can wreck personal relationships and make you monotonous to live with.
The counter argument to that is of course the onus is on the individual to create the alternatives and that many have lived fulfilling lives whilst working on the railway. True.
But I rather he got out and met people and had a chance to socialise properly. Not restrict himself by the job.
