Perhaps Driver Swalby's conscientiousness was actually the problem here? No need to pay attention when you can trust your driver completely.
Or maybe it isn't the Fireman's job to second guess the driver, and woe betide any that did stick their oar in when they should have been tending to fire/water?
Interesting the mention of alcohol that has come up, my first thought on the cases mentioned was that the driver might have been having one of those hangover fogs. My grandad was a monumental drinker, and also a train driver, and apparently often both at the same time. He's been dead 25 years but I only found out WEEKS ago that he had a very close call when he and his commuter train should have been stopped somewhere and finally came to a halt mere inches from another train. I've no idea if he'd been for a snifter before work, or was suffering from the night before, but my Dad told me he'd DEFINITELY have been in deep shit if he'd survived the prang, though I'm sure he also said that at the time there were no legal alcohol limits like those for driving a car! Is that correct? I think there was an offence of being impaired by alcohol, but who was to say how much a man could drink before being impaired? I never saw my grandad drunk, but he could sup a pint in 3 gulps and be on his 3rd before you had finished your first half. A career drinker!
Did his close shave give him any cause to consider his drinking and work? Nope, not a chance! Thankfully, he got away with it right through his career on the rails!!
I'm sure there must be a maximum alcohol blood content for drivers now because I know of another man, who would probably about be at retirement age around now, who was also a massive drinker, but not on duty. However, because he wouldn't let his bosses dictate how he spent his weekends (ie. drinking), he would be well over the limit on his first day back on duty. Obviously, he couldn't take a train out, so with union backing, he would get 3 days off in a row (paid) - on the understanding he didn't touch a drop on day 3, so he would be fresh and alcohol-free when he returned to work. Again, not a rolling piss-artist, but someone who could put away massive amounts of booze as a matter of course. From what I can gather, drinking used to be an accepted and proud characteristic of lots of workers in the railway industry.
(I guess he was one of the last old school drivers, who could demand that sort of support from the union, and get it. I'm sure my grandad never had regular weekends off, ie. Saturday and Sunday, but I think this chap also used to play in club bands so HAD to have Saturdays off! I imagine modern employment contracts would exclude them having to bend to fit your social arrangements)