In response to your question, train driving looks fine on CVs for flying. As does truck, ship, taxi, tank driving etc. Colleagues have done all of these and the list of pilots previous carears is endless. But you have to question yourself after shelling out the fat end of £130,000 or so, why when you start working for an airline should you be halving or quartering your pay or even reducing it to zero? Furthermore try telling Mick Whelan, John Leach or Bob Crow that their members will have to pay for their training or pay to get a job. Quite correctly they'd laugh before they punched your teeth down your throat. Most airlines are run by greedy, scummy individuals who care nothing for their passengers, suppliers or employees. I wouldn't p!ss on them if they were on fire. I'd say stay with trains and fly for pleasure.