PRACTICE&PERFORMANCE
Above: A great view of
the Forth Bridge from
the cab of HST
power car No. 43169,
working the 11.
Edinburgh-Aberdeen
on May 22.TRANSPORT
REPORTS LTDLeft: Driver team
manager Paul Graham
at the controls of
No. 385117, working
the 10.30 Glasgow
Queen Street-
Edinburgh on May 21.
TRANSPORT REPORTS
LTDI have ridden in the cabs of units with
central gangways splitting the cab before but
the Class 385s seemed particularly restrictive,
resulting in the driver’s side being crammed
with technology, including CCTV screens for
the doors. Paul is phlegmatic about it. In fact,
if anything, he prefers the central gangway
stock as it concentrates his vision on the signals
and road ahead.
One cannot ride in a Class 385 without
mentioning the curved window problem. Paul
says you could sometimes see a reflection of a
signal at night which was a potential trap. On
this unit the driver’s window has been modified
but the off-side seat’s one has not. This journey
was in daylight of course so it was impossible to
make a judgement.
Clear signal, driver’s reminder deviceposition changed, an ‘Alexa’-style voice
reminds the driver to look at the signal,
‘right-away’ and off we go, smoothly out across
the throat of the station and up the 1-in-
gradient that required rope working until as
late as 1908. It presents no problem to our
284-tonne, 4,690hp formation of course as
we crest the gradient at 50mph and perform
a running brake test as we box the compass of
Cowlairs junctions.‘Urban forest’
Paul remarks this procedure is no
impediment to Class 385s as they still make
the next step up in speed to 70mph in time.
With the handle back, the units leap forwards
past the ‘urban forest’ that used to be the busy
Cadder marshalling yard and reach 100mphbefore Lenzie’, where a Class 170 would
achieve a shade under 90mph. With a diesel set
on the 10.21 to Stirling an early check before
the Croy stop would have been encountered,
but that train is now also a nippy Class 385.
Nevertheless, having lost 2min from Queen
Street, it has not cleared its own Croy stop
as we approach causing us to drop a precious
minute. Absolute attention to detail is crucial
to maintain time, especially on this corridor.
There are no gradients steeper than
1-in-600 from here to Edinburgh and, once
clear of Croy, the line is dead level to the next
stop 10 miles away at Falkirk High.
The Class 385 is fitted with the driver
advisory system which entreats the driver not
to run up to 100mph maxima and to coast
in certain locations. I find this surprising forPower Cars 43169+
Load* 2+4/143/155/
Train 11.32 Edinburgh-
Aberdeen
Date May 22, 2019
Recorder/Position J Heaton 1st of 6Miles Timing Point Sch M S MPH
0.00 EDINBURGH d 0 0 00 Pfm20½L-/-
1.15 HAYMARKET a 3½ 4 01
0.00 d 5 5 18
3.34 South Gyle 3 46 82/
8.21 Dalmeny 7½ 7 20 50
10.06 N Queensferry 9½ 9 44 44/
11.93 INVERKEITHING 12 12 21 38
13.35 Dalgety Bay 14 04 70/
16.11 Aberdour 16 36 45/74/
18.89 Burntisland 19 31 36
21.50 Kinghorn 23 14 56/
24.65 KIRKCALDY 25 26 16 60/
29.08 Thornton S Jct 28½ 30 18 77/
32.03 Markinch 32 53 76/
37.85 Ladybank 35½ 37 33 47
41.08 Springfield 40 33 89/
43.34 Cupar 42 16 56/
49.64 Leuchars a 45 47 55
0.00 d 46½ 50 26 -/77/
5.61 Tay Bridge S Jct 5½ 5 48 32/
7.60 Esplanade 10 02 24
8.40 DUNDEE a 12 12 20
0.00 d 13½ 13 59
0.71 Camperdown 2(1½) 250 35
3.96 Broughty Ferry 7 5 35 97
6.34 Monifieth (5) 7 03 98/sigs
9.23 Barry Links 8 58 64/
10.83 Carnoustie 16 12 02 47/
17.01 Arbroath a 21½ 18 14
0.00 d 23 21 12 -/70tsr/ 87
9.21 Lunan Bay 753 85
12.13 Usan Jct 9½ 10 25 44
14.10 Montrose 12 12 54 52
18.83 Craigo 15½ 16 51 80/
24.20 Laurencekirk 19 20 34 96
27.50 Fordoun 22 38 92/
33.11 Carmont 25 26 49 70
38.54 Stonehaven a 29½ 32 26
0.00 d 31 34 30
5.83 Newtonhill 551879
7.99 Portlethen (2) 6 44 95
15.04 Craiginches North [3] 14 04 sigs20/10/
16.01 ABERDEEN a 21 18 26 pfm 6
* Load= vehicles/tare/gross tonnes/including power cars
(x)=minutes pathing [3]=minutes recovery
Thanks are due to Martin Robertson for corroboration of the
Edinburgh to Dundee timesTABLE 2: EDINBURGH TO
ABERDEEN18 •The Railway Magazine• July 2019