318 at Bathgate

[me123]

Quick question for you guys.

I've just travelled through Bathgate station and there was, unusually, a 318 stabled in the depot (I think it was 318250, may have been 260 - I didn't get much chance to look for sure). It was unrefurbished. Of course, normally only 334s make it East of Airdrie these days, so it's a bit of an unusual sight to see anything other than a 334 in the sidings.

I'm wondering it anyone knows what she was doing out that far? Was it due to earlier disruption? Are they testing/clearing 318s that far out? Or is this a stop on the way South for refurbishment?

 

[Eng274]

One class 318 is scheduled to stable overnight at Bathgate for some reason, it probably runs empty to/from Airdrie. Maybe it helps keep Bathgate drivers fresh on 318s in case one ever needs to substitute for a 334 in service.

 

[me123]

Ah, didn't know about that, although I have been away from the Central Belt a wee while. Of course, if I had been sensible enough to look at RealTime Trains, I'd have seen that 2E72 arrives at Airdrie from Balloch at 18:40 and then goes off to Bathgate LMD as 5E72. (Although I doubt it leaves from Platform 1). The timings would fit quite nicely, and there is a working in the morning that sees a train doing Airdrie-Balloch locals from Bathgate LMD; again that would fit with being a 318 from my experience.

Wasn't aware that 318s regularly stabled in Bathgate, though. Bizarrely, the siding at Airdrie seems to stable 2x334s that run ECS to Edinburgh first thing in the morning! Seems odd to have two quite long ECS workings that could be avoided (by stabling the 334s in Bathgate and the 318s in Airdrie). Leads me to think that it's either related to driver training or lack of capacity at Bathgate (for 2x334s vs 1x318).

Thanks for your help though

 

[SC318250]

It was 318250 tonight

Should be 2 x 318 or 2 x 320 or one of each stabled each night at Bathgate.