Scotrail Class 385 Discussion

[Clansman]

Did somebody say Darth Vader?

 

[jopsuk]

Did somebody say Darth Vader?

Pfft, the Nankai railway did it for real

 

[Clansman]

Pfft, the Nankai railway did it for real

I withdraw my statement
What a bloody monster that thing is anyway...!

EDIT: Looking at my photoshop, can't help but think how nice the 385 would look in GWR livery.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

First video of the 385 in action:

[youtube]MVKqMmgu9QE[/youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVKqMmgu9QE

Sounds similar to the 395 in my opinion - well, obviously since they share similar equipment...

Also, that's the first 385 on UK soil - testing will soon begin at Newton Aycliffe.
see here

 

[Domh245]

First video of the 385 in action:

Sounds similar to the 395 in my opinion

Also, that's the first 385 on UK soil - testing will soon begin at Newton Aycliffe.
see here

You'd expect it to sound like a 395 because it will be sharing the same traction package (same goes for the 800/801/802 and certain 465 fleets).

Also, it looks like the bogies are the same as per the AT300 fleets, with outside framed motor bogies and inside framed trailer bogies, have Hitachi simplified their UK bogies down to just the two types?

 

[Clansman]

Also, it looks like the bogies are the same as per the AT300 fleets, with outside framed motor bogies and inside framed trailer bogies

If only the same could be said for the interior. Why they chose ironing boards over the seats used on the 395s, as well as using IEP standard seats in first class instead of using the 1st class seats from the IEPs - are all beyond me. Don't TOCs want to maximise quality and comfort without reducing seats or space?

 

[fgwrich]

Also, it looks like the bogies are the same as per the AT300 fleets, with outside framed motor bogies and inside framed trailer bogies, have Hitachi simplified their UK bogies down to just the two types?

Screen grab for those interested. Wonder if they're a Hitachi design, or an off the shelf variant designed by Siemens or Bombardier?

 

[CNBRail]

The actual gangway door is half and half. That yellow panel could have been put in place to route a loco brake pipe through the unit... Note the hatch type arrangement.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Screen grab for those interested. Wonder if they're a Hitachi design, or an off the shelf variant designed by Siemens or Bombardier?

They look like Voyager bogies.

 

[Photohunter71]

The 385's actually remind me slightly of a class 26/27. I wonder what the traction motors sound like in comparison to the drone of the 318's and 334's to the phaser alarm type sound of the 380's?

 

[Domh245]

I wonder what the traction motors sound like in comparison to the drone of the 318's and 334's to the phaser alarm type sound of the 380's?

It'll be like the 395s, so a constant lower tone up to a certain speed before then rising up with the speed.

 

[sng7]

From twitter we can see the painted gangway design (https://twitter.com/Clinnick1/status/781440553091272704?s=04)

 

[Clansman]

From twitter we can see the painted gangway design

Looking much much better now.

The destination display seems to be further inward - wonder how readable it'll be against the curved glass window?

 

[TRAX]

Now imagine how much better it would look without that stupid gangway.

 

[jayiscupid]

Does the gangway fold back in the same way as the Siemens 380?

 

[TRAX]

I don't think so, considering that on the picture the end of the gangway is already parallel to its base.

 

[najaB]

I don't think so, considering that on the picture the end of the gangway is already parallel to its base.

If it doesn't fold back it will seriously limit visibility. In that picture you can't see half of the front of the train because it's blocked by the gangway.

 

[Groningen]

I remain with my view that the front is ugly. How much space does the driver of the train have. He (she) sits on the left or right of the train?

 

[Southsider]

Now imagine how much better it would look without that stupid gangway.

Some of the original mock-ups showed the non-gangway version and it did indeed look much better.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

If you zoom in a lot it looks like the gangway might possibly pivot so it might be retractable

 

[380101]

If it doesn't fold back it will seriously limit visibility. In that picture you can't see half of the front of the train because it's blocked by the gangway.

That's it in position. Not going to retract like the 380. The lack of vision has consistently been brought up by drivers. The stock answer is "Transport Scotland specified it" so we had to have it. This is the same answer when the 380 was introduced. First didn't ask for a gangway and we're very against the 380 having it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I remain with my view that the front is ugly. How much space does the driver of the train have. He (she) sits on the left or right of the train?

The driver will be on the left hand side of the cab. Not a lot of space and the windscreens look to be smaller than the 380. Vision will be terrible due to the gangway not being retractable. Vision out of the 380 is bad and it has a retractable gangway!

Transport Scotland refused to listen to the industry and operational staff when they demanded the 380 gangways and the carbuncle has been continued with the 385s.

The drivers at Queen St and Edinburgh are going to get a shock when they see how poor the cab layout and visibility of the 385 is compared to the 170s.

 

[TRAX]

Do drivers matter to the people who specify the trains ?



Ahhh wait in fact I know the answer.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I wonder if we are about to have another Strike, this time by drivers over visabilitty?

I have to say as a passenger this issue of visability concerns me greatly

 

[asylumxl]

Do drivers matter to the people who specify the trains ?



Ahhh wait in fact I know the answer.

There are rules regarding the level of visibility from full and half width cabs, which I imagine these trains do comply to.

Is the minimum visibility required enough though? Probably not.

 

[380101]

I wonder if we are about to have another Strike, this time by drivers over visabilitty?

I have to say as a passenger this issue of visability concerns me greatly

No chance of any strike action over it. ASLEF have already agreed to the trains specification.

The lack of visibility is a major concern to most drivers.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Do drivers matter to the people who specify the trains ?



Ahhh wait in fact I know the answer.

No. We don't matter. The 380s have been in service almost 6 years now and issues identified from day 1 by drivers have still not been resolved. A sun blind that doesn't block the sun; DOO monitors that are too high - even for the tallest drivers; window wipers that fail to clear the screen properly. Most of these issues are easily sorted, but Siemens and ScotRail do not want to admit that there is issues with the 380 cabs.

 

[Clansman]

A 385 set has been in the UK for a month now, any idea if testing has commenced at Newton Aycliffe yet as there's been nothing coming from Scotrail or the press in a while.

 

[SC318250]

There is suppose to be 2 sets now in uk

One set will come north shortly to Shields Depot for certification

1 at Velim with another en route there

 

[800001]

A 385 set has been in the UK for a month now, any idea if testing has commenced at Newton Aycliffe yet as there's been nothing coming from Scotrail or the press in a while.

No testing as yet, ive seen the cab of 385001 sticking out of the factory doors at Aycliffe, not seen it outsode of factory as yet.

 

[Class 261]

Does anyone know when the first unit will arrive in Scotland?

 

[Carntyne]

Does anyone know when the first unit will arrive in Scotland?

Soon!

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Does Scotrail have the option for a follow on order? If they do would that give scope if they wanted to to be able to replace all their 380s with 385s?