End of the line for Pacers...

End of the line for these horrible boxes in my neck of the woods at least
A retrograde steps in the railtravel experience if ever there was one in the opinion of many,
BUT
For the sake of rail history should one of the class 144 's or similar be ' preserved' ?
Would one be an inexpensive and useful addition to a heritage or independant railway near you ?

 

We'll probably getting your cast offs ooooop North.......however I read that they are revamping one at Derby as a trial

 

Aparently the new terms of the franchise which Northern Rail now operates includes the replacement of these,.
Would have to be one hell of a revamp....

 

Aren't they being replaced with the old tube stock powered by a pair of tranny engines? Max speed 60mph? Be careful what you wish for fellahs!

 

Tranny engines ? all the time ? or just on weekends....

Pacers at speed are pretty scary, they should be limited to about 60 in any case...

 

I guess it's all they can a Ford

 

Form an orderly queue behind the gas axe people

I think Butterley already have a hideous 141, but I'd be against preserving any as I believe first generation DMU's would be more popular, better all round view (ie forwards) and ride, have we forgotten how appaling the Donkeys ride is on jointed track ?, of which 99% of preserved metals is.

A 1980's mistake that deserves consigning to the dustbin of history.

 

I'm sure Alfred will be snapping up a fleet

 

I actually think some should be preserved, there's not much constructed in the UK between 1968 and 1994 loco-wise, and given most of it is sprinters or emu's I think the public would be more interested in the bouncy ride, than an aircon emu.

Let's face it, after privatisation, there's nowt worth saving.

 

Some 56's, 58's, 60's, 92's, 91's, 90's and an 89...

 

Ok, so I may be a bit weird, but I have a bit of a soft spot for them. I've only experienced the 142 variety but I remember them being introduced along with the 150s in North Wales. A bit rough they may have been, but they were quieter than the 1st generation DMUs they replaced (or at least their power cars) and I had some very rough rides from the 101s. In contrast to the 150s they had WINDOWS - lots of them, and the low seat backs meant you could enjoy the views much better. I once travelled from Bangor to Chester in a train made up of a 142 and a 150. This train was going on to Hull, and I had a little chuckle to myself when they divided the train at Chester - sent the 150 back to Bangor and the 142 to Hull! Bangor to Hull in a Pacer. This was I believe a regular working! I became reacquainted with them 20 years later when they were occasionally used on the Wrexham - Bidston line which I still use regularly. They didn't improve with age. They still seemed to have all the original features (including 20 tears of grime on the ceilings, and quite possibly the original posters - on that line the on board information normally has more to do with Cardiff than the Wirrall) and everything seemed to be coming loose. The ride seemed much more lively so maybe the damping had deteriorated.

There are some types, I believe, in preservation, and I would like to think that a full restoration could be carried out - screwing things back together, replacing cracked panels, etc.. A brave attempt at trying to do things cheaply, but ultimately an own goal

Steve B

 

I'm amazed they could work in multiple with a 150? Surely their maximum speeds were different ?

 

Following a long line of reusing railway hand off i would quite like one or two as a horse shelter......

 

According to an article in Rail Magazine. A class 144 Pacer has been modified to work beyond 2020. The first unit will enter traffic in April. According to the article class 144e full specification will cost around £350,000 for a two car unit. Anyone wanting to read the full article should buy Rail issue 768.

 

They certainly did then - whether they continued to be able to I don't know. Maximum speed for both types was 75mph. Whether it should have been might be another matter...
I remember another, more unusual, working where, following an earlier accident with cows on the line, 4 trains were combined at Llandudno junction and proceeded, jammed to the doors to Bangor. That had 2 150s, a 142 and a 158! The ticket inspector who got on and said "tickets please" to a train full of people with their noses up against their neighbours backs and who in some cases were by then 4hrs late got off very quickly again when he saw the looks he was getting...

 

Good grief - a Pacer at 75mph ??? I suppose it's like climbing a ladder safely - so long as you've got three points of contact you're OK!

 

Always wondered if the stories about flushing the bogs, affecting braking performance were correct, anybody shed any light???

 

Tom

 

How long before someone reports seeing 5 2 car units in SWT colours being dragged down south,