Want to have a go at driving a "Pacer"?

I remember riding one on the Harrogate Loop as a youngster in the mid-1990s. You could hear every track joint- to say you couldn't hear yourself think is an understatement! I feel sorry for those who have to suffer the 142 services around Cardiff. Every time they come to a stop, the brakes squeal like hell. With hindsight, I think a few wooden benches nailed to a P-W trolley would have been comfier!

 

Want to have a go at driving a "Pacer"?

Took the train from York to Malton some years ago. It was formed of a Sprinter leading a Pacer. Everyone was wedged in the Sprinter as nobody wanted to suffer the Pacer which remained empty.

 

My first experience of one in the flesh was one doing exactly that at cardiff while I was waiting for a train to swansea, I wasn't looking at it at the time so wondered WTF it was! Sprinters and Turbostars ftw!

 

Re: Want to have a go at driving a "Pacer"?

I too remember a trip from Bangor to Chester when 150's and Pacers were new. It was formed of a Pacer and 150 - the 150 was full, and the Pacer was gloriously empty - so I got on the Pacer, had plenty of room all to myself, and (the one redeeming feature of the things) good views all around - something you didn't get from the 150! What I found curious, though, was that whilst the train was going to Hull, only half of it was. Guess which half...

Now I may be slightly strange, but I think there is something rather endearing about them, in that very English "well we tried our best" way of doing things. If only they'd managed to put a body with the window space of a Pacer on the running gear of the Sprinter...

Mind you, the roughest ride I ever had was on a 1st generation DMU to Holyhead. What was wrong I don't know, but the ride was so bad that I was actually bounced off the seat at one point.

Steve B

 

Re: Want to have a go at driving a "Pacer"?

I had a similar experience when travelling to LlanfairPG for a funeral. It was a Met Cam unit and the bogies hunted so violently I began to wonder if I wasn't on way to my own!

 

I'm glad that someone feels sorry for us, they are dreadful. Imagine the outcry if these were thrust on the Home Counties. Do the powers that be think that we are sub-human and deserve no better? I'm getting on a bit but I hope to outlive them.

 

Having endured them for years on my commute into Manchester before I retired, I'd certainly love to drive one - off a cliff, making sure I made a swift exit before the plunge!

To think we gave the gift of railways to the world - then came up with Pacers...

Dave
PS do you think the lads on Top Gear would blow one up if we asked nicely?

 

redo the 1984 nuclear crash test but with a more worthy candidate :dance: the icon sums up quite well a journey on one!

Duncan

 

BR spent millions of pounds developing a high speed wagon chassis in the 60s. 15 years later, Leyland Motors stuck a bus body on top of one. Not a good combination!

 

What was even worse, they decided to bolt an engine on it! Am I correct in thinking that the Class 142s (and possibly the Class 141s) have a strange habit of jettisoning their engines? I seem to recall such an incident on the Cumbrian Coast route in the last six years?

 

I think a few of them have done it! I'm sure I heard of one that did it on the way out of lime street a couple of years ago.

 

It's a bit unfair that this thread has become a 'Knock the Pacer' column. I hate the things, having had to endure them on too many occasions. However, I wouln't mind a go at driving one which is where this thread started.

 

I'd drive one... Maybe even be persuaded to preserve one too ;-)

 

I suppose most of us would drive one, given the chance. But pay to drive one? Well, that's a diferent matter! Be paid to drive one - OK.

 

This thread reminded me of this video: class 142 pictures - YouTube Classic!