LSL announce Pacer railtour

[cjbirkett]

You were lucky to get a four-car lash-up on that run as platforms at Slaithwaite and Deighton would have been too short at the time, as was the "prison siding" at Westgate (though Wrenthorpe Loop would also be available for reversals of longer formations).

This may be pure speculation on my part but I have a feeling the 142s only did llandudno-victoria then came off leaving the 150 to head to Wakefield as a 2-car

 

[12LDA28C]

Do they still have any? It was reported on here that some or all were later scrapped.

A shame in my opinion, as being three-car they'd have greater capacity for tours.

I believe at least one vehicle may have potentially been scrapped but I'm pretty sure the rest are still intact.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

This may be pure speculation on my part but I have a feeling the 142s only did llandudno-victoria then came off leaving the 150 to head to Wakefield as a 2-car

Two cars may well have come off in Manchester, but it could have been either. 142s were certainly used on the Wakefield service at times, but when it ran through to/from Llandudno it was more likely to be a Sprinter.

Post-1994 the Wakefield service was run by North Western Trains and was rarely anything but a 142, though on occasion you'd get a 150. I once got one of the 158s with first class (for the short-lived Blackpool/Rochdale to Euston service) on it. Had a 101 once too, but can't recall if that was after privatisation or not.

 

[DarloRich]

for the full northern rail effect this train should be crush loaded with people stood in the door wells being hit by the doors every couple of minutes as the train stops at every possible shack this side of Manchester.

It should be vastly overheated and have the humidity level of the rainforest. Someone should sit right in the middle of the crush loaded train but only want to travel one stop. Also someone should be stood in the toilet and the rear cab due to a lack of space.

All the while the train should be bouncing like a cork in the ocean, squealing like a wounded pig at every corner and flogging itself to death trying to reach the incredible top speed of 53 and 1/2 mph!

ah the memories...........

( no thank you - i cant believe anyone is mad enough to hand over hard earned cash for this.)

 

[OhNoAPacer]

for the full northern rail effect this train should be crush loaded with people stood in the door wells being hit by the doors every couple of minutes as the train stops at every possible shack this side of Manchester.

It should be vastly overheated and have the humidity level of the rainforest. Someone should sit right in the middle of the crush loaded train but only want to travel one stop. Also someone should be stood in the toilet and the rear cab due to a lack of space.

All the while the train should be bouncing like a cork in the ocean, squealing like a wounded pig at every corner and flogging itself to death trying to reach the incredible top speed of 53 and 1/2 mph!

ah the memories...........

( no thank you - i cant believe anyone is mad enough to hand over hard earned cash for this.)

For a fuller experience you can have all this whilst towing a locked out of service class 156 as some form of 'this is what you could have won' statement.

 

[PacerTrain142]

for the full northern rail effect this train should be crush loaded with people stood in the door wells being hit by the doors every couple of minutes as the train stops at every possible shack this side of Manchester.

It should be vastly overheated and have the humidity level of the rainforest. Someone should sit right in the middle of the crush loaded train but only want to travel one stop. Also someone should be stood in the toilet and the rear cab due to a lack of space.

All the while the train should be bouncing like a cork in the ocean, squealing like a wounded pig at every corner and flogging itself to death trying to reach the incredible top speed of 53 and 1/2 mph!

ah the memories...........

( no thank you - i cant believe anyone is mad enough to hand over hard earned cash for this.)

I used to ride pacers on Colne to Blackpool South line, which wasn’t that busy. People do love to exagerate how “bad“ they were. Blame the rail companies for putting them on busy lines. I would happily pay to ride a pacer from Penzance to London and back again!

 

[LiftFan]

I used to ride pacers on Colne to Blackpool South line, which wasn’t that busy. People do love to exagerate how “bad“ they were. Blame the rail companies for putting them on busy lines. I would happily pay to ride a pacer from Penzance to London and back again!

I mean to be fair, I'd rather be sat on the bus benches on a pacer for that trip than the horrendous "seats" on the IETs.

 

[Techniquest]

Then you're being sent PMs with directions to a therapist! Preferring a 142 from Penzance to London and back over an IET? Oh my!

 

[12LDA28C]

“Had” rather than “have”, I thought?

Pretty sure they are all still at Tyseley.

 

[Wolfie]

Then you're being sent PMs with directions to a therapist! Preferring a 142 from Penzance to London and back over an IET? Oh my!

Add an osteopath to that, lol....

 

[Townsend Hook]

Do they still have any? It was reported on here that some or all were later scrapped.

A shame in my opinion, as being three-car they'd have greater capacity for tours.

There was still at least one vehicle on Tyseley when I passed by last week.

 

[The exile]

Then you're being sent PMs with directions to a therapist! Preferring a 142 from Penzance to London and back over an IET? Oh my!

Not sure I’d prefer it, but I’d definitely be interested in experiencing it!

 

[D6130]

Slightly OT perhaps, but what's the 143 that I ssw stabled outside the old goods shed at Llanelli yesterday?

 

[Techniquest]

Add an osteopath to that, lol....

Indeed, and I have a good one locally that can provide that service at a reasonable price

More seriously, is there a hint at more 142 tours in the future? Track tours would certainly fill a Pacer fast!

 

[sprinterguy]

I used to ride pacers on Colne to Blackpool South line, which wasn’t that busy. People do love to exagerate how “bad“ they were. Blame the rail companies for putting them on busy lines. I would happily pay to ride a pacer from Penzance to London and back again!

They weren't always that bad - in fact a lightly loaded set over the Hope Valley line could be really quite enjoyable - but they were sometimes. I was on one of the services that grounded itself on the tight left hand Gateshead curve towards Newcastle, as they were intermittently wont to do with a standing load onboard.

 

[Pacerboy1000]

I wonder if there will be a pacer Railtour is the southwest.

 

[Mountain Man]

I used to ride pacers on Colne to Blackpool South line, which wasn’t that busy. People do love to exagerate how “bad“ they were. Blame the rail companies for putting them on busy lines. I would happily pay to ride a pacer from Penzance to London and back again!

The only exaggeration was when people were definitive they were the worst trains on the network, as there was a debate as to whether that honour actually belonged to Voyagers

 

[yorksrob]

I imagine a rake of 144's would be quite decent for things such as footex, xmas shopping, summer seaside specials etc.

 

[PacerTrain142]

I imagine a rake of 144's would be quite decent for things such as footex, xmas shopping, summer seaside specials etc.

They could put one on every weekend in summer to Blackpool, starting at, say Birmingham and picking up passengers at Wolverhampton, Stockport, Crewe, Wigan, Manchester etc. I bet it would be popular.

 

[Krokodil]

They could put one on every weekend in summer to Blackpool, starting at, say Birmingham and picking up passengers at Wolverhampton, Stockport, Crewe, Wigan, Manchester etc. I bet it would be popular.

I dunno, it's bad enough having to travel on a Pacer, but being dumped in Blackpool for the day would rub salt into the wound

 

[yorksrob]

They could put one on every weekend in summer to Blackpool, starting at, say Birmingham and picking up passengers at Wolverhampton, Stockport, Crewe, Wigan, Manchester etc. I bet it would be popular.

It would be. Passengers would have a comfy seat (yes the 144's had that) a loo and they'd be fine. Any further would be a stretch though.

 

[Techniquest]

Plenty of saltwater for those wounds

I'd agree with the Pacers used as beach-goer extras, but probably not from Birmingham. From the likes of Manchester and Leeds, then why not. Popular without many doubts, but sending them from Birmingham to Blackpool for capacity-boosting purposes is a step too far. I'd suggest that it would be better than a 777 on such a lengthy journey, in terms of comfort, but to torment the souls of the Midlands with a lengthy journey to Blackpool on a Pacer is just cruel!

 

[xotGD]

Extra capacity to seaside resorts? How about sets of Mark 5a coaches with a 68 on the front?

Should be available for summer Saturdays next year.

 

[Techniquest]

Extra capacity to seaside resorts? How about sets of Mark 5a coaches with a 68 on the front?

Should be available for summer Saturdays next year.

Certainly plenty of 21st century compatible future charter stock there, no need to pay lots of staff to monitor vestibules on the Mark 5s!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I imagine a rake of 144's would be quite decent for things such as footex, xmas shopping, summer seaside specials etc.

Back when (old) Northern used to run football specials between Huddersfield and Sheffield, they usually managed to find a couple of 150s around. Given the state of them afterwards on occasion, a pair of 144s might have been a smarter choice!

 

[Purple Train]

I can imagine they're a Godsend for small preserved railways trying to get up and running, being simple and cheap. I'd like to travel on a Pacer just once more, given it's been five years since I last went on one - just to see the inward-opening doors (oh how I loved them)

Then ideally leave them alone for five more years before hunting a 143 (to this day I have still not even seen one).

 

[pokemonsuper9]

The times on Realtime trains have shown up

Start ECS - 5Z77 0718 Crewe H.S. to Wilmslow

Realtime Trains | 5Z77 0718 Crewe H.S. to Wilmslow | 27/09/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Z77 0718 departure from Crewe H.S. to Wilmslow on 27/09/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Outbound - 1Z77 0858 Wilmslow to Llandudno

Realtime Trains | 1Z77 0858 Wilmslow to Llandudno | 27/09/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z77 0858 departure from Wilmslow to Llandudno on 27/09/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Return - 1Z78 1336 Llandudno to Wilmslow

Realtime Trains | 1Z78 1336 Llandudno to Wilmslow | 27/09/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z78 1336 departure from Llandudno to Wilmslow on 27/09/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

End ECS - 5Z78 1722 Wilmslow to Crewe H.S.

Realtime Trains | 5Z78 1722 Wilmslow to Crewe H.S. | 27/09/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Z78 1722 departure from Wilmslow to Crewe H.S. on 27/09/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[507020]

The times on Realtime trains have shown up

Well they took their time. I’ve been waiting for these for weeks.

What happened to them needing 2 weeks notice of the exact timings?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Well they took their time. I’ve been waiting for these for weeks.

What happened to them needing 2 weeks notice of the exact timings?

No clue about rules on that.
I've been checking every day since it the railtour was announced.

 

[507020]

I've been checking every day since it the railtour was announced.

So have I. It’s been becoming rather alarming that it looked like it was just going to sit at Wilmslow all day if it ran at all.