Freight Pacers

[matacaster]

With the impending withdrawal of most if not all pacers, could the better examples be used for freight, particularly parcels?

Remove seats, have a freight loading ramp ( would disability ramp do?)
Fit some anchor points to stop stuff sliding around
Can run up to 75MPH
Reasonable acceleration
Widespread river knowledge
Low cost to hire
Low track access charges as lightweight
No disability mods as not required for freight

 

[30907]

widespread river knowledge

I thought pacers weren't known for being watertight
Seriously, I think they would be difficult to load (as well as being leaky).

 

[Cross Man]

Could be used to transport surplus explosives to sites where these items are disposed of. They could then blow the bloody things up along with the ordnance. Can I press the button please?

 

[matacaster]

I thought pacers weren't known for being watertight
Seriously, I think they would be difficult to load (as well as being leaky).

Interesting you say that as I happened to ne on 144015 yesterday at Barnsley an it was providing an en-suite shower facility in the vestibule between carriages!! (perhaps may be of interest to Caledonian sleeper people)

 

[PeterC]

This comes up with just about every type of multiple unit being withdrawn.

Converting a multiple unit for parcels use is trivial for most classes although I suspect that the Pacers might be an exception.

What isn't trivial is recreating the handling facilites that were repurposed or sold off decades ago. Once you have done that you then just have to pursuade the major couriers to relocate to those railside locations and use the trains.

 

[furnessvale]

First find the freight. THEN start thinking up ways to carry it.

Just a thought.

 

[The Lad]

Quite lightweight so not a great deal of payload available

 

[randyrippley]

Quite lightweight so not a great deal of payload available

I thought the underframes were based on 75t freight wagons?

 

[anthony kelly]

The underframe is the strongest part off a Pacer as I worked on them at Derby carriage and wagon when they were being built

 

[gazthomas]

Solution (rubbish solution) trying to find a problem

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Solution (rubbish solution) trying to find a problem

Quite - your competition is a very well established and flexible road based logistic network , with real time control and dare I say it .....customer service etc.

 

[Mag_seven]

Low track access charges as lightweight

Except of course it ceases to become lightweight when you put freight in one!

 

[gazthomas]

Quite - your competition is a very well established and flexible road based logistic network , with real time control and dare I say it .....customer service etc.

Exactly, no matter how robust the underframes are I can't see this being a reliable and more importantly a timely service given the, at best 75 mph speed (which I suspect would be much lower n reality). Then you add the fact that most places, start and end are not rail connected. Maybe it would work in a bigger country with poor roads like, well, let's see, how about Iran?

 

[mrcheek]

Solution (rubbish solution) trying to find a problem

now theres an idea, maybe they could be used to transport rubbish. I think most of them have already made a start.....

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Except of course it ceases to become lightweight when you put freight in one!

The whole concept of track access charges kills any such idea stone dead anyway.

 

[6Gman]

Who would be the customer?

Is there really a demand for a station to station parcels service - with a max speed much the same as a motorway LGV?

 

[HSTEd]

How about chopping the body down and putting containers on them.......

I'll get my coat.

 

[GrimShady]

They'll make very fetching razor blades.

 

[krus_aragon]

Except of course it ceases to become lightweight when you put freight in one!

Maybe we can ship helium in them instead.

 

[Tio Terry]

Bearing in mind the governments avowed intention to make the country carbon free is there any real point in spending money and time converting something that has a limited life anyway?

 

[AndyNLondon]

I'm sure that plenty of them will end up carrying freight - once they've been chopped up, melted down, & turned into baked bean cans!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Maybe we can ship helium in them instead.

Pacers are too leaky... we have enough moaning about announcements as it is, imagine if even the human ones all sounded like Alan Ball or Geddy Lee?