Pacers love em or hate em?

[yorksrob]

In the event that there isn't anything to replace them by 2019, I suspect that there'll be some sort of a derogation from the DDA legislation.

 

[DesiroDom]

In the event that there isn't anything to replace them by 2019, I suspect that there'll be some sort of a derogation from the DDA legislation.

They probs will bend the rules by then they will be 34 years old and will be past there serviceable life

 

[table38]

Thinking laterally, how about adding an additional DDA compliant centre coach... maybe with a pantograph too...

 

[Schnellzug]

Wow, door controls, a new kind of ramp and toilets, theres a reason to scrap over 120 units with no foreseeable replacement... (Only 50 will be gone with TPE N and Lancs Triangle wires, and thats with no capacity increases)

By 2020 they'd be about 35 years old; surely that'd be a perfectly respectable life span, wouldn't it. And surely 8 years is, even with the pace of Government decision making, enough time to get an order in for some replacements.

 

[yorksrob]

By 2020 they'd be about 35 years old; surely that'd be a perfectly respectable life span, wouldn't it. And surely 8 years is, even with the pace of Government decision making, enough time to get an order in for some replacements.

It would be. But 35 years is also the sort of age where you can keep stock going for a bit but there's no point investing heavily in it.

The Government could easily order replacements in that time but that doesn't mean that it will !

 

[blackettstreet]

i actually prefer them to sprinters they look sort of awesome and they make a great sound

 

[142094]

They probs will bend the rules by then they will be 34 years old and will be past there serviceable life

Plenty of other stock has lived well past this age, just depends if there is a replacement waiting for them. In times when there is a lack of capital, giving existing units a quick overhaul is always going to be looked upon better than buying new stock.

 

[bladesman123]

Don't pacers have bus seats? i only ask as the other day i travelled on a pacer, sheffield supertram and a bus, the tram was by far the most comfortable and the bus came second (even though its suspension was knackered) and the pacer was the only one out of the three that actually inflicted pain on me, but i thought buses and pacers have the same seats, albeit with more leg room on the bus.

 

[sprinterguy]

Don't pacers have bus seats? i only ask as the other day i travelled on a pacer, sheffield supertram and a bus, the tram was by far the most comfortable and the bus came second (even though its suspension was knackered) and the pacer was the only one out of the three that actually inflicted pain on me, but i thought buses and pacers have the same seats, albeit with more leg room on the bus.

I doubt that there's very many buses in regular service in 2011 that still have bench style bus seats. The vast majority of buses now have individual seating.

The same goes for Pacers: There's only a select number of 142s that still retain the bench type bus seating. The rest have been refurbished with either 2+2 high backed individual seating (All the 143s and 144s, plus ATW and former Northern Spirit 142s, of which IMO the 144s are by far the best of the lot) or 3+2 individual seating as found on the former Merseyrail 142s, which in my opinion is even worse than the original bus seats.

 

[bladesman123]

I doubt that there's very many buses in regular service in 2011 that still have bench style bus seats. The vast majority of buses now have individual seating.

The same goes for Pacers: There's only a select number of 142s that still retain the bench type bus seating. The rest have been refurbished with either 2+2 high backed individual seating (All the 143s and 144s, plus ATW and former Northern Spirit 142s, of which IMO the 144s are by far the best of the lot) or 3+2 individual seating as found on the former Merseyrail 142s, which in my opinion is even worse than the original bus seats.

The pacer i was on had the high backed 2+2 seats and was so uncomfortable it was actually painful im just glad i didnt have far to travel, having said that the heater next to my feet was very warm and cosy.

 

[sprinterguy]

The pacer i was on had the high backed 2+2 seats and was so uncomfortable it was actually painful im just glad i didnt have far to travel, having said that the heater next to my feet was very warm and cosy.

In Sheffield, that could either be one of the Heaton based 142s with a Northern Spirit interior, or a 144. Neither of which I would say was uncomfortable (The 144s have the same seats as are fitted to former Northern Spirit 156s, which I think are one of the best design of seats there are for local and regional services), although those fitted to the 142s are certainly less comfortable than those on the 144s.

 

[142094]

Worst ones are the ex-Merseyrail 142s, then the bus seats. Some of the high back seats on 144s can be terrible, but the Richmond seating on the Heaton 142s is probably the best, even if they are falling apart.

 

[WestCoast]

The same goes for Pacers: There's only a select number of 142s that still retain the bench type bus seating.

Yes, the West side of Northern (Newton Heath e.t.c) has mostly ex-Merseytravel refurb and ex-First North Western units, so in Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and GM 'bus bench models' are the most common type of Pacer.

 

[HSTEd]

The vast majority of buses now have individual seating

The only time Ive been on a bus with individual seating was the Indigo in Nottingham, all the busses around Manchester and in South Lincolnshire still run with bench seats.

 

[sprinterguy]

The only time Ive been on a bus with individual seating was the Indigo in Nottingham, all the busses around Manchester and in South Lincolnshire still run with bench seats.

Seriously? I can't imagine that Manchester is that far backwards in terms of bus seating (The less said about South Lincolnshire the better though ). I certainly don't think that Manchesters' Stagecoach fleet has many bench seated vehicles knocking around, if any, and they are something of a dominant force in the area.

The last time I was on a bus with bench seats was just before NatEx West Midlands withdrew their Metrobuses.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yes, the West side of Northern (Newton Heath e.t.c) has mostly ex-Merseytravel refurb and ex-First North Western units, so in Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and GM 'bus bench models' are the most common type of Pacer.

It's a rather unfortunate situation for North West commuters. It's amazing that the units have last twenty five years without the interiors being altered.

 

[WestCoast]

It's a rather unfortunate situation for North West commuters. It's amazing that the units have last twenty five years without the interiors being altered.

I always associate Pacers with rubbish seating, as that's what I'm used to on my commute. I'm always pleasantly surprised with an ex-ATN one!

 

[DesiroDom]

I always associate Pacers with rubbish seating, as that's what I'm used to on my commute. I'm always pleasantly surprised with an ex-ATN one!

Yeah I agree but if they are refurbed then that would be good up to FGW standards new seating etc

 

[WestCoast]

Yeah I agree but if they are refurbed then that would be good up to FGW standards new seating etc

Do the 'bus seated' ex-Mersey or 'bus benches' ex-FNW units every stray onto Yorkshire/North East services?

 

[DesiroDom]

Do the 'bus seated' ex-Mersey or 'bus benches' ex-FNW units every stray onto Yorkshire/North East services?

There are some that make it to Newcastle but they are few and far and between

 

[sprinterguy]

Do the 'bus seated' ex-Mersey or 'bus benches' ex-FNW units every stray onto Yorkshire/North East services?

They definitely make it to Sheffield along the Hope Valley line frequently, but IIRC they're Newton Heath diagrams anyway.

I've seen a few bus bench units working the Middlesborough to Hexham services, and my Platform 5 book tells me that a handful of former FNW 142s are now allocated to Heaton. I've definitely seen 142023 and 142027 fairly regularly in North East England, and also run across them at Sheffield quite recently.

Closest I've seen a Merseyrail seated 142 to North East England would be Carlisle, on Cumbrian Coast services.

 

[DesiroDom]

They definitely make it to Sheffield along the Hope Valley line frequently, but IIRC they're Newton Heath diagrams anyway.

I've seen a few bus bench units working the Middlesborough to Hexham services, and my Platform 5 book tells me that a handful of former FNW 142s are now allocated to Heaton. I've definitely seen 142023 and 142027 fairly regularly in North East England, and also run across them at Sheffield quite recently.

Closest I've seen a Merseyrail seated 142 to North East England would be Carlisle, on Cumbrian Coast services.

I have seen a bus style 142 in Newcastle on a Metrocentre-Morpeth service

 

[142094]

Do the 'bus seated' ex-Mersey or 'bus benches' ex-FNW units every stray onto Yorkshire/North East services?

Yes, but they are uncommon. Normally see them when a unit comes up to Heaton for maintenance, then gets put on local services before going back to the NW. There was one on Saltburn - Darlo services a fortnight ago.

 

[Blindtraveler]

and this may well have been the same on which worked the 10:28 CAR - NCL 2 fridays back which I was bashing and was surprised to find an example featuring the formentioned seat design on that route

 

[driver9000]

There are few bench seated ex-Newton Heath 142s allocated to Heaton now.

 

[krus_aragon]

Are the doors and door controls also not DDA compliant ?

ATW's pacers were fitted with DDA-compliant door controls by Valley Lines.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I went on a 142 from Stockport to Blackpool once. It was alright, but I think I'll opt for a 185 next time

 

[Blindtraveler]

shame on you! A diziro over a pacer? Blackpools supposed to be fun and to me that means getting there too!

 

[ValleyLines142]

Yes it is, I love Blackpool almost to my death! :P love the place so much. It saddens me that I live 235 miles away!

The Pacer was very bumpy, and very busy, especially after calling at Levs, Piccadilly, Oxford, Deans and Salford!

Passing over the points from Stockers to Heaton Chapel was a barrel of laughs ;D

But I love 185s, even if they are overcrowded! I have my personal experience from 185149 - Friday 29 July 2011 - 1N59 1029 from the Airport = *squishy squishy squishy!*

 

[Blindtraveler]

relocate to Scotland and use TPE's
overcrouded seasonal extras - GLC, BPN direct. Be purfect for your love of blackpool, of traveling to it and of 185s!

 

[Bevan Price]

Oh God not another Pacer thread!

Don't mind them, we actually owe them a lot for saving a good few branchlines from closure.

That is often quoted, but probably a myth. Most of the Pacers were put on city-based suburban services (Liverpool / Manchester / Leeds, etc.) which have never been in danger since the end of the Marples-Beeching closures. If anything, it is 153's rather than Pacers which may have helped to save rural branchlines.