Iskra
Established Member
I think 144's were common on the Settle and Carlisle in Arriva Trains Northern days as well at the 156's. A few have been there under Serco Northern too.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Rare visits by Pacers
- Thread starter TB
- Start date
- Status
I think 144's were common on the Settle and Carlisle in Arriva Trains Northern days as well at the 156's. A few have been there under Serco Northern too.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Fisherman80
Member
- Joined
- 29 Apr 2018
- Messages
- 223
I remember one Saturday in the Summer of 1996 I travelled on a 144 from Bingley to Carnforth....a 142 Carnforth to Barrow...another 142 Barrow to Carlisle,and because my final train was a 156/144 combo, and the 156 was full of reserved seats labels, I climbed aboard the 144.
I got home and it was the first time ever I had to have ibuprofen tablets for the back pain!
I got home and it was the first time ever I had to have ibuprofen tablets for the back pain!
jmbill
Member
There was a 'Visit Bristol' liveried 143 operated by Wessex Trains that somehow made it all the way to Penzance on one occasion. This particular 143 carried a little St. Piran's flag badge on its cab afterwards, in celebration of its achievement!
More recently, Exeter based 143s have occasionally made it to Penzance in the absence of other stock being available or line blockades. It's happened about once or twice a year since late 2015.
Increasingly 143s have been working the early evening 2P93 Exeter - Plymouth and 2E46 return in recent weeks, owing to the shrinking numbers of 153s available (which normally do the run).
Excluding normal passenger workings, of course the the 'Farewell 142 railtour' by FGW did a couple of jaunts over unfamiliar tracks around Devon, including the Heathfield Branch in 2011.
When new, the 142s did operate many of the Cornwall and Devon branch lines; in place of heritage DMUs. But the flange noise and wheel wear was deemed unacceptable. They also greatly struggled in leaf fall season - their little shopping trolley wheels could not cope with the steeper gradients and tight curves / track cambers in greasy conditions. Pacers remain banned on the Cornish branch lines, but are cleared for the SW mainline down to Penzance.
themiller
Established Member
When the 143s were still fairly new, I saw a yellow one at Ravenglass. A 144 used to stable overnight at Barrow-in-Furness many years ago so the drivers there had to sign them.
Philip
On Moderation
I can remember seeing a 142 crossing the Shropshire Union Canal just south of Nantwich, heading north. I've no idea about what it was working, but it was either October '95 or Oct '96. Whatever it was doing it seems almost certain that one has visited Shrewsbury.
This is true. I know the man who 'fixed' it. 143609 rings a bell.
Almost certainly a transfer / works move. Pacers are only allowed through Shrewsbury with special authority and even then must be treated as plant due to their inability to operate the track circuits reliably.
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
A while ago I started a thread in the Nostalgia section, asking how far 141s got from their "home territory" both in passenger service and otherwise. There was mention of the Inverness open-day visit also referred to in this thread, along with the occasional runs to Piccadilly deputising for sprinters... but one of the best (besides Tehran commuter services!) was apparently a short period where one was diagrammed to work with a 155 on a peak Copy Pit service to Blackpool.
I regularly had them to Halifax, so it's probably safe to say that Calder Valley stoppers will have had them on occasion. Going from a Rolls-Royce powered 110 to a glorified Leyland National was quite a culture-shock!
On an unrelated note, didn't a 142 do demonstration runs at the Vancouver Expo in the 1980s?
SteveyBee131
Member
I know 142050 went to somewhere in Canada for a while. I can't remember exactly where or when, so I would imagine we are thinking of the same event
sprinterguy
Veteran Member
I'm pretty sure 142049 is the only 142 to have been sent to Canada, for the aforementioned Vancouver Expo:I know 142050 went to somewhere in Canada for a while. I can't remember exactly where or when, so I would imagine we are thinking of the same event
http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/imagingcentre/view/212923/PL
Last edited:
SteveyBee131
Member
Chris172
Member
- Joined
- 3 Feb 2018
- Messages
- 154
There is a photo of a pacer reaching Birmingham New Street on WMBuses forum
sprinterguy
Veteran Member
It is quite an astonishing concept, isn't it? It amazes me that BR were genuinely touting for overseas orders for these things.I seriously hope they were not trying to PROMOTE British Excellence with that?
eastwestdivide
Established Member
If you count the single-car prototypes as Pacers, there's a whole load of "rare" places over at traintesting:
http://www.traintesting.com/LEVs.htm
http://www.traintesting.com/LEVs.htm
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
Surprising that the LEV units didn't end up at Stourbridge and Cardiff Bay, long before the PPMs and restored Bubbles were chosen!
Western Sunset
Established Member
Re Pacers visting Nottingham.
They might've, as they were erected at Derby Litchurch Lane and did test runs in the area. I remember being at the launch of the first one at Derby station, way back when.
They might've, as they were erected at Derby Litchurch Lane and did test runs in the area. I remember being at the launch of the first one at Derby station, way back when.
Almost certainly a Carlisle - Dumfries - Carlisle service. The early trains off Dumfries either are, or were till recently, operated by Northern crews and could produce Pacers. They're cleared to Glasgow via the G&SW as I understand it & have operated empty to Springburn but never, as far as I'm aware, in service.
DanNCL
Established Member
There still are two early morning Carlisle - Dumfries turns operated by Northern. They're allocated 156s, but 142s have been known to appear on them from time to time.
Ciderking
Member
Here's a picture from 2008 of a Pacer heading for Eastleigh Works .
https://www.flickr.com/photos/salis...53-8fdjs9-kRMHbB-w2x6rS-5tTZQV-QPAEbg-JNAytt/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/salis...53-8fdjs9-kRMHbB-w2x6rS-5tTZQV-QPAEbg-JNAytt/
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Special dispensation beyond Warminster
Not any more. 142s are now prohibited between Annan and Kilmarnock (They have been up in past but no longer permitted). Coupled with this one of the services using Northern sets is staffed by ScotRail it’s very tricky to get a 142 there
Source Network Rail Scotland Sectional Appendix page 956
Link please?
DanNCL
Established Member
Pretty certain I read somewhere that a 142 had made it up to Dumfries earlier this year, although admittedly there was no source for that info so that may not be accurate.
I know on occasions in the past 142s have worked Newcastle - Glasgow services (I saw one such working myself at Hexham at the beginning of the year), however in each case the 142 has been swapped for a 156 at Carlisle.
This discussion of pacers to Dumfries has left me wondering if a pacer has ever worked into Scotland via the ECML...
They were seen on a Dumfries or two at back end of last year or maybes start of this year until there was a reminder sent out that they weren’t permitted.
They can work the Newcastle to Carlisle part of the Newcastle to Glasgow services as they are all Northern crewed (either from Newcastle or Carlisle depots) ScotRail staff don’t sign Tyne Valley. They can’t venture past that due to the restriction and even if it wasn’t the case MOST of the Carlisle to glasgow trains are ScotRail staff (except for extremities of the day) who don’t touch pacers
As for 14x via ECML I believe that is also a yes, speaking to an old driver today I believe a few 143s escaped on morning ECML services from Newcastle to Edinburgh before they were sent down South (West) there’s definitely pictures of 143s in Edinburgh but not sure if that was test runs
nah, I'm sure they're banned within the M25. Might depress house prices...
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
It's possible (though the aforementioned 141 thread failed to throw anything up
They ought to come under bus emissions regulations really, which would surely ban them.
Philip
On Moderation
Could it have been working the shuttle service, since that normally goes into platform 7 and reverses back out when heading back north?
They certainly visited Nottingham in BR days. There was a Blackpool/Preston - Nottingham service via Derby which sometimes produced one.
I was in the P/Way dept. at Derby and I remember the P/Way Supervisor being horrified when he saw one bouncing over London Road Junction!
DanNCL
Established Member
That'll be what I'm thinking of!
There's now only one through service between Newcastle and Glasgow via the Tyne Valley - the 06:30 Newcastle to Glasgow and the 16:13 return. In both cases Northern crew work the Tyne Valley sector, whilst ScotRail crew work the service North of Carlisle.
That's very interesting, thank you. I figured a Pacer must have worked that way at some point, but wasn't certain of what and when.
One has worked through London within the last couple of years.
This photo (from Google, not mine) shows an ATW 142 passing through Hitchin, en-route from Canton to Doncaster Wabtec. The routing was GWML, North London Line and ECML. One has definitiely been through in the last couple of years (October 2016 I think)
Regarding pacers to Nottingham: Nottingham is on the destination blinds of at least one of the Heaton 142s, however that doesn't necessarily indicate that one has been there (bit like East Kilbride being on the 314 destination blinds)
156s were regular visitors to Holyhead and Llandudno in the 1990s. I've seen one go to Blaenau as well.
- Status