What could happen to the Class 144 "Evolution" unit?

[CBlue]

Could always kill two birds with one stone and attach a 442 to it as a trailer. After all, that's the other oft mentioned solution looking for a problem.

 

[yorksrob]

Morecambe to Lancaster would be suitable. Not sure if the crew out there sign 144 though

The route used to regularly get the three carriage 144's. Before the world dissappeared up it's own backside, a 2 carriage pacer would have struggled on the route on a Saturday (a 150 was often cosy).

I would agree - and why would preserved railways want one with those awful ironing-board seats with no padding, and a complicated swing-door bog to maintain?

I agree. The trad ones are a lot nicer generally and less teccy. I'd go for one of those.

 

[507021]

Scrap it, as like all other Pacers it's utterly dreadful and should have been scrapped ten years ago.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree. The trad ones are a lot nicer generally and less teccy. I'd go for one of those.

You also need things a bit retro. I would pay to go and ride an original style Pacer (brown seats and orange end panels too, ideally) - even more to drive one and I probably will do that at some point - but not one that has the interior of a Thameslink EMU. Preserved lines running public services just as transport don't work - loads have tried it and failed e.g. Wensleydale - it only works with subsidy which is why they closed in the first place - if they were viable they'd be open and run by a TOC.

 

[yorksrob]

You also need things a bit retro. I would pay to go and ride an original style Pacer (brown seats and orange end panels too, ideally) - even more to drive one and I probably will do that at some point - but not one that has the interior of a Thameslink EMU. Preserved lines running public services just as transport don't work - loads have tried it and failed e.g. Wensleydale - it only works with subsidy which is why they closed in the first place - if they were viable they'd be open and run by a TOC.

I agree - to get the nostalgia effect, you need a design that has been reasonably widespread and in use. Having commuted on 144's for well over ten years, I will undoubtedly be looking to travel on the more familiar varieties in the future.

 

[randyrippley]

I would agree - and why would preserved railways want one with those awful ironing-board seats with no padding, and a complicated swing-door bog to maintain?

I really can't see any logic in all these arguments for using it somewhere as a one-off. What would be the point? It's been tarted up a bit but is still a decrepit Pacer, as a one-off there would be nothing the same to cover when it was unavailable, it would require specific crew training, and it would probably have to make long ECS movements for depot work - e.g. where would it go from Lancaster? Leeds? Allerton? Newton Heath? None of them are exactly nearby!

Carnforth!
As a one-off piece of scrapworthy junk it would fit in well