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Northern class 142 & 153's.

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Hello all.

I appreciate that the thought of riding on a class 142 fills most people with a sense of despair. However, love them or hate them, they have been the saviour of many a branch line etc. As the new Northern franchise is planning to replace these units soon, I was thinking it's best to get some rides under my belt. To that end I am looking for some help and advice. Simply, where or which services are going to produce class 142 or 153 units please? Especially the 153's as I always seem to get them wrong. So any help will be very useful.

Kind regards.

QS.
 
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Urban-Savage

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Just let your tyres down on your car n hit a few speed bumps.... You will get the desired effect.... Oh n turn the heating up to full in summer and off in winter = perfect pacer experience
 

Iskra

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142's appear at virtually every major station served by Northern.

153's are most often found on the Cumbrian Coast or strengthening some services out of Leeds such as on the; Harrogate line, Settle-Carlisle, Leeds-Morecambe line, Leeds-Manchester Victoria.
 

Tracked

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Not sure where you are in the country, round here it seems to be:

142's - Sheffield & Doncaster
153's - Lincoln, EMT seem to run a few around here
 

Blyth Power

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We get 153s regularly round the Harrogate loop in formations with 155s. Most of the Huddersfield - Wigan services are 142s whenever I catch them.
I don't understand what the problem is with pacers - never found them uncomfortable and they seem to have performed well enough iver the years. The 142s are among the last trains on the system with any character too...
 

Bungle965

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We get 153s regularly round the Harrogate loop in formations with 155s. Most of the Huddersfield - Wigan services are 142s whenever I catch them.
I don't understand what the problem is with pacers - never found them uncomfortable and they seem to have performed well enough iver the years. The 142s are among the last trains on the system with any character too...

Have you ever sat in a ex merseyrail one for over 10 minuites, they are horrible. Also having one go round a tight curve, is one of the worst sounds you will ever hear, not to mention they are not the safest of units on the network.
Sam
 
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Aws87024

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Preston to Ormskirk is normally either a 142 or a 153 so you could end up with a nice surprise there.
 

GrimsbyPacer

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Cleethorpes to Barton is always a 153.
Brigg Line uses 153s and Pacers (can't say for certain which type will show up).
EMT Newark Northgate to Grimsby Town (Mon-Fri) is a 153 also.
Welcome to the forum Quantumspotter!
 
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beermaddavep

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Saltburn to Bishop Auckland is solid 142, including the Peak turns that run along the ECML to Newcastle.
The Durham coast line is about 70% 142 and Tyne valley line sees a mix of 142 and 156
 

cactustwirly

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Knottingley Circular (literally anything can turn up on this!)
Wakefield/Leeds - Huddersfield
Harrogate Loop
 
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Darandio

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Saltburn to Bishop Auckland is solid 142,

Not quite solid.

A 156 is often on at least one daily diagram, in the past it would generally be on a Bishop Auckland service. Earlier in the month there were three running around but all were Darlington terminators.
 

pemma

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If you're around Manchester in the evening peak you could try

16:58 Piccadilly to Stockport
17:19 Stockport to Cuddington
18:24 Cuddington to Piccadilly

That'll give you 3 booked Pacer journeys with a 5-10 minute break between journeys and a total of 65 miles travel.
 

hairyhandedfool

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A 153 runs on the Manchester Victoria-Clithoroe line with a 150 (though maybe not this week).
 

pemma

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The tight curve at the junction near to Navigation Road station is indeed one that suffers from Pacer screech syndrome.

And it's usually worst going towards Altrincham than away from Altrincham. Even the 150s squeal on that bend, while the 142 squeal is deafening if the windows are open!
 

Parallel

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Just out of interest, which lines do Northern's 144s often work? Thanks!
 

northernchris

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Just out of interest, which lines do Northern's 144s often work? Thanks!

Sheffield-Huddersfield
Sheffield-Lincoln/Adwick/Scunthorpe
Sheffield-Castleford-Leeds
Sheffield-Moorthorpe-Leeds
Leeds-Knottingley
Selby-Huddersfield
Leeds-Huddersfield
 
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LIV-MAN via WAC can be 142s, I'll send 185143 a link to this because he'll be able to get you more info on that line! 153s you want to just go to LDS and see when/where one pops up, it's inevitable!
 

simon7929

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Not quite solid.

A 156 is often on at least one daily diagram, in the past it would generally be on a Bishop Auckland service. Earlier in the month there were three running around but all were Darlington terminators.

All booked 142 during the day but a 156 can be used and often is. The 0624 SLB to NCL is the only diagram that is booked a 156 as it's usually the set from the Whitby diagram the previous day returning to Heaton for fuel/exam etc.
 

Darren R

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A 153 runs on the Manchester Victoria-Clitheroe line with a 150 (though maybe not this week).

As you say, not this week because of the engineering works at Manchester Victoria, but normally two of the three weekday diagrams have a class 153 added for strengthening on Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe services. As a bonus (is that really the word? :lol:), at Blackburn you could change on to a Colne to Blackpool South service; usually the exclusive preserve of Pacers Mondays to Fridays.
 

DarloRich

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If you want top flight pacer action base yourself in Leeds or Manchester


Saltburn to Bishop Auckland is solid 142, including the Peak turns that run along the ECML to Newcastle.
The Durham coast line is about 70% 142 and Tyne valley line sees a mix of 142 and 156

do they not run 156's down there? The last time i went to a home match ( in Bishop) it was a 156
 

theblackwatch

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The Harrogate line workings are generally on the Leeds-Knaresborough services - there are two diagrams on these services, both of which are booked for a 155+153 combo, although I have occasionally seen 3x153s on these services.
 

pemma

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If you're around Manchester in the evening peak you could try

16:58 Piccadilly to Stockport
17:19 Stockport to Cuddington
18:24 Cuddington to Piccadilly

That'll give you 3 booked Pacer journeys with a 5-10 minute break between journeys and a total of 65 miles travel.

Forgot to say doing the Piccadilly-Altrincham part of the Mid-Cheshire line lets you experience a Pacer travelling at 75mph - something for adventurous travellers!
 

43074

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The 13:16 Leeds - Morecambe was 3x153s when I last used it, not sure if that's diagrammed or otherwise?
 

TheKnightWho

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Saltburn to Bishop Auckland is solid 142, including the Peak turns that run along the ECML to Newcastle.
The Durham coast line is about 70% 142 and Tyne valley line sees a mix of 142 and 156

Tyne Valley is about 3/4 Pacer in my experience, although they tend to opt for 156s in the peaks. Pacers are more common on the Durham Coast-Hexham services than the Newcastle-Carlisle ones, too. The Scotrail services are, of course, 156s, but there are only 3 a day each way.
 

Mordac

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Forgot to say doing the Piccadilly-Altrincham part of the Mid-Cheshire line lets you experience a Pacer travelling at 75mph - something for adventurous travellers!

You can get that on the Leeds to Lancaster/Morecambe too, in the Carnforth to Lancaster section. Just be glad they're not doing the 110 line speed. :D
 
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