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Pacer 142001 - gone to Nat. rail museum; number query

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Howardh

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https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/ab...dfOmn-NChCyCK09KPxxZ3wEY--ZGjM8t3QWU00dYoJyM4

  • Pacer No. 142001 donated by Angel Trains and Northern
  • Unit to go on display at Locomotion in Shildon, County Durham
With its distinctive flat front, bus seating and functional design, the diesel 'Pacer' train may seem an unlikely candidate for museum preservation. However, Pacer No. 142001 will now join the National Railway Museum’s collection as an example of recent railway history.

I don't follow train/unit numbers, but this looks significant. the 141's would have been earlier so it's not the first ever pacer, so why this number - were there simply 1000 141's? Thanks!!
 
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Howardh

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The 142 is a different type of pacer, and probably the one that most people are familiar with.
Thanks. What's the difference that ordinary pax (like myself) would notice, or is it engine/chassis etc?
Also - are any of the 141's likely to be or are already preserved?
 

Darandio

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Thanks. What's the difference that ordinary pax (like myself) would notice, or is it engine/chassis etc?
Also - are any of the 141's likely to be or are already preserved?

The Class 141 hasn't been in service here for over 20 years. Two were preserved, a number were scrapped and many were sent to Iran.
 

superalbs

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Thanks. What's the difference that ordinary pax (like myself) would notice, or is it engine/chassis etc?
Also - are any of the 141's likely to be or are already preserved?
A few 141s are preserved, but then again, these left service in the mid-noughties.
 

driver9000

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141s were withdrawn from UK service in 1997.

The 141 is narrow bodied (8ft 2in) with a single four leaf passenger door in the centre of the vehicle. A 142 is 9ft 2in wide in comparison.
 

Howardh

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141s were withdrawn from UK service in 1997.

The 141 is narrow bodied (8ft 2in) with a single four leaf passenger door in the centre of the vehicle. A 142 is 9ft 2in wide in comparison.
Never knew that! Thought all main-line/heavy rail trains were roughly the same width (Pendolino's appear narrower...) so I'm surprised a large number at the time were a foot narrower.
 

Darandio

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Never knew that! Thought all main-line/heavy rail trains were roughly the same width (Pendolino's appear narrower...) so I'm surprised a large number at the time were a foot narrower.

Not really a large number, there were only 20. These comparison shots give an indication as to why the body was narrower than what would normally be seen and what they wanted to achieve for lower cost.

1280px-Midland_Red_West_buses_1206_%28A206_YWP%29_%26_1205_%28A205_YWP%29%2C_19_March_1988.jpg


BR_class_141_Pacer_141_113.jpg
 

61653 HTAFC

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141s also had a far more limited operating area so whilst they were technically the first production Pacers*, unless you lived within 30-or-so miles of Leeds you'd rarely see them working. 142s are far more familiar to more people, so a better representation for the National Collection.

*= the name "Pacer" only came along with the 142s but was then used for all the 1980s railbuses.
 

Darandio

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141s also had a far more limited operating area so whilst they were technically the first production Pacers*, unless you lived within 30-or-so miles of Leeds you'd rarely see them working. 142s are far more familiar to more people, so a better representation for the National Collection.

*= the name "Pacer" only came along with the 142s but was then used for all the 1980s railbuses.

Indeed, although they did turn up on some completely inappropriate services, Darlington to York being one. That was the first and last time I had the pleasure of travelling on one, it left an impression......
 

Howardh

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141s also had a far more limited operating area so whilst they were technically the first production Pacers*, unless you lived within 30-or-so miles of Leeds you'd rarely see them working. 142s are far more familiar to more people, so a better representation for the National Collection.
.
That explains why they were unfamiliar to me in Gtr. Manchester but may have seen them between Huddersfield and Leeds?
 

61653 HTAFC

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Indeed, although they did turn up on some completely inappropriate services, Darlington to York being one. That was the first and last time I had the pleasure of travelling on one, it left an impression......
I started a thread a couple of years ago in the History and Nostalgia section, asking how far from West Yorkshire (within the UK) they got in passenger service. The most likely answer to that question was Blackpool North or Morecambe IIRC.
 

61653 HTAFC

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That explains why they were unfamiliar to me in Gtr. Manchester but may have seen them between Huddersfield and Leeds?
They were regularly on Huddersfield to Leeds/Wakefield/Sheffield/Marsden (fewer stoppers ran under the Pennines in those days) but rarely ran through Standedge. Once they'd had the facelifts they could multiple with other Pacers and Sprinters, so were more likely to show up at Manchester Victoria but generally only on Calder Valley services.
 

Merle Haggard

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The original series (?140's) which were used in Cornwall were launched as 'Skippers'; I'm not sure whether this name only applied to the Cornish ones, or even whether there were any of the same type that went elsewhere - can anyone comment? It doesn't seem very long ago, surprising how much you forget.
As an aside, I visited (for other purposes) the genial 'Sandy' Eplett, then recently re-titled from 'Area Manager, Truro' to 'General Manager, Cornish Railways' just before the 'Skipper' launch, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for them, in particular how small the maintenance cover would need to be (1 unit out of 20) and how intensively they could be worked, compared to the Pressed Steel 3 car sets they would replace. Knowing a little about the (un)reliability of Leyland National buses, I did have my doubts at the time, but the view seemed to be that automotive-based engineering was so much better than stick-in-the mud BR's.
 

JonathanH

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The original series (?140's) which were used in Cornwall were launched as 'Skippers'; I'm not sure whether this name only applied to the Cornish ones, or even whether there were any of the same type that went elsewhere - can anyone comment? It doesn't seem very long ago, surprising how much you forget.

They were just standard 142s - 142015-142027 which were reallocated to the North East when it was found they weren't suitable for the West Country routes.

eg https://www.flickr.com/photos/martynhilbert/31759741503
 

WesternLancer

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The original series (?140's) which were used in Cornwall were launched as 'Skippers'; I'm not sure whether this name only applied to the Cornish ones, or even whether there were any of the same type that went elsewhere - can anyone comment? It doesn't seem very long ago, surprising how much you forget.
As an aside, I visited (for other purposes) the genial 'Sandy' Eplett, then recently re-titled from 'Area Manager, Truro' to 'General Manager, Cornish Railways' just before the 'Skipper' launch, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for them, in particular how small the maintenance cover would need to be (1 unit out of 20) and how intensively they could be worked, compared to the Pressed Steel 3 car sets they would replace. Knowing a little about the (un)reliability of Leyland National buses, I did have my doubts at the time, but the view seemed to be that automotive-based engineering was so much better than stick-in-the mud BR's.
IIRC they did turn out unreliable due to wheel wear on the branch line curves as a result of them being non bogied. I think that is what I read at the time.
 

WesternLancer

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Never knew that! Thought all main-line/heavy rail trains were roughly the same width (Pendolino's appear narrower...) so I'm surprised a large number at the time were a foot narrower.
You might find having a look at SR 'restriction 0' loading gauge width of interest on that front - for the Hastings Line.
 

86247

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The very first time I went to man Vic I saw a 141, really odd looking thing must have been late 87. It was in Verona green and cream, nice looking livery, it was the same colour as west Yorkshire buses.
 

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