At some time. I think that Pacers operated on all services currently operated by Northern Trains.Is there a list / does anybody know all lines pacers regularly ran on whilst in service? I can't find a list elsewhere.
Thank you.
Thank you. Any idea if they ever did any current EMR services, and which Welsh Valleys, Devon, Cornwall, (Bristol?) lines they ran on?At some time. I think that Pacers operated on all services currently operated by Northern Trains.
(Not sure about Windermere - never saw one there myself.)
They also worked North Wales Coast to Holyhead & Llandudno, plus Bidston to Wrexham Central.
143’s worked Oxenhome to Windermere shuttles in the early days when they were based at Heaton. They also worked Edinburgh to Bathgate when it first re-opened.(Not sure about Windermere - never saw one there myself.)
I saw NL based 142’s and 144’s on Peterborough - Lincoln - Doncaster services in the early 90’s.Thank you. Any idea if they ever did any current EMR services, and which Welsh Valleys, Devon, Cornwall, (Bristol?) lines they ran on?
They were working the Cardiff Valleys, Barry Island when I was on holiday in that area in about 1999/2000. Ebbw Vale was still a dream at that time.Thank you. Any idea if they ever did any current EMR services, and which Welsh Valleys, Devon, Cornwall, (Bristol?) lines they ran on?
Pretty sure I’ve seen one as far west as Fishguard- must’ve been an interesting ride for the puntersThey were working the Cardiff Valleys, Barry Island when I was on holiday in that area in about 1999/2000. Ebbw Vale was still a dream at that time.
They have semi regularly worked up the S&C. In the early days in the height of summer a 3 car 144 would be attached to the 156 on a morning down working, would stay over at Carlisle for a few hours before attaching to a busy up working later. They were sporadic on the route since that time up to withdrawal.As far as South Wales goes it's easier to say where they didn't go. I believe they were kept off the Heart of Wales line, even though, conceptually at least, it was one of the routes for which they were originally intended and Abergavenny was the usual limit on the Marches route. But they got everywhere else. They even had a round trip Cardiff-Exeter and return for a while.
When new a batch was painted in a GW style livery and based at Laira to work the Cornish branches for which they were officially nicknamed "Skippers"; the severe curvature on the Gunnislake branch and especially the Looe branch soon saw them sent away never to be seen in Cornwall again! But in Devon they were eventually very much a mainstay of the Devon Metro routes from Exeter to Barnstaple/Exmouth/Paignton with occasional use on Axminster workings. At one point there was also a stock interchange working between Exeter and Westbury via Taunton.
Around Bristol they were regulars on the Severn Beach line as well as the stoppers south to Taunton and north to Gloucester. Trips to Westbury were far from unknown and they were common for a while on Swindon-Melksham-Westbury and on the Stroud Valley line. I suspect they may have occasionally made it to Warminster too.
The comment upthread about complete coverage of Northern's network is not quite right. Concerns about their ability to stop on long downhill stretches in leaf-fall season led to them being kept off the Buxton line and for a long time there was a definite preference to keep them away from Clitheroe too. Not sure they worked on the S&C either apart from the evening Leeds-Ribblehead-Skipton turn which was a solid 144 turn at one point. And of course prior to Leeds North electrification they worked those services too.
They occasionally got to Llanwrtyd / Llandrindod from the south but were always swapped to return on the Swansea-bound train as Arriva / TfW crews in the north didn’t sign them and they were barred from Shrewsbury in passenger service (treated as on-track plant on the rare occasions they ran through there ECS).As far as South Wales goes it's easier to say where they didn't go. I believe they were kept off the Heart of Wales line, even though, conceptually at least, it was one of the routes for which they were originally intended and Abergavenny was the usual limit on the Marches route. But they got everywhere else. They even had a round trip Cardiff-Exeter and return for a while.
When new a batch was painted in a GW style livery and based at Laira to work the Cornish branches for which they were officially nicknamed "Skippers"; the severe curvature on the Gunnislake branch and especially the Looe branch soon saw them sent away never to be seen in Cornwall again! But in Devon they were eventually very much a mainstay of the Devon Metro routes from Exeter to Barnstaple/Exmouth/Paignton with occasional use on Axminster workings. At one point there was also a stock interchange working between Exeter and Westbury via Taunton.
Around Bristol they were regulars on the Severn Beach line as well as the stoppers south to Taunton and north to Gloucester. Trips to Westbury were far from unknown and they were common for a while on Swindon-Melksham-Westbury and on the Stroud Valley line. I suspect they may have occasionally made it to Warminster too.
The comment upthread about complete coverage of Northern's network is not quite right. Concerns about their ability to stop on long downhill stretches in leaf-fall season led to them being kept off the Buxton line and for a long time there was a definite preference to keep them away from Clitheroe too. Not sure they worked on the S&C either apart from the evening Leeds-Ribblehead-Skipton turn which was a solid 144 turn at one point. And of course prior to Leeds North electrification they worked those services too.
Chesterfield was the furthest they could go south. Before the Leeds - Nottingham service started pacers were booked to work the Sheffield - Chesterfield service alongside 153’s.Also Pacers didn't go south of Sheffield (Dore to be pedantic) iirc, I never saw one on a Nottingham, not sure if they were cleared for that route.
ATW and later TFW pacers could regularly be found on the following welsh services, in my experience,Is there a list / does anybody know all lines pacers regularly ran on whilst in service? I can't find a list elsewhere.
Thank you.
Never North Wales after ATW came into being - only those that ended their lives with Northern went to North Wales under FNW. Theres a picture out there from 2003 with a 142 substituting for a 175 on a Manchester - Llandudno at Manchester Oxford Road.ATW and later TFW pacers could regularly be found on the following welsh services, in my experience,
*cardiff / Swansea / Carmarthen - Fishguard and Pembroke Dock
* south wales valleys lines.
*Maesteg, Ebbw Vale and Cheltenham routes.
*Vale of Glamorgan.
I'm sure other posters could enlighten the North of Wales.
They also worked Edinburgh to Bathgate when it first re-opened
Many thanks, too young to remember pre atw days so just speaking on what I know.Never North Wales after ATW came into being - only those that ended their lives with Northern went to North Wales under FNW. Theres a picture out there from 2003 with a 142 substituting for a 175 on a Manchester - Llandudno at Manchester Oxford Road.
Yes fairly certain that HT 142’s made it to Dumfries vice a 156.I'm 99.9% sure that I've seen a photo of one at Dumfries, presumably on one of the old Northern-crewed services from Carlisle
They certainly went to Clitheroe later on.When I was creating unit diagrams for Northern in 2007/8, Pacers were barred from the Buxton line beyond Hazel Grove and north of Blackburn to Clitheroe. Whether they had ever operated on those lines I couldn't really say.
Was that always the case? My recollection is that the first time I ever saw a Pacer (or at least the first time close to) was at Shrewsbury in summer 1986. I can't remember whether it was in service, or if so where it was going.they were barred from Shrewsbury in passenger service (treated as on-track plant on the rare occasions they ran through there ECS).
I did, c 1987(Not sure about Windermere - never saw one there myself.)
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When new a batch was painted in a GW style livery and based at Laira to work the Cornish branches for which they were officially nicknamed "Skippers"; the severe curvature on the Gunnislake branch and especially the Looe branch soon saw them sent away never to be seen in Cornwall again! But in Devon they were eventually very much a mainstay of the Devon Metro routes from Exeter to Barnstaple/Exmouth/Paignton with occasional use on Axminster workings. At one point there was also a stock interchange working between Exeter and Westbury via Taunton.
Around Bristol they were regulars on the Severn Beach line as well as the stoppers south to Taunton and north to Gloucester. Trips to Westbury were far from unknown and they were common for a while on Swindon-Melksham-Westbury and on the Stroud Valley line. I suspect they may have occasionally made it to Warminster too.
I had a 3-car back around 1991 on the seasonal extra which morphed into the 9.49 - the family were not impressed (though the view was good, and we did have a through train Cononley-Appleby).They have semi regularly worked up the S&C. In the early days in the height of summer a 3 car 144 would be attached to the 156 on a morning down working, would stay over at Carlisle for a few hours before attaching to a busy up working later. They were sporadic on the route since that time up to withdrawal.
Don't know, but almost certainly yes.Did they ever do Northern's limited service via Durham and Chester-le-Street,
That would be surprising as RRNW and its heirs and successors didn’t run over Shap AFAIK.and did they ever serve Penrith in passenger service?
There is a previous thread about one making it to Paddington once as a last minute replacement for a failed 158As theyw ere only used by Regional Railways, they never got very close to London. Lincoln (on the route from Sheffield) was probably the closest. And although the 143s were Scottish bodies on Scottish frames (Alexander/Barclay respectively) none ever worked north of the Border.
Didn't they operate some early services to Bathgate?And although the 143s were Scottish bodies on Scottish frames (Alexander/Barclay respectively) none ever worked north of the Border.
As theyw ere only used by Regional Railways, they never got very close to London. Lincoln (on the route from Sheffield) was probably the closest.
I think Swindon must be the nearest to London they got on regular workings -- 77 1/4 miles, which is the equivalent of only just past Peterborough on the ECML.they were common for a while on Swindon-Melksham-Westbury and on the Stroud Valley line
I did Leeds-Carlisle on one in 1998 IIRC. I still have a couple of loose fillings.....Not sure they worked on the S&C either apart from the evening Leeds-Ribblehead-Skipton turn which was a solid 144 turn at one point. And of course prior to Leeds North electrification they worked those services too.