Rare visits by Pacers

TB · 5 Jul 2018

Obviously places like Leeds, Manchester and Cardiff are hotspots of Pacer activity, but i'm wondering if there are any places where pacers have been despite not usually being allocated or diagrammed to do so?

For example, did First North Western ever send a 142 on the North Wales coast or down the Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog branch?

I remember hearing a 144 once made it to Skegness, which sounds unlikely given it's usual stomping ground of West and South Yorkshire, but could it be true and are there any more odd examples of Pacers visiting somewhere new?

RailUK Forums

sprinterguy · 5 Jul 2018

Definitely been to Holyhead and Llandudno: Here's a photo of 142041 at Bodorgan in 1986:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3267605

And at Llandudno:
http://www.6g.nwrail.org.uk/batcheight0007.jpg

In passenger service you can also include Edinburgh - Bathgate during 1986, and a class 141 (108) and 142 (076) also made their way to an open day at Inverness depot in their early days.

Fisherman80 · 5 Jul 2018

I used to travel on a 144/142 either as a single unit or in multiple with a 156 in the mid 90s over the Settle to Carlisle.

Also during the same period when using a day rover in West Yorkshire, a class 142 was a regular on the Wakefield-Manchester-Llandudno/Bangor/Holyhead route.

61653 HTAFC · 5 Jul 2018

Fisherman80 said:
I used to travel on a 144/142 either as a single unit or in multiple with a 156 in the mid 90s over the Settle to Carlisle.

Also during the same period when using a day rover in West Yorkshire, a class 142 was a regular on the Wakefield-Manchester-Llandudno/Bangor/Holyhead route.

The old Wakey to Llandudno service was usually a 156 or a 150/1 (which were rare in WY at the time, but 142s weren't uncommon. It threw out a 101 from time to time, even after privatisation.

The 140 travelled all over the country when on trial, I've seen photos of it on the HOWL which isn't exactly a pacer hotbed (perhaps surprisingly).

pemma · 5 Jul 2018

There were photos on the web of a Merseytravel 142 at Holyhead showing Manchester Airport on the destination display and a 144 at Stockport showing Cleethorpes on the destination display. I'm not sure if they can still be found or not.

pdeaves · 5 Jul 2018

Not a 'one off', but for a short time pacers were allocated to Cornish branches. Very occasionally they reach Penzance (I'm pretty sure I read that on this forum, no less).

DaiGog · 5 Jul 2018

When they were first introduced, 142s worked the Blaenau branch. It didn't last long owing to squealing wheels. They were regular performers on the coast from new until the 175s arrived.

I saw a 141 on the blocks at Manchester Piccadilly once, having escaped on a Trans Pennine service.

When FGW had 142s, they would occasionally deputise for a shortage of HSTs for part of the route - the most 'outrageous' occasion being when 142001 made it from Paignton to Swindon one day in 2010/2011, with a 150/1 for company, on the 0828 PGN-PAD. It was terminated there and sent back west empty.

Fisherman80 · 5 Jul 2018

61653 HTAFC said:
The old Wakey to Llandudno service was usually a 156 or a 150/1 (which were rare in WY at the time, but 142s weren't uncommon. It threw out a 101 from time to time, even after privatisation.

The 140 travelled all over the country when on trial, I've seen photos of it on the HOWL which isn't exactly a pacer hotbed (perhaps surprisingly).

I do not think I ever witnessed a 156 travelling on that route.
I used to get on the Wakefield-Manchester-Llandudno/Bangor/Holyhead regularly from Wakefield Westgate to Huddersfield and it was usually a toss up between a 142/150.

Could always tell it was a Newton Heath unit by the Network Northwest stickers or in the case of the 150/2 Network Northwest livery.

shredder1 · 5 Jul 2018

pdeaves said:
Not a 'one off', but for a short time pacers were allocated to Cornish branches. Very occasionally they reach Penzance (I'm pretty sure I read that on this forum, no less).

They were in a Brown and Cream livery when new and called "Skippers", they soon got rid of them.

61653 HTAFC · 5 Jul 2018

Fisherman80 said:
I do not think I ever witnessed a 156 travelling on that route.
I used to get on the Wakefield-Manchester-Llandudno/Bangor/Holyhead regularly from Wakefield Westgate to Huddersfield and it was usually a toss up between a 142/150.

Could always tell it was a Newton Heath unit by the Network Northwest stickers or in the case of the 150/2 Network Northwest livery.

They were semi-regular in the early 1990s but did become less common. 150/1s in the first provincial livery were quite common too, which reminded me of a childhood holiday on the Cambrian coast!

Since the dreaded new timetable, Pacers are once again regulars all day on the Leeds-Southport via Brighouse service, often in 4-car formations. Saw a 156 on that service the other day, once a rarity East of Huddersfield.

By the way, when you say Network Northwest livery, which livery do you mean? I always thought it was never any more than a logo which was stuck on the existing liveries of whichever unit.

158722 · 5 Jul 2018

I know of at least one occasion when the first Newcastle to Edinburgh working of the day (0630ish) was worked by a 143 vice HST or 91. A friend of mine had the 'pleasure' of T&W PTE yellow liveried 143025 all the way on this working one day... Whilst not the only time a 143 worked out of Edinburgh, the section between Berwick and Waverley is very rare track for them.

sprinterguy · 5 Jul 2018

61653 HTAFC said:
By the way, when you say Network Northwest livery, which livery do you mean? I always thought it was never any more than a logo which was stuck on the existing liveries of whichever unit.

The light blue stripe on the Provincial Sprinter livery was replaced by a red (at vehicle ends)/dark grey one on Newton Heath based 150/2s.

There's a few photos on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johannes-j-smit/3185004736
https://www.flickr.com/photos/66289212@N07/21723172202

61653 HTAFC · 5 Jul 2018

sprinterguy said:
The light blue stripe on the Provincial Sprinter livery was replaced by a red (at vehicle ends)/dark grey one on Newton Heath based 150/2s.

There's a few photos on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johannes-j-smit/3185004736
https://www.flickr.com/photos/66289212@N07/21723172202

Thanks, I'd completely forgotten about that variation. Probably because it wasn't widespread and so was relatively rare in West Yorkshire. Imagine if the NNW branding had been as widespread as NSE... there'd still be platform furniture and signage all over the north west!

sprinterguy · 5 Jul 2018

61653 HTAFC said:
Thanks, I'd completely forgotten about that variation. Probably because it wasn't widespread and so was relatively rare in West Yorkshire. Imagine if the NNW branding had been as widespread as NSE... there'd still be platform furniture and signage all over the north west!

The Network Northwest brand did seem to be very low key and short-lived, especially compared to the huge impact and longevity of its NSE counterpart. Though partial or faded branding was still evident in the odd location at least as recently as 2013:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_NorthWest#/media/File:Levenshulme_railway_station_(7).JPG

158722 said:
I know of at least one occasion when the first Newcastle to Edinburgh working of the day (0630ish) was worked by a 143 vice HST or 91. A friend of mine had the 'pleasure' of T&W PTE yellow liveried 143025 all the way on this working one day... Whilst not the only time a 143 worked out of Edinburgh, the section between Berwick and Waverley is very rare track for them.

Christ, that's some step down in comfort from an HST or 225: Bus bench seats and draughty doors all the way from Newcastle to Edinburgh.

I would imagine that journey times would be somewhat extended, too!

Fisherman80 · 5 Jul 2018

I wonder how often people travelled from Wakefield to North Wales on a Pacer!

61653 HTAFC · 5 Jul 2018

Fisherman80 said:
I wonder how often people travelled from Wakefield to North Wales on a Pacer!

Never quite managed that, but did do Mirfield (service from Wakefield) to Llandudno Junction on a 101.

Bringback309s · 5 Jul 2018

Back in the mid nineties, a late evening Regional Railways service operated from Cardiff to Paddington generally using class 158's. I went on it and in a post I put on here about it, someone commented it was once operated by a pacer!

PHILIPE · 5 Jul 2018

pdeaves said:
Not a 'one off', but for a short time pacers were allocated to Cornish branches. Very occasionally they reach Penzance (I'm pretty sure I read that on this forum, no less).

There was a small fleet of 142s allocated to the West of England Branches for a short spell during the mid 80s just after being built. They used to squeal to high hell with the wheel flanges going round the curves, of which there are plenty on the Branches in that part of the country, until they were withdrawn from the area being deemed unsuitable. They were known as "Skippers".

SteveyBee131 · 5 Jul 2018

RailCam's Kirkby Stephen camera caught 144010 in service on the S&C this Monday (2 July)

Bertie the bus · 5 Jul 2018

Probably the rarest Pacer working I travelled on was in BR days. There used to be a late night Crewe - Blackpool North service until the late 80s/early 90s which was usually electric hauled Mk Is, but just prior to it being discontinued I had a 142 on it. Pacers are or have been common at Crewe, Warrington, Wigan and Preston but certainly not on WCML services.

Maude673 · 5 Jul 2018

I remember getting them regularly from Dumfries to Carlisle and sometimes all the way through to Newcastle in the very early 90s (1990-92) when I was a small child. Not sure where they came from, Stranraer or Glasgow or if it was a service that started in Dumfries?

Rob F · 5 Jul 2018

Has one ever visited Nottingham?

John C · 5 Jul 2018

142/144’s were regular on the Hull-Bridlington-Scarborough route. I think today 142/144’s still appear on this route but generally as far as Beverley and occasionally Bridlington.

WillPS · 5 Jul 2018

Rob F said:
Has one ever visited Nottingham?

They haven't been cleared south of Chesterfield.

Fisherman80 · 5 Jul 2018

Did any Class 141s travel on the Calder Valley line?
I started my rail roving days at a very early age in 1990 and can only ever remember traveling from my local station at Bradford Interchange to Leeds once.

Parallel · 5 Jul 2018

I travelled on the FO 15.20 Westbury - Exeter last year which threw up a Pacer. It is super rare these days for a Pacer to get to Somerset, let alone Wiltshire. They have been there before though when they were Bristol based.

Occasionally, Pacers make it up the HOWL as far as the crossover point (either Llandrindod or Llanwrtyd) and then sent back down south.

I also read on here that one made it to Church Stretton in the middle of a 6 car formation after some kind of event at Cardiff on a very late evening service.

Ianno87 · 5 Jul 2018

I recall being told a couple of years back of a 142 passing by Finsbury Park... ECS from Bristol area to Yorkshire, unable to travel the direct route due to a blockade of Bromsgrove.

43096 · 5 Jul 2018

PHILIPE said:
There was a small fleet of 142s allocated to the West of England Branches for a short spell during the mid 80s just after being built. They used to squeal to high hell with the wheel flanges going round the curves, of which there are plenty on the Branches in that part of the country, until they were withdrawn from the area being deemed unsuitable. They were known as "Skippers".

Unofficially known as “Slippers” for their inability to stop reliably. Units 142015-027 were those involved, I think.

Ianno87 · 5 Jul 2018

43096 said:
Unofficially known as “Slippers” for their inability to stop reliably. Units 142015-027 were those involved, I think.

Skippers

TEW · 5 Jul 2018

John C said:
142/144’s were regular on the Hull-Bridlington-Scarborough route. I think today 142/144’s still appear on this route but generally as far as Beverley and occasionally Bridlington.

Since the May timetable change there is now booked work for Pacers through to Bridlington.

Rare visits by Pacers

Member

RailUK Forums

Established Member

Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

On Moderation

Veteran Member

Established Member