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Northern coupling 158s and 153s
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Bevan Price
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There used to be 143s at Newcastle, but they moved to the South West & South Wales before (or soon after) the "great sell-off" by John Major.
anamyd
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yes, good information
FrodshamJnct
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TfW regularly run a 150 with a 158 between Holyhead/Chester and Manchester.
PHILIPE
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Nothing unusual with that formation. GWR run a 158 and 150 from Penzance to Exeter
FrodshamJnct
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Yep, common sight. And I’ve definitely overheard people referring to the 150s as Pacers so they’re in for a shock!
anamyd
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All network Pacers had the entry/exit seperator bar removed and a wheelchair space added in the 90s, once the engines, transmissions and doors had been changed. 144012 is the only RVAR/PRM-TSI compliant Pacer. It was deemed uneconomical to modify any others, which is why they're going in 2020.
Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations
Persons with Reduced Mobility - Technical Specifications for Interoperability
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Class455
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I saw a 158 + 153 combo at Leeds on Friday afternoon
hexagon789
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I can understand them not progressing with it, can't be cheap and of all the units you could make properly accessible a Pacer is likely one of the most awkward.
Whistler40145
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In recent years, the Blackpool North to Carlisle DalesRail Summer Sunday service has been a 153+2 Car 158, no idea why a 3 car 158 was never allocated
PHILIPE
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Is there one available within the diagrams ? 158+153 Combos are used on the Normal S & C services so no different
anamyd
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Pacer+170 formations can run ECS only, I think due to some electrical incompatibilities.
Pacer+158 or 150/153+170 formations are the furthest apart that can run in passenger service
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hexagon789
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You can couple a Pacer to a Sprinter and a Sprinter to a 170, so why not a 170 to a Pacer?
anamyd
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It's some electrical wiring incompatibility in the couplers apparently - hopefully someone who knows exactly what it is sees this! Again it only prevents such formations working passenger services; they can still do ECS runs.
anamyd
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Northern coupled a 142 to a 158 for passenger service without a problem! And I forgot about 159s, so read 158 as 158/159 (though I don't believe Pacer/159 multiple working is very realistic due to their areas)
used to be a Paignton -Waterloo working- plenty of pacers west of Exeter. Werent they called Skippers in the far SW?
anamyd
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I believe so. GWR have 8 143s, I was thinking that actually.
hexagon789
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I just wonder how such an incompatibility can only effect Pacers+170s and not Pacers+Sprinters or Sprinters+170s. Just seems strange somehow.
anamyd
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I get what you're saying, but I just don't know the exact reason!
hexagon789
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I appreciate that; but I'd love to know if someone else knows.
anamyd
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likewise
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
I seem to recall a 142 spare in Huddersfield sidings was used to drag a TPE 170 which had been involved in a fatality at Deighton, would have been around 2008/2009.
anamyd
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totally doable on things like that
Edit: the 142 dragged the 170?! 
I acknowledge it was a fatality 
61653 HTAFC
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A particularly sad story that one (not that they aren't all sad, of course), as IIRC it was a woman suffering from post-natal depression.totally doable on things like that
Can totally understand the TPE driver not wanting to move the unit to the sidings themselves under those circumstances, though there may have been a mechanical issue as well.
RealTrains07
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What i find fascinating about 153s at northern is their being joined up for what looks like every service as the new 153 livery spreads across 2 units.
Is their a need for a 158 coupling?
Is their a need for a 158 coupling?
themiller
Member
Just found this photo which is from a degraded slide. The date is 23 October 1992 at Manchester Piccadilly. My notes say that it’s 57483 & 52751.
It used to happen on FGW/GWR too on occasion. The Paignton school train was once booked 3 x 143 but it was formed of 2 x 143 + a 158 on more than one occasion!
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