Northern Pacer Withdrawals - Info?

[IamTrainsYT]

are the barrow 142s possibly making a comeback?? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S31403/2019-12-28/detailed

 

[TheSel]

True, but the first few were orange units specifically for Manchester area routes. For those lucky people too young to remember, the three liveries carried by 142s from new were: GMPTE orange; Provincial blue; and the brown version of the blue which was used on the units destined for the West Country. They didn't last long down there though! 143s carried Provincial blue from new, and all 144s were in the earlier version of WYPTE "Raspberry ripple" with the broad beige stripe.

Indeed they didn't. Here's 142017 attached to an unidentified GM liveried at Weeton on Easter Monday, April 4 1988. Sadly I never got a shot of a six-car formation in the three different liveries.

 

[Lewis Tickle]

are the barrow 142s possibly making a comeback?? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S31403/2019-12-28/detailed

I think they're stored 195s but I'm not 100% sure

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Indeed they didn't. Here's 142017 attached to an unidentified GM liveried at Weeton on Easter Monday, April 4 1988. Sadly I never got a shot of a six-car formation in the three different liveries.

View attachment 71990

That's a great shot... I'm intrigued by the LHCS on the other line, must've been rare on the Harrogate line even then!

 

[Neptune]

True, but the first few were orange units specifically for Manchester area routes. For those lucky people too young to remember, the three liveries carried by 142s from new were: GMPTE orange; Provincial blue; and the brown version of the blue which was used on the units destined for the West Country. They didn't last long down there though!
143s carried Provincial blue from new, and all 144s were in the earlier version of WYPTE "Raspberry ripple" with the broad beige stripe.

The final 5 or 6 143’s carried the original Tyne & Wear livery from new.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I see you draw the line at a MerseyTravel one though... smart!

Well, the original bus style seating is much more comfortable than anything else they've put in a 142 since, which is why I specified it in the tweet!

 

[woodhouse122]

Imagine one of these filled with beer fueled pacer bashers on a railtour

 

[Peter Bonner]

Imagine one of these filled with beer fueled pacer bashers on a railtour

What is best in this layout is that you can see out of the windows! Ok less so if packed but even then better than most if not all recent stock. Im just talking about internal layout however!!! Other issues for sure with 142s but.........

 

[J-2739]

Well, the original bus style seating is much more comfortable than anything else they've put in a 142 since, which is why I specified it in the tweet!

I'd say for me, the Northern Spirit style seating is the most comfortable, as they are high backed, and have a headrest to lay your head on.

 

[Entertexthere]

I'd say for me, the Northern Spirit style seating is the most comfortable, as they are high backed, and have a headrest to lay your head on.

I agree with that, luckily I'm currently the right height for the headrest and the seats are fairly ok. If we were to see a pacer railtour then I would like to see it operated by one of the Northern Spirit units the most.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd say for me, the Northern Spirit style seating is the most comfortable, as they are high backed, and have a headrest to lay your head on.

You must be quite short, the "headrest" on those is somewhere half way down my back. They aren't awful seats, though, certainly not the worst.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Well, the original bus style seating is much more comfortable than anything else they've put in a 142 since, which is why I specified it in the tweet!

It also has the advantage (as did the LU A stock) that because they are benches it is tight-packed 3+2 in the peak but generous 2+1 off-peak.

 

[J-2739]

You must be quite short, the "headrest" on those is somewhere half way down my back. They aren't awful seats, though, certainly not the worst.

Christ. If the headrest only reaches about halfway your back, then I have to wonder how you'd cope with the Merseyrail-style ultra low back seating!

 

[Foggycorner]

That's a great shot... I'm intrigued by the LHCS on the other line, must've been rare on the Harrogate line even then!

Weeton is on the Blackpool north line from Kirkham

 

[Swimbar]

Weeton is on the Blackpool north line from Kirkham

Weeton is between Horsforth and Pannal on the Leeds - Harrogate line

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Weeton is on the Blackpool north line from Kirkham

Weeton is between Horsforth and Pannal on the Leeds - Harrogate line

Both can be true... though only the latter has a station, which is what confused me!

When referencing non-station locations, it generally helps to give a bit more information, particularly if that location isn't a unique name.

 

[Swimbar]

Both can be true... though only the latter has a station, which is what confused me!

When referencing non-station locations, it generally helps to give a bit more information, particularly if that location isn't a unique name.

The bridge in the background is not anywhere near the Weeton between Horsforth and Pannal!!

 

[HSP 2]

are the barrow 142s possibly making a comeback?? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S31403/2019-12-28/detailed

I think that it's more likely that it could be some of the 195s that are stored there, I think that it was 4 at last count.

 

[TheSel]

Both can be true... though only the latter has a station, which is what confused me!

When referencing non-station locations, it generally helps to give a bit more information, particularly if that location isn't a unique name.

All of you are absolutely correct - please accept my apologies for not being clearer in my earlier post. That shot is indeed at the Weeton twixt Preston and Blackpool North. My only excuse is that at the time I took the shot and titled the slide, I was probably unaware of the existence of the Weeton in Yorkshire, and didn't think it through when posting that pic yesterday.

 

[ainsworth74]

Christ. If the headrest only reaches about halfway your back, then I have to wonder how you'd cope with the Merseyrail-style ultra low back seating!

You don't. My thigh bone is about as long as the space between the seats so I basically have to sit sideways or I don't actually fit in the ruddy thing.

 

[HSP 2]

I think that it's more likely that it could be some of the 195s that are stored there, I think that it was 4 at last count.

Just had a quick look on RTT this one on the Sat could be the one to keep an eye on. 3Z90 arrive BIF 15;53. Timed from MAN at 75mph but, the 3Z91 is timed at 100mph from BIF at 17;01.

 

[Zooty]

The final 5 or 6 143’s carried the original Tyne & Wear livery from new.

I think it was six. And it was proper T&W livery too; not the abomination that some 142s carried later on.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I think it was six. And it was proper T&W livery too; not the abomination that some 142s carried later on.

What was the difference? A quick google image search shows any differences between the two to be the branding (which would have changed over time anyway) or very subtle (the yellow appears to run slightly higher on the 143s). Am I missing something?

 

[gka472l]

I think it was six. And it was proper T&W livery too; not the abomination that some 142s carried later on.

143020-143025 were the TWPTE liveried ones...

 

[Neptune]

What was the difference? A quick google image search shows any differences between the two to be the branding (which would have changed over time anyway) or very subtle (the yellow appears to run slightly higher on the 143s). Am I missing something?

The 143’s were a darker yellow and white with a darker blue stripe and the proportions were different to the 142’s which was a lighter yellow and blue in the Regional Railways livery style proportions.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The 143’s were a darker yellow and white with a darker blue stripe and the proportions were different to the 142’s which was a lighter yellow and blue in the Regional Railways livery style proportions.

Fairly subtle differences then... not enough for one but not the other to be an "abomination" in my opinion, but different strokes for different folks I guess!

 

[Zooty]

Fairly subtle differences then... not enough for one but not the other to be an "abomination" in my opinion, but different strokes for different folks I guess!

The 143s used the correct shades of T&W PTE yellow, blue and white. I must admit my memory has failed me as I was convinced the 143s had the correct thin blue stripe of the T&W livery but clearly I am misremembering that and they carried a thick stripe!

The 142s carried a variant of the Regional Railways livery. Hence the blue stripe being lower on the bodyside and also being the RR light blue colour. The yellow was a very washed out shade rather than the richer T&W yellow. I can see where they were going with the blue, but I just don't get the yellow. The Merseytravel 142s carried a yellow that was much closer to the T&W colour! The difference certainly wasn't subtle if you were familiar with the T&W livery.

 

[Bertie the bus]

All of you are absolutely correct - please accept my apologies for not being clearer in my earlier post. That shot is indeed at the Weeton twixt Preston and Blackpool North. My only excuse is that at the time I took the shot and titled the slide, I was probably unaware of the existence of the Weeton in Yorkshire, and didn't think it through when posting that pic yesterday.

It says something when somebody who posts an interesting photo from 30 years ago has to apologise for not including an OS grid reference.

There is no need to apologise. It isn’t as though people had car keys in hand waiting to chase and photograph it.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The 143s used the correct shades of T&W PTE yellow, blue and white. I must admit my memory has failed me as I was convinced the 143s had the correct thin blue stripe of the T&W livery but clearly I am misremembering that and they carried a thick stripe!

The 142s carried a variant of the Regional Railways livery. Hence the blue stripe being lower on the bodyside and also being the RR light blue colour. The yellow was a very washed out shade rather than the richer T&W yellow. I can see where they were going with the blue, but I just don't get the yellow. The Merseytravel 142s carried a yellow that was much closer to the T&W colour! The difference certainly wasn't subtle if you were familiar with the T&W livery.

I never saw the T&W 143s in the flesh, so your final sentence certainly rings true: For those outside West Yorkshire the differences between the two versions of Raspberry Ripple are similarly subtle, to the untrained eye. I never really saw the T&W or MerseyTravel liveries as being based on the Regional Railways 'template' though the West Midlands and later GMPTE liveries clearly were.

 

[superkev]

I wonder when the various pacer moves to storage or scrap will resume.
K