What to do with an old Pacer

[SpacePhoenix]

Target practice on an army or raf firing range

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Target practice on an army or raf firing range

That would raise some questions... Such as why the Army is training to attack passenger buses and trains?

 

[Murph]

That would raise some questions... Such as why the Army is training to attack passenger buses and trains?

With the Pacers, there's a good excuse to practice. It might be needed if Uncle Sam decides to spread freedom into a certain Middle Eastern republic, and the Pacers there have been weaponised.

 

[backontrack]

I know this was tongue in cheek but St Pancras to Ashford is OHLE.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

With the Pacers, there's a good excuse to practice. It might be needed if Uncle Sam decides to spread freedom into a certain Middle Eastern republic, and the Pacers there have been weaponised.

Why not weaponise the Pacers over here? If a Pacer war starts we're sure to win as we have loads!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

With the Pacers, there's a good excuse to practice. It might be needed if Uncle Sam decides to spread freedom into a certain Middle Eastern republic, and the Pacers there have been weaponised.

I have always considered "Newton Heath's Finest" to be "Weapons of Mass Distraction"...

 

[Whistler40145]

I wonder if any Garden Centres require new greenhouses?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Camping trains (like what I believe used to be converted MK1s in sidings at small country stations)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Camping trains (like what I believe used to be converted MK1s in sidings at small country stations)

They'd probably be a bit draughty for that...

They'd make decent bus shelters, but I think that's the limit!

 

[Whistler40145]

Bus Shelters?

Just a bit long for that?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Bus Shelters?

Just a bit long for that?

I suppose you're right...

They may be rubbish trains, but they'd be little better for anything else!

 

[leytongabriel]

How about sending a few down to help out on the GOBLIN line in rush hours? I know we had hysterics when they were suggested by Silverlink way back when but it would be better than being left standing on platforms and might even make a few of the 'make bloody southerners use them' crew feel a bit happier. Oh and I guess we'd need a few guards back too to operate them. Win, win, win, he said naively.

Or cut the tops off and have IOW open-top summer services. Might just squeeze through the tunnel.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Send them upto Scotland

 

[pablo]

Join sixteen of them together and run them around Merseyrail, for ever, and ever, and e v e r .... a n d .. e v e r .......

 

[PeterY]

I must get around to riding on a pacer one day, just for the fun of it.

 

[Yew]

I must get around to riding on a pacer one day, just for the fun of it.

Fun if perhaps not the word I would use...

 

[pemma]

I must get around to riding on a pacer one day, just for the fun of it.

If you want to do the full Pacer experience try getting a Chester bound service from Manchester (not in the other direction), that way you'll get a considerable amount of 60-75mph running, some 15mph running round a tight corner near Navigation Road (earplugs at the ready), bouncing over some farmer's crossings in the Lostock Gralam area and being limited to 15mph over Leftwich viaduct due to not being properly bogied and running over a viaduct with subsidence in the area.

 

[Tobbes]

Surely the only answer to the question is from Bill & Ben in the Awdry stories..... "if we push them off the end of the quay, it'll make a big splash"!

 

[Wolfie]

How about sending a few down to help out on the GOBLIN line in rush hours? I know we had hysterics when they were suggested by Silverlink way back when but it would be better than being left standing on platforms and might even make a few of the 'make bloody southerners use them' crew feel a bit happier. Oh and I guess we'd need a few guards back too to operate them. Win, win, win, he said naively.

I don't think Boris would want them on his train set.... not quite the new, modern image that LO projects...

Or cut the tops off and have IOW open-top summer services. Might just squeeze through the tunnel.

Hum, that would do wonders for their structural soundness which, if you believe many on this forum, is marginal (at least in the case of the 142s) as it is...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I wonder what the reaction would be if a company were to buy a fleet of life expired buses of advanced years in age and suggest refitting internally and obtaining less aged engines, would there be any queries raised with the use of the existing bodyshells?

 

[Wolfie]

I wonder what the reaction would be if a company were to buy a fleet of life expired buses of advanced years in age and suggest refitting internally and obtaining less aged engines, would there be any queries raised with the use of the existing bodyshells?

A slightly artificial analagy for three reasons:
a The supply of buses is markedly greater than that of trains (which makes the value of spares stripped from broken up vehicles potentially higher also);

b In general trains don't suffer the sort of battering in traffic/potholes etc that buses do;

c Buses are built with a much shorter expected/design life.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

I wonder what the reaction would be if a company were to buy a fleet of life expired buses of advanced years in age and suggest refitting internally and obtaining less aged engines, would there be any queries raised with the use of the existing bodyshells?

All buses have to have a low floor by 2020.
Bodyshells of old buses are awkward to alter and are metal, newer buses are often built of fibre glass.
So they have limited value other than for short term stopgap services.

 

[quarella]

I wonder what the reaction would be if a company were to buy a fleet of life expired buses of advanced years in age and suggest refitting internally and obtaining less aged engines, would there be any queries raised with the use of the existing bodyshells?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Lancs_Greenway

As a bus or train it is difficult to kill off a Leyland National.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
We are getting contradictory information. THere are often postings on here that Northern Rail trains, especially Pacers are always overcrowded but then, in this thread there are comments about the bouncy ride. A fully loaded Pacer does not bounce. Also we should consider the track they work over may not be to the standard of say the West Coast Main Line.

One thing I will say for them is that while on newer stock the "Computer says no" and it is game over on more than one occasion I have been grateful for a 142/3's ability to limp on.

 

[cjmillsnun]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Lancs_Greenway

As a bus or train it is difficult to kill off a Leyland National.

I think the Nationals and Greenways that are left on the road are in the hands of preservationists now.

Pacers may well be the last examples in regular service.

 

[quarella]

I think the Nationals and Greenways that are left on the road are in the hands of preservationists now.

Pacers may well be the last examples in regular service.

You are probably right. It amazes me that when the first Leyland Nationals rolled off the production line the Morris Minor was still available, and the Greenway conversion to the actual body was not really necessary as in no way did it look outdated.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Lancs_Greenway

As a bus or train it is difficult to kill off a Leyland National.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
We are getting contradictory information. THere are often postings on here that Northern Rail trains, especially Pacers are always overcrowded but then, in this thread there are comments about the bouncy ride. A fully loaded Pacer does not bounce. Also we should consider the track they work over may not be to the standard of say the West Coast Main Line.

One thing I will say for them is that while on newer stock the "Computer says no" and it is game over on more than one occasion I have been grateful for a 142/3's ability to limp on.

I've been on a Pacer back from Rotherham Central.
It was delayed due to loading and was completely packed then it shot off and bounced along it's route to Doncaster.

 

[quarella]

I've been on a Pacer back from Rotherham Central.
It was delayed due to loading and was completely packed then it shot off and bounced along it's route to Doncaster.

Maybe Bristol TM - Weston-super-Mare was smoother track but before refurbishment which could say something about the state of the springs the 1700 Wales and West train to Taunton totally wedged would be a comfortable ride.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Maybe Bristol TM - Weston-super-Mare was smoother track but before refurbishment which could say something about the state of the springs the 1700 Wales and West train to Taunton totally wedged would be a comfortable ride.

The track is far from smooth on that line, many steep and curvy sections. And the juctions ofcourse.
The main flaw with Pacers is simple, the wheels are too far apart.

 

[RobShipway]

I have experienced class 142 pacers in my time and I must confess I preferred the ride of 141002 that is on the Weardale Railway, although even that was a bit bumpy.

 

[matacaster]

I wonder what the reaction would be if a company were to buy a fleet of life expired buses of advanced years in age and suggest refitting internally and obtaining less aged engines, would there be any queries raised with the use of the existing bodyshells?

In the case of trolleybuses, many built in the 1920's were completely rebodied a couple of times and still in service in 1960's. The electric traction package and chassis were bombproof.