what were pacers like to operate

[Anonymous10]

so much has been written on the customer experience of the pacers so my question to all drivers and conductors is what were they like to use and operate good or bad better or worse than a 15x or whatever replaced them in your area?

 

[DJ_K666]

Do you mean the old 141s or the later 142, 143s and 144s?

 

[Anonymous10]

Do you mean the old 141s or the later 142, 143s and 144s?

in general all pacers the 141s are before my time im most keenly interested in the 142 and 143 pacers as have used them but in general all 4 classes

 

[DJ_K666]

in general all pacers the 141s are before my time im most keenly interested in the 142 and 143 pacers as have used them but in general all 4 classes

Fair enough. They were very strange. I used to travel in them from York to Harrogate when visiting the folks' folks. Used to look forward to it as they were so strange. If you want to sample one there are a couple in preservation.

 

[mmh]

A GWR driver friend loved driving them, and much preferred them over HSTs, proving the driver's experience may be very different to the passenger's

 

[Anonymous10]

A GWR driver friend loved driving them, and much preferred them over HSTs, proving the driver's experience may be very different to the passenger's

i loved them as i worked out exactly where the heaters were under the seats and the ones with good window alignment

 

[Ashley Hill]

142/3s were great to work on. Nice big cab windows,a clear veiw down through the unit and simple technology.
With the old Leyland folding doors,Self Changing Gearboxes and cable operated brakes the 142s in their origional condition could be a challenge though.

 

[Efini92]

I loved driving 142’s they were simple and nearly any fault could be fixed.
The driving seat wasn’t the comfiest but the controls were all within reach without having to stretch. A lot drove with their knee wedged against the desk, it was comfy but your knee did tend to go dead after a bit.
The heaters were pretty naff in the winter and the fan was useless in the summer.
The destination blinds could be troublesome, sometimes you’d get covered in dust trying to change them. It was always a relief when you were on a Merseyside one as the blinds were electronic.
The oscillation on very straight track was quite bad and also the ride quality on jointed track was awful.
The brakes were bad on new blocks until they had worn in. That nearly caught me out a couple of times.

I always preferred 150/1’s though. They were comfy and warm and the view from them was great. Plus your bag didn’t get wet when it was raining like on the 150/2.