Pacers

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Pwig said:

I just did a 1 hour 20 minute journey on a pacer.

My god they are hateful things.

How on earth can they be kept on the lines for so long? Most of the north of England is full of them!

I did Nottingham to Leeds on a class 150 last year (usually class 158s). 2 hours. At least Pacers have some character - 150s are awful things - not enough seats for something that size and what seats there are are uncomfortable and cramped.

[W124Bob]

Manchester/Bournemouth service routed that way to give Birmingham International and Coventry a NW to south coast route. It's an 80mph single line and currently one per hour each way plus a few freights, in 14 years over the route I've experienced very little issue with the single line . Coventry/Birmingham on the other hand is different story. As for Pacers(142's in my case) I have experince of them from new upto 2004 , cable brakes replaced, new engines, new doors, new heaters and this all in the first few years. The most hateful train ever built, thankfully disability rules regarding the toilets are finally killing them. One to York for exhibit on how not to build a train!

[Halmyre]

W124Bob said:

Manchester/Bournemouth service routed that way to give Birmingham International and Coventry a NW to south coast route. It's an 80mph single line and currently one per hour each way plus a few freights, in 14 years over the route I've experienced very little issue with the single line . Coventry/Birmingham on the other hand is different story. As for Pacers(142's in my case) I have experince of them from new upto 2004 , cable brakes replaced, new engines, new doors, new heaters and this all in the first few years. The most hateful train ever built, thankfully disability rules regarding the toilets are finally killing them. One to York for exhibit on how not to build a train!

Cable brakes?!?

I'm old enough to remember when rail/bus hybrids were the greatest idea since sliced bread.

[W124Bob]

Yes cable brakes! Single brake cylinder per axle with pairs of steel cables in tubes to the brake rigging. I came within an inch of the buffer stops in the bay platforms at Manchester Victoria (now the tram pltforms) following a rapid decent of Platting bank, only 9 of the 16 brakeblocks were actually touching the wheels! New trousers were collected from the stores.