LSL announce Pacer railtour

[Techniquest]

Before I changed jobs, and thus changed my days off, a Wednesday tour would have been great. However this tour is not a possibility for me, and to be honest I'm not overly sold on the route offered. It's not interesting enough to warrant organising a shift swap or anything, surely a better route could have been chosen? Something that Pacers were more commonly found on for nostalgia purposes but also a destination with plenty of interest, and on a route with good scenery too.

All that bumbling about for just 90 minutes in Llandudno? No thanks. Hopefully there will be a more exciting tour offered next time, I can't see this selling out quite honestly

 

[61653 HTAFC]

For the true pacer experience passengers would have to be shoe-horned into 3x2 seating! They could actually do with being more specific about seating and there isn't an option to see the seat-plan when booking. Certainly wouldn't pay for 3x2!! I suppose down the line they could install their own more comfy seating, and indeed have a first-class section of 2 x 1 which I'd be interested in!!

Was it LSL who also had a couple of 3-car 144s which they later scrapped? Those would have been ideal as an ersatz-first class section.

 

[1Q18]

Was it LSL who also had a couple of 3-car 144s which they later scrapped? Those would have been ideal as an ersatz-first class section.

That was Vintage Trains, at Tyseley.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That was Vintage Trains, at Tyseley.

Thanks.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What interior does this unit have?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

What interior does this unit have?

Looking at this video of it heading North, it seems to have the 3+2 benches (see 0:28 for a view into the train)

 

[Howardh]

I don't know about copyrignt and including other's pictures on here, so I'll link to the page, a variety of pacer interiors where, to me, the 3x2 "bus" seating looks far more comfortable and roomier than 2x2, the 2x2's seats had more depth and therefore the pax had less legroom. the inter-city trip would be more appealing if they had 3x2 but kept to two pax on the three-seater (sa spare seat in the middle).

Pacer train interior hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy

Find the perfect pacer train interior stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Available for both RF and RM licensing.

www.alamy.com

 

[m79900]

It seems strange that only a couple of years after withdrawal, people remember fondly being crammed into these like sardines, with rain leaking through the windows and the heaters not working. Nostalgia is a strange thing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It seems strange that only a couple of years after withdrawal, people remember fondly being crammed into these like sardines, with rain leaking through the windows and the heaters not working. Nostalgia is a strange thing.

My memories of them are more from quiet branch lines with a good window view.

 

[Trackman]

What interior does this unit have?

bus seats

 

[Bletchleyite]

bus seats

Thank goodness it's not a Merseytravel one!

 

[2392]

Disappointed to see Premier Dining not offered:

Don't worry, they'll be contracting it out to the local Kebab/fast food outfit...... !

 

[Travellin’man]

Before I changed jobs, and thus changed my days off, a Wednesday tour would have been great. However this tour is not a possibility for me, and to be honest I'm not overly sold on the route offered. It's not interesting enough to warrant organising a shift swap or anything, surely a better route could have been chosen? Something that Pacers were more commonly found on for nostalgia purposes but also a destination with plenty of interest, and on a route with good scenery too.

All that bumbling about for just 90 minutes in Llandudno? No thanks. Hopefully there will be a more exciting tour offered next time, I can't see this selling out quite honestly

What a strange response. For many years they were a daily sight on the north Wales coast, not to.mention Liverpool and Manchester so a very good route for nostalgia. And as for scenery, what better than a view of the ocean

 

[Iskra]

Before I changed jobs, and thus changed my days off, a Wednesday tour would have been great. However this tour is not a possibility for me, and to be honest I'm not overly sold on the route offered. It's not interesting enough to warrant organising a shift swap or anything, surely a better route could have been chosen? Something that Pacers were more commonly found on for nostalgia purposes but also a destination with plenty of interest, and on a route with good scenery too.

All that bumbling about for just 90 minutes in Llandudno? No thanks. Hopefully there will be a more exciting tour offered next time, I can't see this selling out quite honestly

I guess it depends where you live, but Chester-Liverpool must still be fairly in demand for a lot of people considering the route has only been reinstated relatively recently and it’s not had a full service for a lot of that time. Manchester-Liverpool is also solid pacer territory and the North Wale coast is regarded as fairly scenic. Although I have seen it said elsewhere that this is essentially a route learning trip but with paying passengers, so that could explain the route and timings at Llandudno more than anything else…

 

[Krokodil]

Thank goodness it's not a Merseytravel one!

Did any of those (with those seats) survive?

Don't worry, they'll be contracting it out to the local Kebab/fast food outfit...... !

This is actually quite a good idea. I know heritage railways which organise Fish and Chips specials in cooperation with a local takeaway, all pre-ordered and delivered to the train at a station.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

This is actually quite a good idea. I know heritage railways which organise Fish and Chips specials in cooperation with a local takeaway, all pre-ordered and delivered to the train at a station.

I feel like most of the people who go on the Pacer will just grab lunch during the 1.5 hours in Llandudno.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I've only just seen this, bet you any money you like that by the time I find a hotel up there at a price I'm prepared to pay the bloody thing will have sold out.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I've only just seen this, bet you any money you like that by the time I find a hotel up there at a price I'm prepared to pay the bloody thing will have sold out.

I can't see how busy it is but they still show the option to book for 50 passengers in one transaction which I think (not familiar with railtour booking) might start decreasing once there's less than 50 spaces left.
It's on a Wednesday during the work week, plenty of interested people (myself included) will be unavailable.

 

[xotGD]

I feel like most of the people who go on the Pacer will just grab lunch during the 1.5 hours in Llandudno.

Or a couple of stiff drinks to fortify themselves for the return journey!

 

[1Q18]

Probably not quite enough time for a trip on the Great Orme tramway, sadly, but still a reasonable lunch stop.

 

[JonathanH]

Thank goodness it's not a Merseytravel one!

Did any of those (with those seats) survive?

http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/Class142.html
142055 at the Foxfield Railway and 142058 at the Telford Steam Railway

142041, 142043 and 142045 also survive but not for passengers to experience the Merseyrail interior.

Preservation Information

142055 was the 19th Class 142 to be preserved (in 2020), although the origins of its preservation effort go back further. Its last home was at Newton Heath (Manchester) under Northern Rail before preservation and movement to the Foxfield Railway in September 2020. Unlike most Pacers which were either bought privately or by railway societies, 142055 was the subject of a public enthusiast effort in the shape of the "Pacer Rail Group", who were set up with ambitions to preserve a Class 142 set.

18 months of deep cleaning and preparing the unit for passenger service was going well before vandals struck the set, smashing many windows and setting the team back considerably.

142055 is mechanically operational but has yet to operate any public services in preservation.

Preservation Information
142058 was the 30th Class 142 to be preserved (in 2021), its last home was at Newton Heath (Manchester) under Northern Rail before preservation and movement to theTelford Steam Railway in April 2021 following a period in store. It joined recently preserved Class 144 144013 on the railway.

In August 2021, 142058 operated its first test runs along the railway. However due to a lack of resources preventing effective crew training to be undertaken, 142058 sat out the rest of the year without making its public passenger debut, it was however maintained in an operational condition.

In 2022 it was decided that 142058 would benefit from some engine servicing work before it entered full service. It ran its first passenger services in April 2023 following the completion of these repairs.

Since then 142058 has operated occasional running days on the Telford Steam Railway.

However, seems to me that the intention with 142003 is to offer something with as close to the original interior as possible (even though it doesn't have the original doors or engine and transmission).

 

[507020]

What interior does this unit have?

The original one

I can't see how busy it is but they still show the option to book for 50 passengers in one transaction which I think (not familiar with railtour booking) might start decreasing once there's less than 50 spaces left.
It's on a Wednesday during the work week, plenty of interested people (myself included) will be unavailable.

I’m 100% certain that the “table of 4” is just a glitch on their website which is used to filling loco hauled stock. 50 people at a table of 4 is more like it for a Pacer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’m 100% certain that the “table of 4” is just a glitch on their website which is used to filling loco hauled stock. 50 people at a table of 4 is more like it for a Pacer.

Table of 4 will presumably be the facing seats in the middle of each coach, though obviously won't have an actual table.

Are they selling it to 3+2 or more sensibly to 2+1?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Table of 4 will presumably be the facing seats in the middle of each coach, though obviously won't have an actual table.

As @507020 said, the "table of 4" may well be a remnant from LSL's usual loco-hauled trains, which from what I've seen are almost entirely tables of 4 in standard class and has not been changed to fit the pacers non-facing 3+2 (or 2+1) benches.
I wonder if the sideways seats (near cabs) will also be sold or if they'll be reserved for staff.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

If they want to provide the authentic 1989-90 summer experience it should start in Hull and LSL should sell 250 tickets for it.

 

[occone]

I've got an old tin of paint that needs mixing, I'll bring it with me if I go

 

[cjbirkett]

142s worked on the North Wales Coast until the route was transferred to Wales and Borders from First North Western in 2004 or thereabouts.

Remember them being coupled to 150s on Llandudno-Wakefield Westgate trains in the 90s.

i always insisted going on the 142 (to get my own back on my Mum not letting us change at Junction onto a loco hauled )

 

[pokemonsuper9]

It's now showing as Fully Booked!
I would've guessed it'd be quite lightly loaded due to the time so it might easily be 2+1.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Remember them being coupled to 150s on Llandudno-Wakefield Westgate trains in the 90s.

i always insisted going on the 142 (to get my own back on my Mum not letting us change at Junction onto a loco hauled )

You were lucky to get a four-car lash-up on that run as platforms at Slaithwaite and Deighton would have been too short at the time, as was the "prison siding" at Westgate (though Wrenthorpe Loop would also be available for reversals of longer formations).

 

[TheHSRailFan]

I'm honestly not surprised there's a pacer railtour... but then again I'm surprised it took this long for a pacer railtour to happen. Having it announced this late considering I'm on the HST tour and I don't have the money to change my plans. Then again, like others have said, it's a route that is not that intresting.