Pacers in the Manchester area

[SussexMan]

My son has a desire to ride some Pacers (not quite sure why but I'll go with it on the basis that it doesn't involve using a screen). We have none down our way so am looking at the possibility of a day in the Manchester area. I can get a good priced Advance ticket from the South Coast up to Manchester. Which routes in Manchester have pacers and is it possible to do a bit of a circular route using a Rail Ranger or Wayfarer ticket?

Many thanks from someone down South.

 

[furnessvale]

Rose Hill, Marple, New Mills Central are normally good for a Pacer or two. Even Manchester-Sheffield sees them, but 150s can turn up and spoil your son's fun.

They are barred from Buxton so rule that one out, but they can get to Hazel Grove

 

[Ianno87]

I'd just hang around at Piccadilly or Victoria and get the first Pacer going somewhere, if you're happy to be flexible.

Routes via Wigan Wallgate are normally decent bets too.

 

[gazthomas]

Cardiff might be an option too, as both 142s and 143s can be “experienced” on all manor of local services up the Valley lines, to Barry and so on

 

[Parallel]

GWR also operate Pacers (Class 143) on local services in Devon - notably services to Exmouth, Paignton and Barnstaple from Exeter. 150s and 153s are also seen, though.

 

[thealexweb]

They make an appearance on Blackpool, Clitheroe, Blackburn and Wigan services too.

 

[PHILIPE]

I'd just hang around at Piccadilly or Victoria and get the first Pacer going somewhere, if you're happy to be flexible.

Routes via Wigan Wallgate are normally decent bets too.

They go to Southport.

 

[Ash Bridge]

If it's a Friday you are planning to come you could ride the FO Stockport-Stalybridge which is nearly always worked by a pair and very occasionally a triple class 142 Pacer unit, just bear in mind though that (I don't think) the GM Rail Ranger (£6.40 adult, £3.20 child) is not valid on this train as it departs before 09:30 so singles to Denton would be necessary.

 

[pemma]

If you can get cheap advance tickets to/from Chester/Liverpool as well then you could get a Pacer from Manchester to Chester (via Stockport) or from Manchester to Liverpool (via Warrington Central) to get an extended journey on a Pacer without going back the same way you came. The former would give your son the chance to ride on a Pacer at 75mph and some of the villages through Cheshire have nice scenery (there's also some not so nice bits like the Baguley and Lostock Gralam areas.)

Although, it's worth noting on no route are 100% of the services guaranteed to be Pacers. As mentioned Pacers aren't allowed to Buxton, which means any diagram which contains a Buxton service is unlikely to be a Pacer.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Nice bit of promotion for the North Cheshire Line there jcollins, have to agree with that though, especially the run down from Stockport to Skelton Junction on a 142 can be quite exhilarating with speed in the high seventies usually the norm on that stretch.

 

[pemma]

Nice bit of promotion for the North Cheshire Line there jcollins, have to agree with that though, the run down from Stockport to Altrincham especially on a 142 can be quite exhilarating with speed in the high seventies usually the norm on that stretch.

You mean Mid Cheshire. (North Cheshire is Chester-Manchester via Warrington and the Ellesmere Port spur.) The southbound direction between Manchester and Stockport also sees top speed, but not normally northbound as even when services don't do the Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme stops the signalling usually prevents the trains running at top speed for too long.

 

[Ash Bridge]

You mean Mid Cheshire. (North Cheshire is Chester-Manchester via Warrington and the Ellesmere Port spur.) The southbound direction between Manchester and Stockport also sees top speed, but not normally northbound as even when services don't do the Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme stops the signalling usually prevents the trains running at top speed for too long.

Yes, Mid Cheshire of course! I don't know what made me type that?

 

[gorilladan]

My son has a desire to ride some Pacers (not quite sure why but I'll go with it on the basis that it doesn't involve using a screen). We have none down our way so am looking at the possibility of a day in the Manchester area. I can get a good priced Advance ticket from the South Coast up to Manchester. Which routes in Manchester have pacers and is it possible to do a bit of a circular route using a Rail Ranger or Wayfarer ticket?

Many thanks from someone down South.

Get on't Preston-Ormskirk 142 services. Virtually guaranteed that this route will be operated with 142's. Never travelled on anything else on this route. Have been told of 153's being used but not for many moons. Added bonus with this route is the "Wild Mouse" bounce, lurch and bump whilst passing over the short-jointed rail sections at 50mph. Character-building for young & old. Experience old-school token working/one-train-working/ multiple level crossings (including the inimitable Sod Hall L/C), semaphore signal and fixed distants. A true trip back in time on't Northern heritage traction as used daily by Northern commuters, shoppers and leisure travellers. A snail pace tour of the Southport badlands.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Huddersfield to Man Vic is also another route that sees Pacers (usually a 142), but bear in mind that a Sprinter (either a 150 or a 156) could turn up instead. On Sunday's when I've used it nearly eight times out of ten its been a Pacer.

In Yorkshire, we have some routes that are worked by Pacers but also Sprinters so it's always a gamble on what unit you'll get.
These lines are...

• Huddersfield to Sheffield via Penistone
  
• Leeds / Wakefield Kirkgate to Knottingley (the 1716 service runs from Leeds to Goole)
  
• Huddersfield to Leeds via Mirfield
• Huddersfield to Wakefield
• Leeds to Man Vic via Brighouse
• Huddersfield to Leeds via Bradford
• Sheffield to Leeds via Bolton-On-Dearne
• Sheffield to Leeds via Castleford
• Sheffield to Adwick
• Sheffield to Scunthorpe
• Sheffield to Lincoln

Ticketwise, only West Yorkshire with its Rover range and South Yorkshire with its TravelMaster range offer day tickets. East Yorkshire and North Yorkshire don't have such luxuries.

As Parallel has stated, Pacers operate on the "Devon Metro" routes out of Exeter. GWR also offer Ranger tickets which'll offer flexibility.

 

[gareth950]

Cardiff might be an option too, as both 142s and 143s can be “experienced” on all manor of local services up the Valley lines, to Barry and so on

I agree and a Valleys day ticket is available which includes all Valley lines that run through Cardiff Queen St and the Barry / Penarth / Vale of Glamorgan lines.
The advantage on the Valley lines is that they run through Cardiff Central every 5 mins (apart from Sundays) so if you get a 150 there's bound to be a Pacer along very soon after.

 

[darloscott]

Sheffield to Huddersfield is pretty much guaranteed Pacers as all 3 diagrams are booked as 144s, weekdays at least. They do pop up pretty much anywhere in the north but all the local services emanating from Sheffield are a good choice towards Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Adwick and Lincoln are pretty much all 142/144 with the odd 158 at the start/end of the day.
My local line Bishop/Darlington-Saltburn is worth a mention as solid 142 territory too.

 

[SussexMan]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. I like the idea of possibly heading to Manchester and back from Liverpool and going down from Preston to Liverpool via Ormskirk. Will do a bit more research. It'll be a Friday night up and back down on the Saturday evening - excellent value tickets at £22 for the two of us.

 

[Mikey C]

My son has a desire to ride some Pacers

I hope someone from the DfT doesn't read this, or we might end up with them being kept for longer, due to public popularity

Greater Manchester does have 1 day tickets which cover quite a large area, so an option that others have suggested would be to hang around one of the main stations and catch any pacer heading somewhere interesting

http://www.systemonetravelcards.co.uk/about

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Huddersfield to Man Vic is also another route that sees Pacers (usually a 142), but bear in mind that a Sprinter (either a 150 or a 156) could turn up instead. On Sunday's when I've used it nearly eight times out of ten its been a Pacer.

In Yorkshire, we have some routes that are worked by Pacers but also Sprinters so it's always a gamble on what unit you'll get.
These lines are...

• Huddersfield to Sheffield via Penistone
  
• Leeds / Wakefield Kirkgate to Knottingley (the 1716 service runs from Leeds to Goole)
  
• Huddersfield to Leeds via Mirfield
• Huddersfield to Wakefield
• Leeds to Man Vic via Brighouse
• Huddersfield to Leeds via Bradford
• Sheffield to Leeds via Bolton-On-Dearne
• Sheffield to Leeds via Castleford
• Sheffield to Adwick
• Sheffield to Scunthorpe
• Sheffield to Lincoln

Ticketwise, only West Yorkshire with its Rover range and South Yorkshire with its TravelMaster range offer day tickets. East Yorkshire and North Yorkshire don't have such luxuries.

As Parallel has stated, Pacers operate on the "Devon Metro" routes out of Exeter. GWR also offer Ranger tickets which'll offer flexibility.

It has been a very, very long time since I've seen anything other than a 3-car 144 on the Penistone line... the only exception being 144012 (the 2-car E-pacer prototype).
The Huddersfield to Wakefield is pretty much solid 2-car pacer during weekday daytimes, but evenings and particularly Saturdays can throw up Sprinters: usually a 150 but often a 153 or 155.
Huddersfield to Leeds stoppers usually have at least one Pacer in use, but no guarantee.

Of course, the OP is focusing on Manchester rather than Leeds, though there are rangers that cover from Manchester as far as Huddersfield I believe. Manchester Victoria to Huddersfield can often be a 142 but there's no guarantee again. However screaming through Standedge on a Merseytravel 142 just might cure the OP's son of his nodding donkey fascination!

 

[Crossover]

I was going to mention Mid-Cheshire - a few of us from the forum had a double 142 from Altrincham to Manchester (non stop between Stockport and Piccadilly too!) last night

Your best bet may actually be to do something like a GM Rail Ranger, turn up at Piccadilly (probably easier) or Victoria, find a Pacer that goes somewhere within the area and jump on it - there are almost guaranteed to be quite a few of them!

 

[furnessvale]

I hope someone from the DfT doesn't read this, or we might end up with them being kept for longer, due to public popularity

I'm sure the heritage railways will find a home for them. We don't want them!

 

[Parallel]

I’ve been on a 142 between Southport and Huddersfield (train continuing to Leeds). That felt like a very long time, though at least it was a car seat 142 instead of an ex-Merseytravel one!

 

[PHILIPE]

I agree and a Valleys day ticket is available which includes all Valley lines that run through Cardiff Queen St and the Barry / Penarth / Vale of Glamorgan lines.
The advantage on the Valley lines is that they run through Cardiff Central every 5 mins (apart from Sundays) so if you get a 150 there's bound to be a Pacer along very soon after.

Many of the Pacer diagrams work in pairs

 

[xotGD]

We normally have discussions about how to avoid bendies rather than chasing them!

Anyway, I would recommend trying to get one on a Leeds - Hudds stopper. Thrashing through Morley Tunnel from a standing start is rather entertaining.

 

[onlinespotting]

I don't know how often it happens, but a bus seated 142 on the settle and Carlisle line from Leeds, with a trolley at one end is quite a good journey
Ps I know it's not Manchester it's just a good example of a pacer journey for leisure

 

[DarloRich]

go to Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle. One will be along presently

 

[Chester1]

I'm sure the heritage railways will find a home for them. We don't want them!

My prefered future for them involves either dousing them in petrol and setting them alight or dropping a very heavy weight from a crane, preferably with a raffle to choose a passenger to do the honours!

 

[Bevan Price]

Also not Manchester, but Darlington to Bishop Auckland & to Saltburn are almost entirely 142s.
Middlesbrough - Hartlepool - Newcastle & Newcastle - Hexham / Carlisle seem to be a mixture of 142s and 156s.

 

[b9_624]

Since the start of September 144/156 (92.3%) of my journeys on the Penistone line have been 3 car class 144s.

 

[randyrippley]

Lancaster-Leeds has to be the best route by far