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Author Topic: 4 carriages reduced to 2 - is this the end of GWR pacers?  (Read 17751 times)
grahame
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« on: March 21, 2020, 07:11:03 »

Quote
08:15 Paignton to Exmouth due 09:51
Facilities on the 08:15 Paignton to Exmouth due 09:51.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4.

Looks like virtually every train.  No reason given - no "more trains than usual requiring repair".  I find myself wondering if the class 143 pacers have been parked, and if so whether they'll ever run in passenger service again.
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REVUpminster
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« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2020, 10:03:41 »

Depends if the Torbay (now called The English Riviera Airshow) takes place 6-7 June. Four coaches would be an improvement on last years Saturday service and the show was washed out on the Sunday
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RichardB
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« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2020, 10:15:34 »

Quote
08:15 Paignton to Exmouth due 09:51
Facilities on the 08:15 Paignton to Exmouth due 09:51.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4.

Looks like virtually every train.  No reason given - no "more trains than usual requiring repair".  I find myself wondering if the class 143 pacers have been parked, and if so whether they'll ever run in passenger service again.

No, I doubt we have seen the last of the Pacers.  Only 2 coaches needed on local trains at the moment but when things return to normal, 4 coaches will again be necessary.  Pacers the only way of doing this in the short term.
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grahame
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« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2020, 10:34:57 »

Quote
08:15 Paignton to Exmouth due 09:51
Facilities on the 08:15 Paignton to Exmouth due 09:51.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4.

Looks like virtually every train.  No reason given - no "more trains than usual requiring repair".  I find myself wondering if the class 143 pacers have been parked, and if so whether they'll ever run in passenger service again.

No, I doubt we have seen the last of the Pacers.  Only 2 coaches needed on local trains at the moment but when things return to normal, 4 coaches will again be necessary.  Pacers the only way of doing this in the short term.

I fear, though, that "short term" and "normal" may be mutually exclusive.  Wouldn't want to bet either way!
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Bob_Blakey
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« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2020, 12:03:28 »

Cycled via Red Cow Crossing this morning and noticed that the Class 143's which had been parked up in the EXD» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) West Yard for several weeks have disappeared. Have we finally seen the back of these particular units?
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PhilWakely
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« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2020, 12:54:59 »

Cycled via Red Cow Crossing this morning and noticed that the Class 143's which had been parked up in the EXD» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) West Yard for several weeks have disappeared. Have we finally seen the back of these particular units?

At least one has been pressed into service as a 'troop carrier' - ferrying railway staff from Exeter to Taunton - so that social distancing rules can be followed as the taxis normally used do not offer that facility.
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SandTEngineer
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« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2020, 13:40:36 »

I think there is one being used between Plymouth (North Road) and Laira depot as well, but can't go and check as its more than two miles from home Tongue
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phile
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« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2020, 22:13:16 »

I think there is one being used between Plymouth (North Road) and Laira depot as well, but can't go and check as its more than two miles from home Tongue

A 150 has been used at Plymouth  although a 5 Car IET (Intercity Express Train) has been seen.   Plymouth can't drive 143s
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ellendune
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« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2020, 22:27:42 »

Plymouth can't drive 143s

I am not surprised I have never see a city drive any sort of vehicle  Grin
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grahame
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« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2020, 11:35:30 »

Cycled via Red Cow Crossing this morning and noticed that the Class 143's which had been parked up in the EXD» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) West Yard for several weeks have disappeared. Have we finally seen the back of these particular units?

From Northern reported in the Yorkshire Post - their 23 x 144 units are all parked up on the Keighley and Worth

Quote
Although the 23 remaining Class 144s are still in operational service, they have become surplus to requirements as Northern are running a skeleton timetable during the lockdown period.

Northern are paying a storage fee to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, who will keep the units on their preserved track near Keighley Station until they can return to mainline service.

In a wide ranging article, the further fate of these trains, and the financial issues that threaten the future of the Keighley and Worth, are also covered.
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Bob_Blakey
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« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2020, 15:56:46 »

There are 3 x 143 units parked up in the EXD» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) New Yard - immediately north of the Red Cow LC (Level Crossing) where the SWR» (South Western Railway - about) stock usually has it's layovers - so we aren't rid of them quite yet.

Also most, if not all, the EXM<>PGN services have reverted to single 150/2's this week after a few weeks of running with 4 coaches; maintenance time or simply not enough passengers to justify the latter?
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REVUpminster
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« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2020, 16:49:51 »

The 143s are back coupled to 150/2s on the Paignton-Exmouth run probably for social distancing as the service is still only hourly between Paignton-Exeter.
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grahame
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« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2020, 17:36:31 »

The 143s are back coupled to 150/2s on the Paignton-Exmouth run probably for social distancing as the service is still only hourly between Paignton-Exeter.

Funny old world!   Saved by social distancing.   I understand that Northern have retained some 142s too so they can run longer trains for a while ...
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grahame
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« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2020, 19:55:49 »

The 143s are back coupled to 150/2s on the Paignton-Exmouth run probably for social distancing as the service is still only hourly between Paignton-Exeter.

Funny old world!   Saved by social distancing.   I understand that Northern have retained some 142s too so they can run longer trains for a while ...

Last Northern Pacer ran today ...

Northern Press Release

Quote
Pacers bid final farewell to Northern network

102 Pacers have now fully retired

In more than 35 years, Pacers have travelled over 300million miles in the north

Final journey ? Kirkby to Manchester Victoria ? completed by 142004

Northern has bid a final farewell to its fleet of Pacers after more than three decades? service.

The last Pacer to carry Northern customers completed its swansong journey on Friday 27 November having travelled from Kirkby to Manchester Victoria.

The final journey ? completed by 142004 ? ended at 5.45pm, marking just over 35 years of continuous service in the north of England and clocking 3million miles in the process.

Transport for Wales - still running Pacers?
Transport for Devon - another week or two yet?
Heritage Rail - "We've only just begun"?
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REVUpminster
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« Reply #14 on: November 27, 2020, 22:04:02 »

Exeter has 8 143s  all coupled to 150/2s AFAIK (as far as I know) so they only need 4 165s to replace them which have become available as stock has cascaded west.

It would leave the 8 150s to become 4 coach trains and 4 165s as three coach trains.

165/166s will replace the 150s when enough become available. The depot at Exeter has been re-designed for 3 coach trains like the 158s already there.

A 165 has already done the gauging runs and passenger service to Barnstaple and I would suspect Paignton and Exmouth.
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