142s and 143s........a question

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

What is the longest journey they do?

The reason is.....in the last three weeks I have spent some time on a 143 and, they are not that bad for the journey that I experience them do.  PArkway to Weston all stations stop (in most cases). 

I suspect not many got from start to finish regularly.

Now, that is completely different than putting a 165 on the cotswolds line in the late afternoon (even a 166 is not good enough). 

My view would be different if they were being used for  longer distance routes

[devon_metro]

Exeter to Cardiff and return

[Chris from Nailsea]

On a 143 ?? 

[Mookiemoo]

Exeter to Cardiff and return

As a matter of course or in the case of incident/temp failure?

[devon_metro]

Daily. 9 something off Exeter, 1300 from Cardiff return. Back in Exeter in time for rush.

[Mookiemoo]

Daily. 9 something off Exeter, 1300 from Cardiff return. Back in Exeter in time for rush.

Ok that is unacceptable

I'm just trying - now I have some experience - to get a handle on the 142/143 issue if they are used appropriately

They are busses on rails - and the step for short legged people is worse than the 150 step up - and the step down I have to jump

I'm just wondering if there are just 1/2 diagrams where they are used inappropriately or if they are regularly runnin glike some turbos on the cotswolds

[smithy]

they are more suitable on the beach line,however due to fleet size etc they get allocated on longer diagrams like the exe-card and back.this is just the way it is no amount of people saying it is unacceptable will change this.what would you prefer a pacer or a cancelled service?? because due to the other fleet allocations this is what would happen if they did not use pacers.
when FGW^▸ (First Great Western) finally get the 150/1's then the pacers will be back in bristol and as such will be more common on taunt-card run again.
as for the step on/off never had a problem myself as it is done in 2 stages.

the pacer is a leyland bus body rubber mounted to modified wagon chassis.

[eightf48544]

I found the following website http://pacer-pete.webs.com/historyofthe142.htm which gives an interesting history of the class.

Considering as smithy says "The pacer is a Leyland bus body rubber mounted to modified wagon chassis" with a diesel engine.

It is amazing they are now 25 years old considering that BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) produced them as a temporary expidient to replace the first genration DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit). Thus they probably must, for all their faults,  count as accidentally successful.

It would be interesting to consider how many branch lines/services they saved or made more sustainable.

As i've posted before they are the only train I've ever travelled on where I've  felt sick.  This was a run back from Falmouth to Truro, I was glad the train terminated at Truro.

[Chris from Nailsea]

There was also the 143 that terminated at Nailsea: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3754902.stm 

[devon_metro]

There was also the 143 that terminated at Nailsea: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3754902.stm 

How refreshing to see the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news website without that awful new design 

[dmutony]

143613 if i remember correctly and was dumped at bombardier in crewe!! the only other one to be scrapped was 143615

[inspector_blakey]

How refreshing to see the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news website without that awful new design 

Oh dear, typical crank, hates the idea of any kind of change

I rather like the new design - it seems more intuitive to me than the old one. Give it a while and you'll no doubt get used to it.

Daily. 9 something off Exeter, 1300 from Cardiff return. Back in Exeter in time for rush.

Ok that is unacceptable

Slightly debatable: I doubt that many (any...?) passengers are making the through journey from EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) to CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains) on that service, as I suspect it stops everywhere and will take a loooong time. I think the patronage mostly consists of people making shorter journeys along the way. And there are plenty of alternative services so the pacer is easy to avoid!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

personally i believe that that bristol to penzance on a 150 is wrong and that happens but then again its a train, i take it pacers are banned from the gunnislake branch ... sitting on a near empty 150 on that line seems strange to me

[Btline]

How refreshing to see the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news website without that awful new design 

I agree completely - the new design is horrible. I always get "taken aback" by a new design, but normally I find it better/ I get used to it. This new design is tacky, and once again the News section of the BBC website doesn't match the rest of the site, only weeks after they'd finally re-done the rest of the site to get it match the News site! It also adds no new functionality to the site.

Oh well, let's hope that if the licence fee is cut, they make "efficiencies" by getting rid of the tea that keep changing the website!

[Mookiemoo]

There was also the 143 that terminated at Nailsea: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3754902.stm 

How refreshing to see the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news website without that awful new design 

Tells you how long it is since I logged onto the beeb

Didnt even know there WAS A new design

and my opinion is that its revolting

Looks like a red top newspaper