Oswestry Update

You can't preserve everything though ...

I think on museum / curatorial grounds, there is an argument that says a Pacer should be preserved as an example of a particular strand of rolling stock development - you can see them as the spiritual successors of the early 20th century railmotors, designed to try to improve the economic viability of lightly-used lines.

But once you have one - all the others have to wash their own face in operational terms. To try to pretend that all that have gone to a heritage railway are by some virtue "safe" is to ignore the opportunity cost that comes with preserving them. (What isn't being looked after if the resources are going into a pacer?)

So if lots that got transferred to heritage lines get scrapped I wouldn't mourn, provided those that remain do so because they fulfil a genuine operational need.

Tom

 

LSL's set can still be seen on the main line. It is based at Crewe.

 

... To remind future generations "never again"!

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I'm certainly no expert on Pacers, but I think the 142004 is amongst the first batch built (1985) and with the 3 x 2 bench seating and different control layout, it does look quite different internally than the others that we have (even though there is only a year or two between them). It is also built by BREL, whereas 143619 was built by Barclay in 1986 and features different controls and seat layout. So both worthy of preservation ( Did I really just say that? Don't tell anyone!)

 

Has there been any acquisition of critical spare parts for any of the Pacers and others?
Anything from Drivers seats to wheelsets.

 

Above my pay grade, but I know there have been some new relays purchased for the 143619 (which successfully operated it's first service yesterday - a school charter). Having 4 sets but only really needing 1 operating does mean there are potential sources of spares on site. . .

 

Two things. First is about what constitutes “preservation” and how that affects the approach taken to “preserved” stock. The second, which you don’t touch on, is the “use and dispose” approach implied in these posts.

Beyond a general view that Pacers are like 100-seaters (more important than loved) I’ve no particular desire for lots to survive or obsession about individual representatives. But I do have concerns about what this usage pattern says about the railways on which they’re based.

 

I must confess i just can't see how preservation and Pacer units have anything in common. Jamesquared makes a fair point about perhaps keeping one in the national collection for the sake of completeness, but how Oswestry or any other preserved line can possibly justify purchasing one is beyond me. I know some examples are donated at nil cost but what about the cost of maintaining them to no useful purpose or visitor interest.

If any preserved line ever does commit to a commuter style service during the week Pacers would be a deterrant rather than an encouragement to travel.

Oswestry isn't going any distance in terms of running line and the public want steam, not a rotting greenhouse built on a primitive chassis. Weigh all 4 of them in for scrap and preserve something worthwhile.

 

Basically, it costs a lot less to operate a DMU (aka Pacer) than it does steam, so for mid-week opening a Pacer makes a little money, whereas a loco hauled (diesel or steam) would lose money. It also only requires 2 train crew.

PS. I won't argue with the greenhouse description.

 

My railway got offered a Pacer several times. We looked at it but decided that there were a number of reasons why we had to decline. Spare parts. The issue of rescuing a failed unit, the sensors on the wheels,, compatibility with other stock, and that’s aside from the general appeal to the public v steam. I tend to agree that like with all “new” things the novelty might have worn off quickly.

 

Of course you're right about operating cost, but it's no good saving on fuel if no one will pay to travel on them.

 

My point was that people do pay to travel on them. We often make more money on Wednesdays than we do Saturdays - with much less effort (Although not nearly as much fun for those of us who just want to play trains )

Most failures seem to be faulty relays, but there are industry standard equivalents than can be used in place of the BR ones.
There are adapters than allow a normal screw coupling loco to 'hook up' to a Pacer.

 

'Twas ever thus. Look how older, more established, heritage railways essentially burnt through cheap Mark 1s. A lot are likely to be scrapped in the next ten years. Hopefully the ones that survive will be the ones that are historically most significant, but I wouldn't necessarily put money on it. There are probably a lot of early diesels which have been "preserved" but aren't safe, and will probably end up being broken up for component recovery. The capacity of the industry to restore and maintain stock is not infinite.

Tom

 

And I’m no more comfortable about that with the Mk1

 

it’s true there are work arounds, though I-think the right decision was made for my railway. I don’t begrudge others using them though, each to their own.

 

I personally think it's a generational thing, what most people associate with their formative years and experiences, naturally they would like reenact their youthful years, Steam, diesel locos, DMU and EMU all have their followings and played a part their stage in life, Heritage is not a static thing it constantly evolves as we aquire newer (old stock) rail stock, they become part of whole spectrum of nostalgia.

I'm sure when diesel locos were introduced to the heritage fleet, I'm sure steam followers were up in arms about them and against their introduction, now they're accepted as part of the heritage scene.

With rise in nostalgia for the 80s and 90s we may see an 80s 90s rail special event one weekend the following weekend a 1940s event then Railway Children followed by Thomas the Tank.

It adds to the collective heritage experience in my opinion.

I will be seing the moaning soon once the Class 195 entering into preservation eventually lol

 

There are plenty enough Pacers for them to settle down in a select number of locations and a representative slice be held and preserved properly to tell the story. Several sets will be lost, and that's fine, spares will change hands and an equilibrium reached. It's been done successfully with First Generation units - indeed the consolidation process is still ongoing after 40 years - and with diesel locos.

I would playfully (and slightly tongue in cheek) suggest that if anything is to be considered strange, it's the obsession and outrage with ditching steam locos for parts. As a community, and Nat Pres IS biased towards steam, there are threads thousands of posts long raking over and over someone ditching a Crab (when there's two others!) or plinthing an A4 when half a dozen more are out there. Are you surprised that on this forum, with it's demographic of members, that people are agreeing with each other that Pacers are no good, don't attract custom and are universally a mistake?

There are only five Pacer classes, with a few major sub types within the 142 and 144 classes. To be honest, you could probably tell the story of them with about eight sets around the UK if a representative of each class variant were preserved "well" somewhere. The challenge, with all the disparate ownership and no such thing as a "national plan", is trying to keep any of the individual variants being lost. Easy at the moment, but as we are finding out with First Generation units, we will eventually see the situation where something unique is on deaths door and likely to be lost, whilst a different class has a dozen identical examples all being invested in and looked after properly. It's a fascinating eco system!

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I dare to say in the examples given people are visiting in spite of there being a pacer rather than for it. I don’t think a railway could be successfully commercial operating just pacers. On the less busy days a diesel and loco hauled stock at least gives passengers that experience of a carriage from 70 years ago. You may have to wait 30-50 years for a pacer to be seen as ‘heritage’ by the public.

 

The Pacers are taking over.

"Love them... Loathe them... maybe they are a guilty pleasure.... whenever anyone mentions a Class 142, 143, 144 they certainly split opinion.
From those peak journeys out of Manchester Victoria on a Class 142, a summer trip along the famous Dawlish Sea wall to Paignton on a Class 143 or a Class 144 from Leeds to Knottingley - everyone can recall a Pacer tale at somepoint..
As many have found their way into railway preservation please join us on Sunday 28th June 2026 at Cambrian Heritage Railways as we are having a PacerFest.
There will be up to 4 sets in operation across our Oswestry & Llynclys sites with a 5th on display. Coupling & Uncoupling demonstrations at Oswestry as well as sets running in pairs, triples and maybe quadruples....
A bus link between Gobowen, Oswestry & Llynclys will be in operation by a very suitable vehicle to allow visitors the chance to travel on all available motive power...
A special timetable will be in place for both bus & train - details of which will be out nearer the time...."

Taken from the Cambrian Heritage Railways facebook account (It doesn't seem to have made it onto the website yet!)

 

Dan Kirkman is going for a long walk for Cancer Research UK.

Dan Kirkman is a fireman at Cambrian Heritage Railway who is also taking on an incredible challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
He is currently walking from bridge 82 on the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire canal via the canal network to Manchester. If that's not enough, he's doing it carrying a pair of 20kg kettlebells.
Still don't think that's enough? He's then going to complete the Manchester 10k with his kettlebells when he gets to Manchester.
You can track his progress on https://www.facebook.com/share/1CmZKpPL1D/?mibextid=wwXIfr
and make a donation if you wish via https://www.justgiving.com/page/82-mcr
We are wishing Dan all the best.