Pacer (train)
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Pacer is the operational name of the British class 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 railbuses, built between 1984 and 1987. The Pacer railbuses are still in use today.
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[edit] Background
The 'Pacer' series was a project by British Rail (BR) to create a train, with low running costs, for use on rural and suburban services. At the time, BR was under increasing financial pressure from the government including proposals to cut more rail lines. BR set a challenge to several companies to design a cheap, lightweight train similar to railbuses. Since then, over 200 Pacer trains have been built, with many of them continuing to be in service 25 years later.
[edit] Class 141
The Pacer series was the result of an experiment to see whether the possibility of using bus parts to create a diesel multiple unit was viable - the results of this are still undecided. The initial prototype, known as LEV-1, was a joint project by the British Rail Research Division and Leyland Motors using a bus body mounted on a modification of an existing freight vehicle underframe (HSFV1). This was followed by the two-car prototype class 140, which was built in 1984 at the British Rail Engineering (BREL) Derby works. The prototype was joined by another 18 cars to form the class 141 fleet. The units were used mainly in the North-East of England, operating on mainly suburban services. They had a capacity of 94 passengers per two-car set, and two Leyland T11 motors gave a total of 410bhp, resulting in a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h). The entire class underwent a technical upgrade in 1988 at the Barclay works in Kilmarnock, and were withdrawn from use in the mid-1990s. They have since been sold to the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways whilst a few remain at Wensleydale Railway near Northallerton in North Yorkshire. Because it used a standard Leyland National body, the Class 141 was narrower than the later Pacers, and could therefore accommodate only standard bus seating. The later Pacers had widened body panels to allow an increase in seating.
[edit] Class 142
The next and largest Pacer class was the Class 142. This again was built by Leyland and BREL, in 1985. The chassis was based on that of Leyland's National bus, built at Lillyhall, Workington in Cumbria. Many fixtures and fittings of the Leyland National could be found on the train. The new class had a greater capacity of 106 passengers per two-car set and the same engines were used. The first sets were used initially on Devon and Cornwall branch lines and on commuter services in the Manchester area. The units from Cornwall were eventually moved to Manchester and the Class 142 has become a common sight on services around the North-West of England. The class was upgraded in the early 1990s to include more powerful engines, which gave a total power output of 460 bhp per two-car set. A number of trains were then modified for use on the Merseyside PTE city lines around Liverpool, which included dot-matrix route indicators, improved seating and Merseyrail PTE paintwork. This class moved into the control of First North Western at privatisation and subsequently passed on to Northern Rail and Arriva Trains Wales who have since operated it. 8 units have now been withdrawn from service, replaced by a cascade of British Rail Class 158s.
[edit] Class 143 & Class 144
Around the same time of the Class 142 development, a Pacer railbus was being developed by the Kilmarnock-based Barclay works. The train used a Walter Alexander bus body. The train was given the number Class 143 and entered service in 1985. Again with 2x205 bhp motors giving a total output of 410 bhp and a top speed of 75 mph, the class originally had a capacity of 122 passengers. The class was used in the North-East of England, before being transferred to Wales and was moved over to Wales & West Trains control during privatisation. It then passed on to Wessex Trains, which became part of the Great Western franchise. The interior was completely changed in 2000, when the Valley Line service was introduced, with full back, coach-type seating installed throughout, along with improved fittings. This reduced seating capacity to 106 seats per set. A similar Class 144 train, a Walter Alexander body on BREL underframe, was introduced in 1987, of two-car sets of 122 seats and 10 three-car sets with a total capacity of 195 passengers and 690 bhp, though still limited to 75 mph. The 144 class were used in the North East, passing to MTL Trains (now Northern Trains) at privatisation.
[edit] Disadvantages
Although the Pacer is economical, there are limitations to using bus parts for railway use. Instead of the more usual bogies, Pacers use a basic four-wheel two-axle configuration. The lack of articulation can result in a rough ride, especially over points and around tight curves. Other performance problems include poor acceleration and poor reliability for some units. The basic bus bench seating can also be uncomfortable and has given rise to the nickname "Nodding donkeys" due to the up and down motion on uneven track. The inward-opening doors similar to those on buses can be unreliable and the two-step entrance make loading slower and hard for the elderly and those in wheelchairs.
Doubts were raised about safety after the Winsford crash, which involved an empty First North Western Class 142 colliding with a Virgin Trains Class 87 and coaching stock at Winsford, Cheshire on the West Coast Main Line.
No railbuses have been produced in Britain since the Pacer classes.
[edit] Replacements
Most Pacers are over 20 years old, with some over 25 years. Train Operating Companies (TOCs) are researching ways of trying to replace the Pacer, although little progress has yet been made. Northern Rail has said it would replace Pacers with Chinese lightweight trains. Arriva Trains Wales announced in early 2006 that it would replace Pacers by 'displacing' its fleet with Class 170 Turbostar trains, although nothing has been ordered. It looks possible that Pacer trains could be in operation for at least another decade. It would not be suprising to see some of the Pacers lasting for more than another 15 years.
