"So today, we're going to be riding *every* pacer in service today." *crickets* ""Thank you for joining us, and make sure to check out our next video, where we travel on every operational hovercraft in the UK."
I won't miss them to be honest, having had to use them on a daily basis from Hazel Grove to Manchester and back for many years. The squeaks, the bumpy ride and the leaks. Not to mention that one of the poles to hold on to got pretty hot, as though it was the exhaust for the engine - Bizarre! However I am glad a small number of them will be on preserved railways to reminisce in 10 or 20 years time, if only to prove a real low point in DMU's that travelled around the UK.
The preserved railways are limited to 25mph so the Pacers will not bounce, and also we will no longer hear that glorious sound as they change up to high gear at 50mph with the transmission on each carriage doing its own thing.
Yes first ones were in the mid 60's as Leyland Railbus Single or two car units, later 3 and 4 car. Then had Leyland National bus bodies in the 70's with a Bus front end on both ends of each one except multi car units that had a blank ends to the middle ones. Those old Leyland horizontal 680 engines have done sterling work over the years, two to each motor unit side by side.
The Pacer is going to end up as an anecdote to tell younger generations... "See when I was a lad, we had trains which weren't air conditioned... We opened a Window!!! A bouncy ride, extremely loud and that wasn't just the engine and let all the weather in... It let the wind and rain in and also the heat. And they lasted for 37 years!!!"
Just wana say Geoff, your videos have been a huge help for me. Im autistic, and struggle a lot in my daily life, and your honestly a huge help when im having a stressful time with course work. Keep up the amazing work, I love pacers so this should be amazing!
He does help I have autism to and my life it so hard but when Geoff uploads I just have my mind come back down to earth. Thanks Geoff for all the help you do for us
This was actually really informative with the interviews of people with differing opinions on the Pacers, Q&A with TfW staff, and cab view. Also, that "HST - High Screech Train" part got me good.
I've just discovered that Google Translate supports Welsh. According to Google Translate, the announcement translates as: "Follow our safer travel advice. A facial cover should be worn unless you are exempt. Plan ahead to avoid busy periods. Keep your distance and wash your hands or use disinfecting fluid regularly." So it's just an announcement about COVID travel advice.
Correct. I'm in Caerphilly and I cannot remember the last time I was given the dubious misfortune of travelling on a nodding donkey-as I called them.....
Never really understood the issue, also commuted daily on them for quite a while and never really had an issue. The noise and movement had no impact on whether I got to where I need to be. And even at their coldest in winter, I was wearing clothes for winter - and considering they were normally packed it was rarely that cold or even close to as cold as outside.
Absolutely amazing that units built for a 20 year lifespan ran for over four decades in daily service. Credit to the builders and the caretakers for jobs well done. As a side note, the proper name for those 'Flappy doors' style of operation is 'Blinker Doors'. Excellent video.
was riding frequently when I was in university of liverpool back in 2015-2019, sadly (happily) it's gone, was a special memory loves from a British railway fan in China
"its a sad day" No Geoff, no it isnt. It's a fantastic day as it means thousands of people will no longer need a chairopractor to fix their back after a ride to work :P There's nothing - nothing, to love about a pacer.
I was a Driver with BR back in the 1990s and spent much of my time with these "lovely" units. I can't think of anything good to say about the 142(the ones we had), so I will mention a funny story, one of my colleagues was heading up to Preston one day with a 142 trailing a 158..... anyway on arrival a really annoyed guard comes up to the cab and says "for the love of god slow down!!" he had forgotten he had a 142 trailing and had run from Wigan to Preston at 90mph.....might be the only time a 142 got that quick!
"You can't leave your assignments until the eleventh hour." The TOCs had over a decade head start to retire the Pacers and they still needed an extension! 😂
Pacers could be nice and warm on freezing Yorkshire mornings and having opening windows meant that on hot days it could be cool without having unreliable air conditioning. And yes I have been rained on in one!
@@petedenton9434 You mean you actually got a seat on the train? Luxury! ;p I do absolutely agree with the usefulness of openable windows though. These more modern trains with sophisticated air-con systems become unbearable hothouses the moment it breaks down.
As a south wales lad born and bred, I have rode on these many a times. I even remember the bench seats with the low backs. Its a shame to see them go as even though they screeched and bounced about, I think a lot of people have become so used to them that they dont even notice the bumps or screeches anymore. For something that was a temporary measure they sure outlasted their time and is indeed time for an update but, I think a lot will miss these icons. Thanks for the great video. Stay safe and keep up the good work.
Simply wonderful, Geoff. And as always, I´ve learned som much from you film; not the least that I have to lament the fact I never mad it (from Sweden) to ride on a Pacer. Or maybe there will a heritage/museum one in the future...
This is a sad day 😞 I have fond memories of riding Northern Rail pacers between Hull and Doncaster and Blackpool to Preston. Yes they were rubbish, but it’ll be strange not seeing them again. End of an era. Thanks for documenting it Geoff!
Glad I was able to help make the video accessible! My sister lives near a railway curve in Cardiff and a loaded coal train makes less noise than a pacer!
Ah man, if I had know you were in and around cardiff I would totally have ambushed you and ridden the last pacer with you! Looking forward to these new trains though!!
The first time I got a Pacer I thought it was a fun little quirky train. After one particularly hungover trip home from Manchester though, I decided I'd definitely had enough of their bumping and screeching!
I work in the building about 1/4 a mile from Cardiff Queen Street, we can hear every single Pacer coming into the station with its distinct screeching it will be weird to not hear that again.
Wonderful video, as always, Geoff! Your editing remains on point and I really like the typeface you used for the station names! Also, "flappy doors" strongly reminds me of "slidey windows, slammy doors" 😄
Thank you for this video, Geoff. Really enjoying it so far as I've lived in Cardiff 13 years and keep my horses 5 minutes down the road from Ponty. :) Nice to see some familiar sights.
The very first time I went to England, the very first train I took in England was a pacer. It ran from Manchester Airport to Wigan Wallgate. I remember wondering if it really was the right train I had gotten in or not. I was waiting to exit the train in one side, when an man told me in the most northern accent I had ever heard at that point in my life, that the platform was on the other side. I had to ask him to repeat a few times before I understood him.
The screeching is cause by the wheelbase length not the number of wheels. The wheelbase of the bogie is much shorter allowing them to go around tighter curves than a fixed long wheelbase vehicle.
@@WCML730 Well 1 314 remains it will be converted to hydrogen but maybe if we start a petition it could be converted back to a 314, put in Carmine and Cream livery and preserved
Thanks for that, I have memories of traveling on them on the main line between Cardiff and Bridgend at speed, bouncy bouncy, fairly alarming when a proper train (HST) came the other way, with the wind almost blowing it off the track. That and the leaks when it rained
If anyone missed out, the British Steel works in Scunthorpe does pacer footplate days. I did one last month and it was really good fun, but maybe that's lockdown changing my expectations.
Looks a lot quieter than the last HST from London/slam door HST - surprised you weren’t there for that? None the less thanks for capturing another end of an era! :)
Hi Geoff, thanks for sharing these, well, trains, sort of. Just as a side note, out Southeastern Class 395 Javelins have a wooden ladder in the emergency cupboard
I am so glad you were on these. So many people have spent the last year or so saying that Pacers are no more, yet those of us around Cardiff have had to keep enduring them. It's a shame you didn't head all the way to Barry Island, you stopped one stop before my local station. I will NOT miss the deafening screeching, being crammed in like sardines, being cooked in the winter by heaters stuck on full blast, or cooked in summer with a lack of AC. That "Old Thameslink Train"? We never get ANY new rolling stock here in Wales. It's always stuff that other operators have decided can't do the job anymore. Electrification? The original plan was to electrify the network but someone decided they couldn't be bothered to pay for it. Maybe it'll still happen, maybe it won't.
I once dated a girl, about 10 years ago from Rhymney Valley and I remember we got the train from there down to Cardiff for the day and I, having never seen a Pacer, I was staggered when I boarded one of these in 2010 like what on earth is this 😂. I loved it.
"You saved my life. (Tom Jones, Tom Jones)" I see what you did there, sneaky but good Space reference. Cooool. Good band. Also, goodbye to the true workhorses of the modern railway.
Usually these were packed with commuters when I traveled along the line between Leeds and Sheffield. The windows were streaming with condensation, there were squeaks and squeals everywhere. The driver would rev the tits off the thing before it would set off. Looking down into the adjacent carriage you’d see the thing rocking like a bouncy castle, it was a miracle that passengers weren’t flying about. Notable that BR didn’t inflict these things on the South East. That ex Thameslink Pacer had individual seats, ours had hateful park-bench style nicked off a bus. They’ve gone, not going to miss these things at all.
Oh, nice to see their last day. I remember them fondly (?) from my days in Greater Manchester when GMPTE (predecessor to Transport for Greater Manchester) deployed them as a way of improving some of the commuter routes in the early 80s. Actually, as a student, I lived in digs near the Altrincham-Hazel Grove line, so we didn’t see them on a daily basis, having much older slam-door stock, and occasional weekend trips out to more exotic locales involving Pacers made them seem impossibly exotic - and modern. Automatic doors! GMPTE opened a new station at a place called Flowery Field (which sounds like it should be on the Magic Roundabout) served by Pacers in their orange and brown Greater Manchester Transport livery, which featured much in advertising the new station!
V happy to see the back of them. Their buslike doors always felt like a putdown of the South Wales lines, into virtual bus routes, hence challenge to their worth of being trains.
“Guess what station” brought me way back: suburban line out of Philadelphia- two stations next each other are Gladstone and Lansdowne Now imagine those called out in a train conductor’s voice... I never knew when I’d missed my stop!
I remember getting the first 142 to come through Roby station when I was a kid. After years of travelling on 101s, it was like a bucking bronco crossed with a Leyland National bus. The most overloaded one was always the 17:57 Wigan NW out of Lime Street. Which was a replacement for a Regional Class 31. The only time I ever really felt unsafe on one, was when a house brick came through the window in front of me.
The Pacer reminds me of the Tyne and Wear metro cars, designed to last 20 years and 40 years later, about to be replaced. I never had a problem with the Pacers, probably because I rarely used them. That bend going from Gateshead to Newcastle, the squealing trains *shudders*
I remember them being brought in as a replacement for the far nicer running stock between Paignton & Exmouth (were they 150s?) - everyone was hoping they were a temporary measure whilst the other DMUs were being cleaned up, but sadly not. Not sure what they did with the better coaches but I was glad to not have to commute for much longer once the Pacers appeared
Having grown up in Penarth and being very familiar with the old squeaky trains, this video has made me quite emotional given I haven't been able to visit home for almost 2 years now! There's something strangely nostalgic about the screech, but I'm glad they're being improved
You have no idea at 1:43 how much I have heard that safety announcement and asked myself how on earth it's written. Thanks for the subtitles! They were true icons of the Valleys, and I'm not looking forward to the tram-trains...
Queen St Station backs onto my workplace, so I have travelled on the pacer many times between Central and Queens St (When its raining) and Cardiff Bay, if I don't fancy the walk. Great to see Wales back in your videos
I'm from down that way and managed to get back to see my family for the first time in a while a couple of weeks ago. Didn't realise that trip was the last time I'd be on a pacer! Thank god for that haha.
When I moved to Leeds a few years ago, Pacers were running a lot on the line and oh boy could you hear them. But in an odd way, even though I didn't see them for too long, I do miss the awful screeching they made. If nothing else, they had a character a lot of trains don't.
Good riddance. Horrible pieces of metal. It’s a disgrace how long the pacer was kept in service. I’ve sat in better trains in Croatia and Romania and at least in those countries the fairs are cheap
Despite the nauseating and uncomfortable rides, I will honour the Pacer proudly as it has ran for 20+ years which is amazing. Rest in Peace. 1975 - 27/11/2020.
Ha! Having followed you for a while now, it's funny to see my local station pop up in one of your videos. I want to be sad that the Pacers have gone but having spent all my train travelling life rattling about on these things under various names - Valley Lines anyone? - I'm looking forward to something a bit more modern. The 21st century awaits...!
I see you got the versions with proper seats... the "posh pacer" as it was called round here :P Got these every day for 5 years on the rickety Northern Rail Chester - Manchester line to work (from the platform at 1:14 if i'm not mistaken), complete with the old bus seats (mostly stained or ripped), leaky everything, folding doors that sometimes needed the conductor to come around and give them a kick, a pervasive smell of something horrible even with all the windows open, deafening squealing on every bend, and heaters that one member of staff told me "we have to leave them on in summer or the engines overheat" which doesn't inspire confidence... occasionally we got the deluxe version with the at least half-decent seats, those were the good days. I can see why some people view these things with some interest as a novel quirk when you've not been on them regularly, but i'm sure everyone who had to experience them day in day out is glad these abominations are no more.
It's good for some of them to be preserved, and I'm all for heritage railways running special pacer days. However they'd better not be tempted to run them in regular service because frankly I'd expect them to pay _me_ to have to ride on them!
I travelled from Darlington to Redcar today, and it was delightful to know in advance that it would not be one of the dratted Pacers. They might have stopped certain lines from closing, but they were horrible to use, say, all the way from Newcastle to Carlisle, bouncing around and being a challenge for anyone with a stroller or a pram. Farewell, Pacer friends. You will not be missed. And some people have actually got one as a mobile classroom or community centre. Well good luck with that!
I was in shock when I started working in Manchester 5 years ago that such atrocious monstrosities existed, talk about a North South divide. Until I experienced Northern trains I had assumed Southern were the worst rail franchise. BTW your Welsh version looks like luxury compared to the ones servicing Burnley :) Good riddance to bad rubbish!
my last Pacer trip was Leeds to Knottingley and back (out via Wakefield, back via Castleford) on a 142 in October 2019. i'd intended to go hunting for more before they disappeared, but alas, Covid got in the way. thank you for providing this little bit of iffy nostalgia. :)
I used to love going on pacers as a child i loved the retro look of them still do it reminds me of a tank with all the rivets showing and engine noises, i love it
They were interesting for their novelty value, but not for those who had to use them every day I guess. Even with the high-backed seats, the leg room was minimal. I'm not quite as tall as you, Geoff, as you know (I'm about 5'8"), but even I was struggling, always looking for a "bay" seat if possible, and then hoping no-one would sit opposite. Removal of just one row of seats each side would have made a difference. I can quite understand why you liked to do press-ups on them, or walk around a bit !!
Thanks Geoff, gonna miss the days of catching these out of Wigan Wallgate. My last trip on one though was from Manchester Victoria to Halifax and back.
I mean, I love vintage trains a lot, but...I'm sorry, I'm firmly with Becca on this one xD THE SCOURGE OF THE PACER MENACE IS FINALLY OVER!! And to be fair, I'm happy that some will still be around on heritage railways - for those that do have some affection for them, that's great! Also I was going to comment on Becca not having a facemask on, then I noticed the Sunflower lanyard she was wearing - that's the 'medical exemption' lanyard, right?
The Germans have a saying: “Nichts hält länger als ein Provisorium.” Nothing lasts longer than a stopgap. The pacer proves it. While some rail fans might mourn their disappearance from afar, I’m sure it is a great relief for commuters, mobility-impaired or otherwise.
The damage these things did to spines across the country, I think they made the formerly fit and healthy into the mobility-impaired that were their downfall
Loved working these units, 142 and 144 were very easy to work from a crew stand point, get a door fault, boot it or use the T-Key to sort out the waist locks. Going to miss them after over a decade of working them. And Leaf Door is what we called them :)
Interesting film,I didn't know TFW had kept a few Pacers back until this time. Whilst I was never much of a fan,I do recognise the contribution they gave to the rail network over the years. Farewell Pacers!!
I have so many happy memories, travelling daily to university and breathing in to squeeze past the toilet door, pushing the flush button several times to get it to flush properly, then putting soap on your hands and then finding out there's no water left in the tap and no paper towels left to wipe the soap off. I will miss the famous QSS (Queen Street screech!).
Yes a pacer would sound even louder when hitting Queen Street station and no idea why. Don’t need aircon in the summer with the gaps in the doors blowing in cold air and smoke from the engine. Then again Andrew if we had a 4 carriage train turn up and half was a pacer and half was a sprinter we would usually go for the pacer end. RIP
"This one seems a lot less squeaky..." SCREEEEEEEEEE!!
Got me, too!
BAHAHAHAAH!!
I got on these to go to Cardiff I em (;
Ahahhahhahhahaha
“Sir Tom, we named a train after you!”
“Fantastic!”
“Here it is!”
“Oh. Er, thanks, lads.”
Naming a train after Tom Jones? It's not unusual.
"...and it's decades old and sometimes makes horrific noises, but some people just can't get enough of it."
"Right. Tidy."
@@raakone different tom
He would be proud
Many a lady (and gentleman) have ridden Sir Tom Jones 😉
The Pacer, the embodiment of the maxim; “there is nothing more permanent than a temporary solution”
The entire British Railway system is an embodiment of that maxim.
"So today, we're going to be riding *every* pacer in service today."
*crickets*
""Thank you for joining us, and make sure to check out our next video, where we travel on every operational hovercraft in the UK."
I think the embodiment of that maxim is the InterCity 125...
same goes for the HST
Or the attitude to areas outside of commuting distance of London.
I won't miss them to be honest, having had to use them on a daily basis from Hazel Grove to Manchester and back for many years. The squeaks, the bumpy ride and the leaks. Not to mention that one of the poles to hold on to got pretty hot, as though it was the exhaust for the engine - Bizarre! However I am glad a small number of them will be on preserved railways to reminisce in 10 or 20 years time, if only to prove a real low point in DMU's that travelled around the UK.
The preserved railways are limited to 25mph so the Pacers will not bounce, and also we will no longer hear that glorious sound as they change up to high gear at 50mph with the transmission on each carriage doing its own thing.
Ugly crap
The 195s and 331s on that line are really good now!
The pacers on that line seem a lot worse than this one. Though ive not been on a Northern Rail train since prepandemic!
As James May once said about something else, "You need one, as a warning from history."
The buses on rails have finally finished their life... As a very long stop gap.
😭
Much like most things to do with the government its never just temporary 🤣
Cheese paring old BR. Well they did the job.
And good riddance to them
Yes first ones were in the mid 60's as Leyland Railbus Single or two car units, later 3 and 4 car. Then had Leyland National bus bodies in the 70's with a Bus front end on both ends of each one except multi car units that had a blank ends to the middle ones. Those old Leyland horizontal 680 engines have done sterling work over the years, two to each motor unit side by side.
The Pacer is going to end up as an anecdote to tell younger generations... "See when I was a lad, we had trains which weren't air conditioned... We opened a Window!!! A bouncy ride, extremely loud and that wasn't just the engine and let all the weather in... It let the wind and rain in and also the heat. And they lasted for 37 years!!!"
Wholesome
Most of my local trains aren't air-conditioned, but with new rolling stock and refurbishments, they removed the ability to open a window!
Let all the heat in, and in winter, let all of the heat out
Just wana say Geoff, your videos have been a huge help for me. Im autistic, and struggle a lot in my daily life, and your honestly a huge help when im having a stressful time with course work. Keep up the amazing work, I love pacers so this should be amazing!
thanks Gavin, you're most welcome. lovely comment ... enjoy the vid!
@@geofftech2 Thank you so much for replying, made my week for certain! Great video!
He does help I have autism to and my life it so hard but when Geoff uploads I just have my mind come back down to earth. Thanks Geoff for all the help you do for us
@@Jason-Clark235 I'd like to know what difficulties autism brings ?
What are your difficulties esp. with coursework ?
This was actually really informative with the interviews of people with differing opinions on the Pacers, Q&A with TfW staff, and cab view. Also, that "HST - High Screech Train" part got me good.
No more Pacers, none of them.
**all the stations theme starts playing**
starts playing backwards*
In minor key
the slow, melancholy version of it
As someone who uses subtitles, thank you for subtitling the Welsh bit. I didn't understand it, but thanks regardless
Yes, fantastic! Beyond me, but awesome!
@vinasu maaj There are quite a few being run on preserved/heritage railways, so don't give up on your plans to ride one :)
I've just discovered that Google Translate supports Welsh. According to Google Translate, the announcement translates as: "Follow our safer travel advice. A facial cover should be worn unless you are exempt. Plan ahead to avoid busy periods. Keep your distance and wash your hands or use disinfecting fluid regularly." So it's just an announcement about COVID travel advice.
Pontypridd is my home station! I spent many years of my life commuting on these trains, and nostalgia aside no-one locally is going to miss them.
Correct. I'm in Caerphilly and I cannot remember the last time I was given the dubious misfortune of travelling on a nodding donkey-as I called them.....
@@markcf83 Nice you will welcome fresh equipment, enjoy!
@@donaldstanfield8862 hardly fresh. I rode on the 769's when they were brand new and on Thameslink services in London.....
Never really understood the issue, also commuted daily on them for quite a while and never really had an issue. The noise and movement had no impact on whether I got to where I need to be. And even at their coldest in winter, I was wearing clothes for winter - and considering they were normally packed it was rarely that cold or even close to as cold as outside.
I live around Cardiff Queen Street, and saw a pacer running the other day, and was surprised it was still running… apparently that was the last day 😅
Absolutely amazing that units built for a 20 year lifespan ran for over four decades in daily service. Credit to the builders and the caretakers for jobs well done. As a side note, the proper name for those 'Flappy doors' style of operation is 'Blinker Doors'. Excellent video.
Blinker doors are fun.
Ah the memories of the Pacer going around the long bend at Gateshead travelling from Sunderland to Newcastle - ear shattering!
Despite all their flaws, the Pacer will always have a special place in my heart as it was the train that took me to visit Nan in Shildon.
LIGHT RAIL they are . Wouldn't it be nice if they were used in city roads separated city roads
I'm not really into trains or railways, but you've managed to get me feeling all nostalgic here - well done!
was riding frequently when I was in university of liverpool back in 2015-2019, sadly (happily) it's gone, was a special memory
loves from a British railway fan in China
"its a sad day" No Geoff, no it isnt. It's a fantastic day as it means thousands of people will no longer need a chairopractor to fix their back after a ride to work :P
There's nothing - nothing, to love about a pacer.
Other than those who commute in on IET's and 70X trains, who will definitely still require a chiropractor
@@electrostarjudgewhat about 701?
Chanced by that Pacer more by luck than judgement not realising it was their last day. Farewell Squeelers. Great tribute Geoff.
I was a Driver with BR back in the 1990s and spent much of my time with these "lovely" units. I can't think of anything good to say about the 142(the ones we had), so I will mention a funny story, one of my colleagues was heading up to Preston one day with a 142 trailing a 158..... anyway on arrival a really annoyed guard comes up to the cab and says "for the love of god slow down!!" he had forgotten he had a 142 trailing and had run from Wigan to Preston at 90mph.....might be the only time a 142 got that quick!
THAT! would have been a squeaky bumpy ride .. .oh my great story - thanks MJC!
The Pontypridd Pacers. Fond and happy memories of them from my university days. Squeak Rattle and Roll.
Lovely words Graeme
"You can't leave your assignments until the eleventh hour."
The TOCs had over a decade head start to retire the Pacers and they still needed an extension! 😂
Pacers could be nice and warm on freezing Yorkshire mornings and having opening windows meant that on hot days it could be cool without having unreliable air conditioning.
And yes I have been rained on in one!
Yes, but on the other hand the sound of the running train in the toilet was louder than anything I've heard before, and seating was extremely cramped.
You mean you used to get one of the few Yorkshire pacers where the heating worked!? You lucky so-and-so!!
@@CountScarlioni it worked on most of the ones I traveled on about 5 years ago. you just needed to know where to sit ;)
@@petedenton9434 You mean you actually got a seat on the train? Luxury! ;p
I do absolutely agree with the usefulness of openable windows though. These more modern trains with sophisticated air-con systems become unbearable hothouses the moment it breaks down.
As a south wales lad born and bred, I have rode on these many a times. I even remember the bench seats with the low backs. Its a shame to see them go as even though they screeched and bounced about, I think a lot of people have become so used to them that they dont even notice the bumps or screeches anymore. For something that was a temporary measure they sure outlasted their time and is indeed time for an update but, I think a lot will miss these icons. Thanks for the great video. Stay safe and keep up the good work.
Simply wonderful, Geoff. And as always, I´ve learned som much from you film; not the least that I have to lament the fact I never mad it (from Sweden) to ride on a Pacer. Or maybe there will a heritage/museum one in the future...
Interesting fact: a locomotive called a rail bus still exists in sri lanka. Its also comprised of a Leyland bus and the bogie. It still operates.
Yes yes true
Thanks, Geoff, happy memories of my time in Cardiff, 1977-80!
This is a sad day 😞 I have fond memories of riding Northern Rail pacers between Hull and Doncaster and Blackpool to Preston. Yes they were rubbish, but it’ll be strange not seeing them again. End of an era. Thanks for documenting it Geoff!
I can’t lie, I have been looking forward to this day for years.
Had to use these Pacers on my commute everyday at one point 😂
A well informed and intelligently presented documentary, with just the right amount of humour and relevant interviews.
Glad I was able to help make the video accessible! My sister lives near a railway curve in Cardiff and a loaded coal train makes less noise than a pacer!
Ah man, if I had know you were in and around cardiff I would totally have ambushed you and ridden the last pacer with you! Looking forward to these new trains though!!
Geoff, you went through Queen Street while I was waiting there, and I didn't even realise!
Damn it!
😆 🤣 😂
Great vid, Liverpool to Manchester was a nightmare with these. Them metal frame seats and big ass roar from engine 👍🏻
Was in the UK in 2018, took one train that was operated by a Pacer (from Hull to York) and lucked out by getting the one prototype unit.
The prototype was the class 140, which was taken out of service in 1986, so not sure what you mean, here.
@@beeble2003 I meant 144012 which was the demonstration of a potential upgrade to the fleet:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_144#Class_144e
I'm glad to have donated to All the Stations and did so for Pontypridd!
Thank you for the video Geoff, was nice to see it in greater detail.
Just want to say, 769002 failed this morning and a 67 rescued it!
The first time I got a Pacer I thought it was a fun little quirky train. After one particularly hungover trip home from Manchester though, I decided I'd definitely had enough of their bumping and screeching!
I work in the building about 1/4 a mile from Cardiff Queen Street, we can hear every single Pacer coming into the station with its distinct screeching it will be weird to not hear that again.
It's like working in a building above an underground station in London.
You work? Wow, considering your username I’m surprised you can make it out of your house! Well done. Must be a nightmare to work with.
I spent 2 nights on the “wrong” side of the Ibis hotel close to Queen st station.. that was a rude awakening 😳
@@Gigachad-kb1pp shut up!
@@Gigachad-kb1pp huh
Thank Geoff for providing thiis video, nice that Wales gets a mention every now and then . Thanks for all your great videos. Keep up the good work sir
Wonderful video, as always, Geoff!
Your editing remains on point and I really like the typeface you used for the station names!
Also, "flappy doors" strongly reminds me of "slidey windows, slammy doors" 😄
Thank you for this video, Geoff. Really enjoying it so far as I've lived in Cardiff 13 years and keep my horses 5 minutes down the road from Ponty. :) Nice to see some familiar sights.
The very first time I went to England, the very first train I took in England was a pacer. It ran from Manchester Airport to Wigan Wallgate. I remember wondering if it really was the right train I had gotten in or not.
I was waiting to exit the train in one side, when an man told me in the most northern accent I had ever heard at that point in my life, that the platform was on the other side. I had to ask him to repeat a few times before I understood him.
The screeching is cause by the wheelbase length not the number of wheels. The wheelbase of the bogie is much shorter allowing them to go around tighter curves than a fixed long wheelbase vehicle.
Your vlogs are gems! Love every one of them. I’ve learned so much.
This is cool 💯 will be checking more of your videos out! Thanks for sharing with us
I heartlily agree with Becca at 3:04 glad to see the back of the pacers, after commuting between Barry and Pontypridd on them for many years .
Same! Anyone romanticising the pacer clearly hasn't screeched through Tondu at 5 agonising miles an hour.
@@lowri.williams or round the curve from Queen Street to Central
@@Welshman2008 Yep! Orchestra of doom.
Excellent video. RIP pacers, they will always have a special place in my heart ❤️
Goodbye Pacers, you will always Pace in our hearts
Most of them have been preserved by comparison the 314 which is in your profile picture has had 0/16 preserved units
@@n1thmusic229 oh, well we still got Pacers. Yep my profile is the Class 314 (Train Sim World 2 Glasgow Cathcart Circle)
@@WCML730 Well 1 314 remains it will be converted to hydrogen but maybe if we start a petition it could be converted back to a 314, put in Carmine and Cream livery and preserved
Thanks for that, I have memories of traveling on them on the main line between Cardiff and Bridgend at speed, bouncy bouncy, fairly alarming when a proper train (HST) came the other way, with the wind almost blowing it off the track. That and the leaks when it rained
If anyone missed out, the British Steel works in Scunthorpe does pacer footplate days. I did one last month and it was really good fun, but maybe that's lockdown changing my expectations.
Looks a lot quieter than the last HST from London/slam door HST - surprised you weren’t there for that? None the less thanks for capturing another end of an era! :)
Hi Geoff, thanks for sharing these, well, trains, sort of. Just as a side note, out Southeastern Class 395 Javelins have a wooden ladder in the emergency cupboard
I can still hear those screeching trains in my head..lived 18 years in Cardiff!
Good job on the subtitling!
Used to have these between chester / Hooton / Ellesmere Port before electrification. Happy times. Great video as always.
Thank you/diolch yn fawr for subtitling the Welsh! As opposed to doing the usual [Speaks in Welsh]
you're welcome Ed! seemed like the right thing to do! i got a little help (but learned some Welsh too...!)
@@geofftech2 nice xd
@@geofftech2 Nice content, please can you make an "All the withdrawn bus routes"
I am so glad you were on these. So many people have spent the last year or so saying that Pacers are no more, yet those of us around Cardiff have had to keep enduring them.
It's a shame you didn't head all the way to Barry Island, you stopped one stop before my local station.
I will NOT miss the deafening screeching, being crammed in like sardines, being cooked in the winter by heaters stuck on full blast, or cooked in summer with a lack of AC.
That "Old Thameslink Train"? We never get ANY new rolling stock here in Wales. It's always stuff that other operators have decided can't do the job anymore.
Electrification? The original plan was to electrify the network but someone decided they couldn't be bothered to pay for it. Maybe it'll still happen, maybe it won't.
I once dated a girl, about 10 years ago from Rhymney Valley and I remember we got the train from there down to Cardiff for the day and I, having never seen a Pacer, I was staggered when I boarded one of these in 2010 like what on earth is this 😂. I loved it.
The squeaking and the construction. The sound of transport, and progress!
I am amazed to see someone so excited about riding the train I have ridden my whole life.
Having grown up with the pacers on the Durham coast line, it’s a very sad sight to see them go, for me at least.
Thank you for the video, Geoff
"You saved my life.
(Tom Jones, Tom Jones)"
I see what you did there, sneaky but good Space reference. Cooool. Good band.
Also, goodbye to the true workhorses of the modern railway.
I think I’ve got that album somewhere!
Usually these were packed with commuters when I traveled along the line between Leeds and Sheffield. The windows were streaming with condensation, there were squeaks and squeals everywhere. The driver would rev the tits off the thing before it would set off. Looking down into the adjacent carriage you’d see the thing rocking like a bouncy castle, it was a miracle that passengers weren’t flying about. Notable that BR didn’t inflict these things on the South East. That ex Thameslink Pacer had individual seats, ours had hateful park-bench style nicked off a bus.
They’ve gone, not going to miss these things at all.
"Three stops past the screech". Genuine directions given to guests coming to my home station by my parents
Oh, nice to see their last day. I remember them fondly (?) from my days in Greater Manchester when GMPTE (predecessor to Transport for Greater Manchester) deployed them as a way of improving some of the commuter routes in the early 80s. Actually, as a student, I lived in digs near the Altrincham-Hazel Grove line, so we didn’t see them on a daily basis, having much older slam-door stock, and occasional weekend trips out to more exotic locales involving Pacers made them seem impossibly exotic - and modern. Automatic doors! GMPTE opened a new station at a place called Flowery Field (which sounds like it should be on the Magic Roundabout) served by Pacers in their orange and brown Greater Manchester Transport livery, which featured much in advertising the new station!
V happy to see the back of them. Their buslike doors always felt like a putdown of the South Wales lines, into virtual bus routes, hence challenge to their worth of being trains.
Nice to see you on my local line. For years I thought all trains were like this. Looking forward to see the new trains round here.
“Guess what station” brought me way back: suburban line out of Philadelphia- two stations next each other are
Gladstone
and
Lansdowne
Now imagine those called out in a train conductor’s voice...
I never knew when I’d missed my stop!
At least here in the UK there'd have been a bit more difference between the two as Gladstone would generally be pronounced glad'stun.
In Danish every station name sounds the same :D :D
I remember getting the first 142 to come through Roby station when I was a kid. After years of travelling on 101s, it was like a bucking bronco crossed with a Leyland National bus. The most overloaded one was always the 17:57 Wigan NW out of Lime Street. Which was a replacement for a Regional Class 31. The only time I ever really felt unsafe on one, was when a house brick came through the window in front of me.
The Pacer reminds me of the Tyne and Wear metro cars, designed to last 20 years and 40 years later, about to be replaced.
I never had a problem with the Pacers, probably because I rarely used them. That bend going from Gateshead to Newcastle, the squealing trains *shudders*
I think their also similar in they both screech around curves and the super bouncy ride
I spent the majority of my late teens and early 20s on them, and it's amazing that they even lasted this long.
I remember them being brought in as a replacement for the far nicer running stock between Paignton & Exmouth (were they 150s?) - everyone was hoping they were a temporary measure whilst the other DMUs were being cleaned up, but sadly not. Not sure what they did with the better coaches but I was glad to not have to commute for much longer once the Pacers appeared
Having grown up in Penarth and being very familiar with the old squeaky trains, this video has made me quite emotional given I haven't been able to visit home for almost 2 years now! There's something strangely nostalgic about the screech, but I'm glad they're being improved
You have no idea at 1:43 how much I have heard that safety announcement and asked myself how on earth it's written. Thanks for the subtitles!
They were true icons of the Valleys, and I'm not looking forward to the tram-trains...
Queen St Station backs onto my workplace, so I have travelled on the pacer many times between Central and Queens St (When its raining) and Cardiff Bay, if I don't fancy the walk. Great to see Wales back in your videos
Oh Maaaannnnn, I remember when they came into service!
The reference to the band Space is what keeps me coming to your videos
Reminds me of an old girlfriend. Bumpy ride, lots of squealing and we’ll skip over the mention of flappy doors.
💀
Gay 💀
@@BethanyBeckett-h2bGFU
Your Girlfriend is not a door
@@BethanyBeckett-h2bwhat about me?
I'm from down that way and managed to get back to see my family for the first time in a while a couple of weeks ago. Didn't realise that trip was the last time I'd be on a pacer! Thank god for that haha.
When I moved to Leeds a few years ago, Pacers were running a lot on the line and oh boy could you hear them. But in an odd way, even though I didn't see them for too long, I do miss the awful screeching they made. If nothing else, they had a character a lot of trains don't.
Good riddance. Horrible pieces of metal. It’s a disgrace how long the pacer was kept in service. I’ve sat in better trains in Croatia and Romania and at least in those countries the fairs are cheap
Flappydoors!
Despite the nauseating and uncomfortable rides, I will honour the Pacer proudly as it has ran for 20+ years which is amazing. Rest in Peace. 1975 - 27/11/2020.
Ha! Having followed you for a while now, it's funny to see my local station pop up in one of your videos. I want to be sad that the Pacers have gone but having spent all my train travelling life rattling about on these things under various names - Valley Lines anyone? - I'm looking forward to something a bit more modern. The 21st century awaits...!
I see you got the versions with proper seats... the "posh pacer" as it was called round here :P Got these every day for 5 years on the rickety Northern Rail Chester - Manchester line to work (from the platform at 1:14 if i'm not mistaken), complete with the old bus seats (mostly stained or ripped), leaky everything, folding doors that sometimes needed the conductor to come around and give them a kick, a pervasive smell of something horrible even with all the windows open, deafening squealing on every bend, and heaters that one member of staff told me "we have to leave them on in summer or the engines overheat" which doesn't inspire confidence... occasionally we got the deluxe version with the at least half-decent seats, those were the good days. I can see why some people view these things with some interest as a novel quirk when you've not been on them regularly, but i'm sure everyone who had to experience them day in day out is glad these abominations are no more.
Lovely video Geoff, sad day it must have been, however, heritage railways are getting them so the haters won't be ridded of the bumpiness just yet
It's good for some of them to be preserved, and I'm all for heritage railways running special pacer days. However they'd better not be tempted to run them in regular service because frankly I'd expect them to pay _me_ to have to ride on them!
I travelled from Darlington to Redcar today, and it was delightful to know in advance that it would not be one of the dratted Pacers. They might have stopped certain lines from closing, but they were horrible to use, say, all the way from Newcastle to Carlisle, bouncing around and being a challenge for anyone with a stroller or a pram. Farewell, Pacer friends. You will not be missed. And some people have actually got one as a mobile classroom or community centre. Well good luck with that!
I was in shock when I started working in Manchester 5 years ago that such atrocious monstrosities existed, talk about a North South divide. Until I experienced Northern trains I had assumed Southern were the worst rail franchise. BTW your Welsh version looks like luxury compared to the ones servicing Burnley :) Good riddance to bad rubbish!
my last Pacer trip was Leeds to Knottingley and back (out via Wakefield, back via Castleford) on a 142 in October 2019. i'd intended to go hunting for more before they disappeared, but alas, Covid got in the way. thank you for providing this little bit of iffy nostalgia. :)
Brings back fond memories of feeling the breeze round your ankles in deep winter on the pacer between Harrogate and Leeds :')
I used to love going on pacers as a child i loved the retro look of them still do it reminds me of a tank with all the rivets showing and engine noises, i love it
They were interesting for their novelty value, but not for those who had to use them every day I guess. Even with the high-backed seats, the leg room was minimal. I'm not quite as tall as you, Geoff, as you know (I'm about 5'8"), but even I was struggling, always looking for a "bay" seat if possible, and then hoping no-one would sit opposite. Removal of just one row of seats each side would have made a difference. I can quite understand why you liked to do press-ups on them, or walk around a bit !!
Thanks Geoff, gonna miss the days of catching these out of Wigan Wallgate. My last trip on one though was from Manchester Victoria to Halifax and back.
I mean, I love vintage trains a lot, but...I'm sorry, I'm firmly with Becca on this one xD THE SCOURGE OF THE PACER MENACE IS FINALLY OVER!!
And to be fair, I'm happy that some will still be around on heritage railways - for those that do have some affection for them, that's great!
Also I was going to comment on Becca not having a facemask on, then I noticed the Sunflower lanyard she was wearing - that's the 'medical exemption' lanyard, right?
Nice video, shame the pacers are gone I really miss them. I used to ride Transport for Wales's pacers quite regularly.
The Germans have a saying: “Nichts hält länger als ein Provisorium.” Nothing lasts longer than a stopgap. The pacer proves it.
While some rail fans might mourn their disappearance from afar, I’m sure it is a great relief for commuters, mobility-impaired or otherwise.
The damage these things did to spines across the country, I think they made the formerly fit and healthy into the mobility-impaired that were their downfall
Loved working these units, 142 and 144 were very easy to work from a crew stand point, get a door fault, boot it or use the T-Key to sort out the waist locks. Going to miss them after over a decade of working them.
And Leaf Door is what we called them :)
One of the things i loved to do way back in my younger years was to stand astride the gap between carriages, it was like a mini funhouse :D
Interesting film,I didn't know TFW had kept a few Pacers back until this time. Whilst I was never much of a fan,I do recognise the contribution they gave to the rail network over the years. Farewell Pacers!!
I have so many happy memories, travelling daily to university and breathing in to squeeze past the toilet door, pushing the flush button several times to get it to flush properly, then putting soap on your hands and then finding out there's no water left in the tap and no paper towels left to wipe the soap off. I will miss the famous QSS (Queen Street screech!).
Yes a pacer would sound even louder when hitting Queen Street station and no idea why. Don’t need aircon in the summer with the gaps in the doors blowing in cold air and smoke from the engine.
Then again Andrew if we had a 4 carriage train turn up and half was a pacer and half was a sprinter we would usually go for the pacer end. RIP
Don't forget the extremely loud sound in the toilet, still makes my ears screech to this day.
For those interested ....
You can drive a pacer train at Yorkshire steelworks at the museum 👍