Arriva Trains Wales 142010 at Cardiff Central on 22 May 2004.

Arriva Trains Wales 142081 in at Cardiff Central also on 22 May 2004.

Arriva Trains Northern 142020 at York on 29 May 2004.

142009 Newton Heath 125 in First North Western's livery of blue with gold stars at Manchester Piccadilly on 18 June 2005.

142056 in the revised Merseyrail livery at Manchester Oxford Road on 19 June 2004.

Distinctive roof of Class 142. 1 July 2006

The British Rail Class 142 is a class of "Pacer" diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. 94 Units were built by BREL (British Rail Engineering) in Derby Between 1985 & 1987. They were a development of the earlier Class 141 Which where introduced in 1984. They are known as Nodding Donkeys by enthusiasts just like the class 143. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 388 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Colne railway station. ... The Lancashire mill town of Colne is situated in the Pendle hills. ... for the singer see Jacques Brel BREL stands for British Rail Engineering Limited, which was the engineering division of British Rail Categories: Stub | British Rail(ways) ... Leyland Bus was a British bus manufacturer. ... A Mancunian class 142 Pacer ( Alternative picture) A Westcountry based Class 143 A Yorkshire based Class 144 Pacer is the operational name of the British class 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 railbuses, built between 1984 and 1987. ... Arriva Trains Wales (Welsh: ) is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches. ... Northern Rail is a train and railway operating company that has operated local services in the north of England since 2004. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... Cheshire (or, archaically, the County of Chester)[1] is a county in North West England. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. ... British Rail Class 143 unit, no. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... North-East England is one of the nine official regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear and a small part of North Yorkshire. ... The dominant rail gauge in each country shown Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... The Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) has been deployed across the entire UK passenger railway network. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 582 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1490 pixel, file size: 790 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): British Rail Class... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 582 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1490 pixel, file size: 790 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): British Rail Class... Arriva Trains Wales (Welsh: ) is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches. ... The term Cardiff Central has several meanings: Cardiff Central station Cardiff Central (UK Parliament constituency) Cardiff Central (National Assembly for Wales constituency) Cardiff central bus station Cardiff city centre Category: ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 581 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1488 pixel, file size: 661 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): British Rail Class... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 581 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1488 pixel, file size: 661 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): British Rail Class... Arriva Trains Wales (Welsh: ) is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches. ... The term Cardiff Central has several meanings: Cardiff Central station Cardiff Central (UK Parliament constituency) Cardiff Central (National Assembly for Wales constituency) Cardiff central bus station Cardiff city centre Category: ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 581 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1488 pixel, file size: 804 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): British Rail Class... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 581 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1488 pixel, file size: 804 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): British Rail Class... Arriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Northern England. ... The approach to York station and the Royal York hotel York railway station is a main-line railway station in the historic city of York. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1490, 540 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Northern Rail British Rail Class 142 Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1490, 540 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Northern Rail British Rail Class 142 Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. ... Manchester Piccadilly station is the principal railway station of Manchester, UK. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street and the south, Glasgow Central, and routes throughout the north of England. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 572 pixel Image in higher resolution (2553 × 1826 pixel, file size: 682 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 142056 - 19/6/04 - Manchester Oxford Road File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 572 pixel Image in higher resolution (2553 × 1826 pixel, file size: 682 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 142056 - 19/6/04 - Manchester Oxford Road File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... The station canopy windows reflecting the Refuge Assurance building Manchester Oxford Road Station is a railway station in Manchester, UK. The station is not actually in Oxford Road but slightly to the north of that thoroughfare, just off (or rather above) Oxford Street, on an elevated track between Deansgate and... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 756 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): British Rail Class... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 756 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): British Rail Class... A Mancunian class 142 Pacer ( Alternative picture) A Westcountry based Class 143 A Yorkshire based Class 144 Pacer is the operational name of the British class 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 railbuses, built between 1984 and 1987. ... This article is about Multiple Units vehicles. ... for the singer see Jacques Brel BREL stands for British Rail Engineering Limited, which was the engineering division of British Rail Categories: Stub | British Rail(ways) ... Derby Carriage and Wagon Works was built by the Midland Railway in Derby, England Railway building began in Derby in 1840, when the North Midland Railway, the Midland Counties Railway and the Birmingham and Derby Railway set up engine sheds as part of their Tri Junct Station. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Class 141. ...

Description

The train body is based on that of the Leyland National bus and many fixtures and fittings of the bus can be found on the trains. The class has a capacity of between 102 and 120 passengers per two-car set. Initially, the same engines and mechanical transmissions were used as per class 141, as well as the double-folding external doors. The first sets were used initially on suburban commuter services around the Greater Manchester PTE area, MetroTrain services around Leeds, Newcastle local services and Devon and Cornwall branch lines. Leyland National operation of London Buses route 110 in 1976 The Leyland National was a British single-deck bus built in large quantities between 1972 and 1985. ... Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive Logo. ... A Class 321/9 electrical multiple unit at Doncaster carrying the original Metro livery. ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ...

The units from Cornwall were eventually moved to Manchester after problems with excessive wheel wear on the sharp curves of the Cornish branches (and complaints from the public due to excruciating squealing noises on curves) and the class 142 has become a common sight especially on services around the North West of England. This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ...

Upgrades and Refurbishments

The class was upgraded in the early 1990s. This was after a number of problems were experienced with the mechanical transmission and engines (including complete seizures), and now all units carry a more powerful engine - 460bhp per unit - and Voith two stage hydraulic transmission, starting with a torque converter which switches to fluid coupling drive once the unit is up to 45 mph. This has proven very successful, although an incident occurred in 2002 when a North Western Trains unit derailed on the Carlisle to Whitehaven line when its engine fell off the chassis. Another detail modification is the replacing of the unreliable double folding doors with standard rigid folding examples used on classes 143 and 144 pacers. The trains have also had new fire extinguisher equipment fitted, and more importantly, the replacement of the cable worked brakes by Direct Acting brakes.

A number of trains were refurbished for use on the Merseyside PTE City Lines around Liverpool which included dot-matrix route indicators, improved seating and Mersey PTE paintwork. The class moved into the control of First North Western at privatisation and all of the surviving units are still in use. The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (MPTE, or Merseytravel, as it is branded) is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. ... Location within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region North West England Ceremonial county Historic county Merseyside Lancashire Admin HQ Liverpool City Centre Founded 1207 City Status 1880 Government  - Type Metropolitan borough, City  - Governing body Liverpool City Council Area  - Borough & City 43. ... First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. ...

Accidents

There have been a number of accidents involving class 142 units since their introduction, the most serious of which happened at Winsford in 1999. The driver of a First North Western unit running empty from Crewe to Liverpool overran a red signal on the slow line and stopped in the path of the 0615 London Euston to Glasgow Central Virgin Trains express, hauled by a Class 87 electric locomotive. ^[2] The impact, which wrote the unit off, severed the pacer's body from its frames, causing severe internal damage, raising the question of whether pacers are crashworthy.^[3] The ensuing report said they are - but recommended that they be replaced in the near future with heavier more sturdy Sprinters. The units are now slowly being withdrawn, however no new trains have been ordered. There have been three major rail accidents near Winsford in Cheshire: // On 17 April 1948, 24 people died when a passenger train was stopped after the communication cord was pulled, and was run into by a following postal express. ... First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. ... Map sources for Crewe at grid reference SJ705557 Crewe is a town in south Cheshire, in the north west of England. ... Location within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region North West England Ceremonial county Historic county Merseyside Lancashire Admin HQ Liverpool City Centre Founded 1207 City Status 1880 Government  - Type Metropolitan borough, City  - Governing body Liverpool City Council Area  - Borough & City 43. ... Two-aspect signal at danger In railway terminology, a Signal Passed At Danger or SPAD describes an event where a train has run beyond its allocated signal block without authority, as indicated by a lineside signal showing danger. ... No. ...

Another major incident occurred at Liverpool Lime Street in 1988 when 142.005 was involved in a heavy collision with a Class 156 Super Sprinter resulting in one car being written off. The British Rail Class 156 Super-Sprinter is a diesel multiple unit. ...

Current Operations

Northern Rail

Northern Rail, who took over from First North Western and Arriva Trains Northern, operate a fleet of 69 Class 142's (72 during Altrincham metrolink blockades). Northern Rail is a train and railway operating company that has operated local services in the north of England since 2004. ... First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. ... Arriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Northern England. ...

Of the 72 Northern Class 142's, 17 are in Merseyrail 'revised' Yellow livery as they are sponsored by Merseytravel PTE, 32 are in First North Western blue with gold stars, 3 Units are in Northern Spirit Livery and the majority of the remaining units still in Arriva livery but with logos and company names removed. Northern has now released some former First North Western trains in it's dark blue and purple livery. Merseyrail is the name given to the electric commuter train network centred on Liverpool. ... The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (MPTE, or Merseytravel, as it is more commonly known) is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport on Merseyside. ... An Arriva train in Denmark Arriva plc is a UK-based international public transport operator and vehicle rental company, headquartered in Sunderland. ... First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. ...

A number are in very poor condition including 142.007 has a damaged exterior after being hit by a tree in stormy weather, 142.005 suffers from leaking, while 142.065 has an excessively noisy engine.

142009 is named "Newton Heath 125 1876-2001".

The government orginally stated that the Pacer's should last for the duration of the franchisee. However, due to their limited capacity and rising passenger numbers in the north of England by about 10% per annum, some have been replaced by Sprinter trains and there are plans to replace more 142s.

Northern Class 142s can normally be seen on the following routes.

• Metrocentre and Newcastle to Morpeth
  
• Metrocentre to Newcastle non-stop
  
• Saltburn to Darlington and Bishop Auckland
  
• Leeds to York via Harrogate
  
• Leeds to Sheffield via Barnsley (stopping service)
  
• Leeds to Sheffield via Wakefield Westagate (stopping service)
  
• Hull to York via Selby
  
• Sheffield to Scunthorpe
  
• Sheffield to Lincoln Central,
• Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly (Hope Valley line)
  
• Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western and Blackpool North
  
• Liverpool Lime Street to Warrington Bank Qauy
  
• Lancaster to Heynsham Port
  
• Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street
  
• Manchester Victoria to Southport and Kirkby
  
• Manchester Victoria to Rochdale
  
• Manchester Victoria to Huddersfield
  
• Manchester Piccadilly to Rosehill,Marple,New Mills Central
  
• Manchester Piccadilly to Chester via Altrincham
  
• Blackpool South to Colne

MetroCentre is the largest shopping and leisure centre in the UK. It has been cited as the largest centre in Europe but the Cevahir Shopping centre in Turkey is now the largest in Europe Worlds 20 Largest shopping Centres. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Map sources for Morpeth at grid reference NZ2085 Morpeth is a small market town in Northumberland, England. ... MetroCentre is the largest shopping and leisure centre in the UK. It has been cited as the largest centre in Europe but the Cevahir Shopping centre in Turkey is now the largest in Europe Worlds 20 Largest shopping Centres. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Map sources for Saltburn-by-the-Sea at grid reference NZ6621 Saltburn-by-the-Sea pier and cliff lift Saltburn-By-The-Sea is a seaside resort in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland, England. ... Darlington, including the town clock. ... Statistics Population: 24,392 (2001) [1] Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ208294 Administration District: Wear Valley Shire county: County Durham Region: North East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: County Durham Historic county: County Durham Services Police force: Durham Constabulary Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance... , Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. ... York shown within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state Constituent country Region Yorkshire and the Humber Ceremonial county North Yorkshire Admin HQ York City Centre Founded 71 City Status 71 Government  - Type Unitary Authority, City  - Governing body City of York Council  - Leadership: Leader & Executive  - Executive: Liberal Democrat  - MPs: Hugh Bayley (L) John... , Harrogate is a large town in North Yorkshire, England. ... , Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. ... Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. ... Barnsley is a large town in South Yorkshire, England, lying on the River Dearne, approximately twenty kilometres north of Sheffield. ... , Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. ... Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. ... Look up hull in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... York shown within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state Constituent country Region Yorkshire and the Humber Ceremonial county North Yorkshire Admin HQ York City Centre Founded 71 City Status 71 Government  - Type Unitary Authority, City  - Governing body City of York Council  - Leadership: Leader & Executive  - Executive: Liberal Democrat  - MPs: Hugh Bayley (L) John... , Selby is a town in North Yorkshire, England. ... Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. ... For other uses, see Scunthorpe (disambiguation). ... Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. ... Lincoln station sign Lincoln Central railway station serves Lincoln in Lincolnshire, England. ... Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. ... Manchester Piccadilly station is the principal railway station of Manchester, UK. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street and the south, Glasgow Central, and routes throughout the north of England. ... Lime Street Station (officially referred to as Liverpool Lime Street) is the mainline railway station serving Liverpool, England. ... Blackpool North railway station is the terminus of the Blackpool branch line from Preston. ... Lime Street Station (officially referred to as Liverpool Lime Street) is the mainline railway station serving Liverpool, England. ... Lancaster can refer to: Places In the United Kingdom: Lancaster, Lancashire The City of Lancaster, the local government district containing Lancaster In the United States: Lancaster, California Lancaster, Kansas Lancaster, Kentucky Lancaster, Massachusetts Lancaster, Minnesota Lancaster, Missouri Lancaster County, Nebraska Lancaster, New Hampshire Lancaster, New York: Lancaster (town), New York... Manchester Victoria Manchester Victoria railway station is the second of Manchesters mainline railway stations, now being much less important than Manchester Piccadilly station. ... Lime Street Station (officially referred to as Liverpool Lime Street) is the mainline railway station serving Liverpool, England. ... Manchester Victoria Manchester Victoria railway station is the second of Manchesters mainline railway stations, now being much less important than Manchester Piccadilly station. ... For other uses, see Southport (disambiguation). ... Arms of the former Kirkby Urban District Council Kirkby (pronounced - the second k is silent) is a new town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England. ... Manchester Victoria Manchester Victoria railway station is the second of Manchesters mainline railway stations, now being much less important than Manchester Piccadilly station. ... For other uses, see Rochdale (disambiguation). ... Manchester Victoria Manchester Victoria railway station is the second of Manchesters mainline railway stations, now being much less important than Manchester Piccadilly station. ... Huddersfield is a large town in England near the confluence of the River Colne and the River Holme. ... Manchester Piccadilly station is the principal railway station of Manchester, UK. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street and the south, Glasgow Central, and routes throughout the north of England. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Marple can refer to either a place in the United Kingdom or in the United States: Marple in Greater Manchester, UK Marple Township in Pennsylvania, US It may also refer to Miss Marple, a fictional character created by Agatha Christie. ... Manchester Piccadilly station is the principal railway station of Manchester, UK. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street and the south, Glasgow Central, and routes throughout the north of England. ... For the larger local government district, see Chester (district). ... Altrincham (pronounced Oltringum) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. ... Blackpool South can refer to Blackpool South (UK Parliament constituency) Blackpool South railway station Both of these meanings relate to Blackpool, a town in North-west England. ... Colne Colne is a town in east Lancashire, in the north-west of England, with a population of around 20,000. ...

Arriva Trains Wales

Arriva Trains Wales use their Class 142, 143 and 150 trains on the commuter lines around Cardiff known as the Valley Lines. All of their 142 fleet now bear the turquoise and cream house colours of Arriva. The 142s were formly used on the former Arriva Trains Northern franchisee. However, they were exchanged for 150s so Arriva Trains Northern didn't have to use 142s on their longer routes. Arriva Trains Wales (Welsh: ) is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches. ... 143603 at Bristol Temple Meads, 28 June 2005. ... Class 150/2, no. ... Cardiff (English:  , Welsh: ) is the capital, largest and core city of Wales. ... British Rail Class 143 unit, no. ...

Fleet Details

First Great Western will recieve 12 sets of Class 142s at the end of the year, which are likely to be used on the Cornwall Branchlines. First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd,[1] a British train operating company owned by First Group, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales. ...

References

1. ^ RailBritain - Class 142.
2. ^ Train driver averts disaster. BBC News (June 23, 1999).
3. ^ Safety fears over commuter trains. BBC News (July 2, 1999).

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British Rail Class 142