‘Derided’ Pacers getting new lives in the heritage sector
THEY have long been lambasted by members of the travelling public – but heritage railways are now queueing up to add a Pacer DMU to their fleets.
A familiar sight to millions of commuters in the north of England, with their distinctive flat front, bus seating and functional design, the first Pacers were built in 1984 to create reliable and affordable trains to replace ageing first generation DMUs from the 1950s and 1960s.
With their low speeds and basic features, the body was based on a Leyland National bus and many fixtures and fittings are shared by both vehicles. Simple to build, run and maintain, with a rarely-surpassed fuel economy of 10 miles per gallon, Pacers quietly provided an essential rail link for commuters in many parts of northern England and Wales – in some cases for over 30 years.
Their use of
