Personally I like them all. The Class 141 would fit on the Leeds-Huddersfield section of NTP. The Class 142 and 143 would both work with TVL. The only one that has no current route to run on is the original prototype Class 140 (and perhaps the earlier single car LEV prototypes).
Personally I’d love to see all the pacers for the parts they played in keeping open lines that would otherwise be long gone and shut.
One which can be used on loads of lines so they can reuse it as layers across multiple DLC, maybe across the North of England and South Wales
I think a 142 would be best for the first one, mainly because they could be seen all across the North and South Wales so has many potential routes, aswell as being suitable for TVL. I'd personally want it with the original bus style seats, that survived until the end on many units, for the best passenger experience. Saying that, a 144 would be equally good in my opinion, being the type of pacer I rode and saw the most, but they were not as wide spread, mostly serving lines in Yorkshire.
I, unashamedly, don't hate Pacers, so I'd love to see the 141, 142 and 143. At the very least, there should be one, but judging by the responses here...looks like the 142 is it.
Ahhhhh Pacers.... The marmite of British Rail I would love to see all of them at some point but I would have to go with the Class 142. In my, probably controversial, opinion they are the most iconic out of them all. Routes however, I can think of loads but I will name some of the ones I feel would be cool to take a pacer on: . Lincoln-Sheffield (Yes, I only chose this as Lincoln is my local station ) . Exmouth- Paignton . Newcastle- Carlisle . Pretty much anywhere in... ehem... Yeerrrkshire! . Welsh Valley Lines (obviously a portion of them, not the entire thing!)
Definitely pacers were the mainstay of trains on the route from Sheffield/Worksop/Gainsborough to Retford and Lincoln central happy memories of the nodding donkeys
142 143 for TVL with 1989 Paint 144 Pacer for NTP 1986-1989 Leeds Huddersfield in an Emergency Standege Tunnel service
Whichever one they can accurately model to be on the scrapheap as background scenery for a decent train . In all seriousness I'd only ever be bothered with a Pacer if it was in BR colours, so whichever looked best back then, they all look atrocious in their post-privatization liveries.
Oooh, I have given out a lot of likes in this thread... but that's because the number 142 keeps popping up.... ;-) When it comes to Pacers, the 1-for-2 is certainly the way to go (but you shouldn't normally do that with axles, because they tear up the track...). But what I can't decide is which livery, for the next N gauge purchase.... I am tempted by Northern (debranded) because that was the last one I went on, but unsure the purple will look right........and I am strangely drawn to the Tyne and Wear one, which is the cheapest in the Dapol range, and for some odd reason always looks much smaller than the others (in real life too, I have no idea why....).... But I feel I should probably really get the blue and bright blue BR Provincial one because that is the first one that I went on..... I don't like using this word... but.... LOL.... I think that one is also the "iconic" one.... None of them are ready for purchase yet.... and I have just spied a Dutch liveried Class 33 for under £100, which is available right now........ hmmm....... ;-O Oooh - just realised - it has to be BR Provincial, because then it would colour match quite well if I ever get a 150 Sprinter..... so it has been decided. I have been pondering this for months - but thanks to this thread, I have my answer...!
It definitely did prior to Covid but i'm not so sure if it still does. Edit: Just checked and you have to go to Leeds or Sheffield and then change. Edit 2: I'm a spoon, trains do run direct to Huddersfield but only on Sundays.
Simple answer: Any of them! Given that a surprisingly large number of Pacers across all four classes have entered preservation, there are certainly a lot of choices for heritage routes on which to run them.
Or even better a loco megapack of "regional DMUs" that can be used on most routes outside of the Southeast
Aesthetically I prefer the 143/144, however the 142 makes the most sense. They were by far the most common type and would fit a route either in South Wales or the North of England. While they were less common than the 143s in the West Country, they weren't unheard of there so depending on the time period they wouldn't be too out of place there either.
Haha yes I was joking! I’d be more than happy to pay £30-40 for a mega pack of 2nd Gen DMUs if done well.
Personally I preferred the 143’s as they looked less like a Leyland National bus, but the 142’s were more common so essentially the first choice for this type of unit if it ever makes it into TSW.
The similar 144 also has quite a few points in its favour, given that out of all four types almost all of the ones that were built (19 out of 23 units) have been purchased for preservation, of which 15 are in operational condition at heritage railways across the UK, so that certainly would give DTG a lot of room for route choices.