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The units are currently used on short distance services around Cardiff and Exeter. Previously they were common on services in the Bristol area.
The units are currently used on short distance services around Cardiff and Exeter. Previously they were common on services in the Bristol area.

In Cornwall, these are known locally as Class 158s. Not to be confused with the other types of Class 158 seen in Cornwall.


==Technical==
==Technical==

Revision as of 00:13, 30 November 2017

British Rail Class 143 Pacer
A Great Western Railway unit at Exeter.
Refreshed interior as used in service by Great Western Railway.
In service1985 - present
ManufacturerHunslet-Barclay and Walter Alexander
Order no.
  • 31005 (DMS)
  • 31006 (DMSL)[1]
Family namePacer
ReplacedFirst generation DMUs
Constructed1985-1986[1]
Entered service1985
Refurbished1990s/2001-2002[2]
Number built25 trainsets
Number in service23 trainsets
Number scrapped2 trainsets (both due to fire)
Formation
  • 2 cars per trainset
  • DMS+DMSL[2]
Diagram
Fleet numbers
  • 143001-143025 (sets, as built)
  • 55642-55666 (DMS)
  • 55667-55691 (DMSL)[4]
Capacity
  • 62S (DMS)
  • 60S (DMSL)[1]
Operators
Depots
Lines served
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel[2] underframe. Aluminium alloy body and roof.
Car length15.546 m (51 ft 0 in)[3]
Width2.695 m (8 ft 10.1 in)[3]
Height3.515 m (11 ft 6.4 in)[3]
DoorsTwin leaf pivot[2]
Articulated sections2
Wheelbase9.000 m (29 ft 6.3 in)[3]
Maximum speed75 mph (121 km/h)
Weight
  • 24 t (24 long tons; 26 short tons) (DMS)
  • 24.5 t (24.1 long tons; 27.0 short tons) (DMSL)[1]
Prime mover(s)
  • 1 × Cummins LTA10-R[7] 230 hp (170 kW) (per car)[2]
  • (Originally fitted with Leyland TL11[1] 6-cylinder 11.1-litre)
Engine type10-litre[7] diesel
Cylinder count6
Power output
  • Cummins: 225 hp (168 kW) at 2100 rpm[7]
  • Leyland: 205 hp (153 kW)[1] at 1950 rpm
Transmission
HVACEngine waste heat, ducted warm air[3]
BogiesNone, Ax1[3] fixed axle
Braking system(s)Air[3]
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemBSI[8]
Multiple workingClasses 14x, 15x and 170[2]
Headlight typeFluorescent[3]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 143 is a diesel multiple unit, part of the Pacer family of trains introduced between 1985 and 1986. They originally worked in the North-East of England but were later transferred to Wales and South-West England.[9]

The Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2008[10] require that all public passenger trains must be accessible by 1 January 2020. No Pacer trains currently meet this requirement. Porterbrook has proposed an extensive refurbishment of the Class 143 and 144 units in an attempt to meet this requirement although this would significantly reduce the number of seats.[11] Northern must not operate any Pacer trains after 31 December 2019. They are required to order at least 120 new self-powered vehicles and are permitted to take on Sprinter and Turbostar units released by other franchises.[12] The Long Term Passenger Rolling Stock Strategy for the Rail Industry indicates up to 500 non-electric carriages will need to be built in the short term.[13]

The units are currently used on short distance services around Cardiff and Exeter. Previously they were common on services in the Bristol area.

In Cornwall, these are known locally as Class 158s. Not to be confused with the other types of Class 158 seen in Cornwall.

Technical

Unlike most other stock on the UK network, Class 143s (in common with other Pacers) lack bogies, instead having single axles at each end of the vehicle (Red Boxes).

At around the same time as the British Rail Class 142 was in development, a Pacer railbus was being developed by Kilmarnock-based Hunslet-Barclay. The units used a Walter Alexander bus body and entered service in 1985. Again with 2 × 205 bhp (153 kW) engines giving a total output of 410 bhp (306 kW) and a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h), the class 143s originally had a capacity of 122 passengers per 2-coach unit.[citation needed]

As with all Pacer units, the 2-axle non-articulated wheel arrangement has given rise to problems with wheel noise on low-radius curves and poor ride quality in general.[citation needed] The interiors were completely changed in 2000, with bespoke Chapman high-back seating installed throughout, along with improved fittings, replacing 2+3 bus-style low-back seating; this reduced seating capacity to 106 seats per set.[citation needed]

Liveries

Interiors

  • Wessex Trains
    Wessex Trains
  • Wales and West 'Valley Lines'
    Wales and West 'Valley Lines'
  • Arriva Trains Wales
    Arriva Trains Wales
  • First Great Western
    First Great Western
  • Great Western Railway
    Great Western Railway

Incidents

On 17 October 2004, Wessex Trains unit 143613, forming the 20:06 2W63 service from Bristol Temple Meads to Weston-super-Mare with 143621, caught fire between the site of the former Flax Bourton railway station and Nailsea and Backwell. Fire services took two hours to get the blaze under control. Of the 23 passengers and crew three were treated on-site for the effects of smoke inhalation. One carriage was completely burnt out, and the other was badly damaged, causing the train to be written off.[14] The line through Nailsea was closed until 03:30 the following morning, when the train was hauled to St Philips Marsh Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot for examination.[15] The unit was later taken to Crewe Works where it was stored,[15][16] then later to Cardiff Canton TMD where it was scrapped.[17] The Rail Safety and Standards Board issued a report into the incident, concluding that the fire was caused by electrical arcing between the live starter motor cable (which had damaged insulation) and the unit's underframe, causing accumulated oily residues to ignite.[18]

Fleet details

Class Operator No. Built Year Built Cars per Set Unit nos. Notes
Class 143 Arriva Trains Wales 15 1985-1986 2 143601/602/604-610/614/616/622-625 143615 withdrawn after fire damage (2005)
Great Western Railway 8 143603/611/612/617-621 143613 withdrawn after a fire (2004)

Named units

One unit has received a name:[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Fox 1987, p. 41
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Class 143". The Railway Centre. Archived from the original on 9 March 2005.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Vehicle Diagram Book No. 220 for Diesel Multiple Unit Trains (Railcars) (PDF). Derby: British Railways Board. 1982. DP236, DP237. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ a b Fox 1987, pp. 41–42
  5. ^ a b Fox & Hughes 1994, p. 26
  6. ^ "Fleet lists: Class 143". thejunction.org. Archived from the original on 17 January 2007.
  7. ^ a b c Pritchard & Fox 2009, p. 14
  8. ^ "System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles". Rail Safety and Standards Board. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Class 143". The Railway Centre. Archived from the original on 8 March 2005.
  10. ^ "The Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2008".
  11. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ "Northern: Invitation to Tender" (PDF). Department for Transport. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  13. ^ "More rolling stock needed as passenger growth rises again". Railnews. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  14. ^ "Commuters escape from train blaze". BBC News. 19 October 2004. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  15. ^ a b "December 2004 magazine". Cardiff & Avonside Railway Society. December 2004. Retrieved 27 April 2012. A serious incident just short of Nailsea & Backwell station (alongside the common), saw the 2W63 20.06 Temple Meads-Weston-super-Mare local Wessex Trains service, formed with 143613 + 143621, stopped and evacuated due to a fire which gutted coach 55654 and smoke damaged 55679 (both from set 143613). Fire services took two hours to get the blaze under control, the flames reaching around 20 feet in height, but there were no serious injuries, three persons being treated for smoke inhalation of the 23 passengers and crew travelling on the service. The mainline was closed until 03.30 the following day, the units being dragged back to Bristol and store at St.Phillips Marsh depot for examination. The fire was thought to have started due to a mechanical fault. 19/10 143613 was taken to St Phillips Marsh for an investigation into the fire. The main frame of 55654 was badly buckled and it is beyond repair. The unit was taken by road to Crewe Works later in the week.
  16. ^ "November 2005". Cardiff & Avonside Railway Society. November 2005. Retrieved 17 June 2012. Stored: 143613/615 - ZC [Crewe Works]
  17. ^ "September 2006". Cardiff & Avonside Railway Society. September 2006. Retrieved 17 June 2012. Disposals: Pullman : 143613 @CF [Cardiff Canton]
  18. ^ "August 2005 section: "Miscellaneous"". Cardiff & Avonside Railway Society. August 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  19. ^ "DMU FORMATIONS". AbRail. Retrieved 27 March 2015.

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 143.
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