Off The Rails: The Pacerailer

Off The Rails: A Series Diving Into The Lost & Forgotten History Of British Rail.
A Decade Before British Rail Started Work On Their Infamous Pacer, One Former RAF Wing Commander Was Hard At Work On His Own Railbus, The Pacerailer!
Thanks for Watching!

[@user-tb5my2xg5i]

I saw one of these Sadler Railcars at Droxford, on the Meon Valley Railway, in Hampshire, and met and spoke with yer actual Mr. Sadler. It was a pity this concept was not taken further - we may still have the Hayling Island Branch if it was successful!

[@NickRatnieks]

I also saw it at Droxford in 1971. I am pretty sure it was 1971 but the narrator said it was burned in 1970. I saw some burned carriages at Droxford and I found a small window in the bushes which I still have which I think would be from a Maunsell coach..

[@Eric_Hunt194]

Love how the Sadler name is just one typo away from the Swiss company which offers a much better solution for lightweight rail transport! Also, I miss the 141s. They may have been rubbish but they were a big part of my childhood in West Yorkshire.

[@joj.]

I kind of feel the same (also West Yorks). Even though they're awful trains, they still kept routes running for lack of other stock. Since their withdrawal, my local station has gone from hourly service to 3 trains total per day. I'd much rather a crappy pacer than nothing at all.

[@aleccoates9094]

"I propose we order our new rolling stock from Sadler" "You mean Stadler?" "No."

[@esmeephillips5888]

The Isle of Wight project was called Vectrail. A few years later tourist trains did run over the test bed, but steam-hauled and with small windows. It became part of what is now the Wootton-Smallbrook section of the onetime Ryde Pier Head-Cowes line. Seems weird to envision running up to 70 mph on tracks closed by Beeching and not maintained afterwards. Anyway sightseers do not want the scenery to go by in a flash.

[@Mariazellerbahn]

3:35 Hughie Green takes the controls. And I mean that most sincerely.

[@johnjephcote7636]

C Hamilton-Ellis's "lovely Meon Valley Line" was also used for the Black Magic Chocolate ads with someone on a carriage roof delivering the goods "All because the lady loves..."I remember the skirted AC Cars railbuses on the St.Albans - Watford branch in the very early 1950s. They were very rough-riding. Pre-War, the LMS tried out a single decker bus with a roadrailer gear interchanging flanged wheels and rubber tyres on the former Midland Railway Hemel Hempstead branch.

[@SirThanxalott]

I never liked the pacers anyway. A friend of mine in elementary school described his trip to Wales, saying that when he rode one, it felt like he was on a bouncy castle.

[@dancedecker]

I'm sorry, but whilst I fully commend you on your excellent video of the Railpacer experiment, I have to stand up for the Pacer 142s. The Pacers probably saved more branch lines than we will ever know about. They were built as a 9 year 'stop gap', awaiti g abetter replacement, which never happened and meant they had to soldier on for over 40!! And unlike any other class of DMU, I have NEVER been on one that broke down. On welded rail, they were excellent. It was only on joined rail that they became "nodding donkeys" and even then, not always. They had, by far, the most favoured driving positions of staff and were so basic as to be so easy to fix any smaller "issues," usually with a kick or a screwdriver. Were they perfect? No. Absolutely not. But did they do an excellent, reliable, very cost-effective, and trojan job for FAR longer than they were EVER intended to do? Yes, absolutely they did This is why so many of them have, quite rightly, been snapped up by heritage railways, not only because they are a legitimate part of our railway's history, but also as they are a very viable source of rolling stock at minimum cost to the heritage railways concerned. So I'm sorry, but the Pacer was a much maligned and unfairly so, reliable, very efficient, and cost-effective vehicle.

[@samtennant]

Looking forward the upcoming video about the Mythical RB1, than ran between Coleraine & Portrush!

[@stephenricketts7764]

I spent a large part of my life living in Southampton but apart from the proposal to run these on the Isle of Wight I don't really remember much about them so it was an interesting insight into the concept. It would never have got off the drawing board today if you were to enter from track level, health and safety would have had kittens on the spot! A good video thank you.👍👍

[@martinsurridge7390]

This "prototype" vehicle could be entered via a platform, the flip out stairs were a idea for additional stopping points on a branch, so a platform would not have to be built, which is not a h&s problem as some existing branch lines did this already, hence GW auto coaches & some of the BR 4w rail buses having retractable passenger steps at the doors.

[@stephenricketts7764]

@@martinsurridge7390 Ah understood, thank you for the information Martin.👍

[@clangerbasher]

My favourite 'rail bus' is the DB Class 670.

[@eattherich9215]

I'm glad that footage of this rather bizarre idea still exists.

[@macjim]

That really was interesting as I’d heard of the plans to run these trains on the Isle of Wight but never found what it was all about… now I know! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@UPnDOWN]

Enjoyed that, thanks. I'm local to Droxford and had read about this but never seen a video on it.

[@MelanieRuck-dq5uo]

I wasn't going to watch this, but, I did and it is very very interesting. A largely unknown (for me) piece of transport history.

[@cujimmy1366]

And Train carriages are often called Coaches...😂

[@andrewhotston983]

Building such a railbus which could only go in one direction was just stupid! No wonder no-one ordered one.

[@1171karl]

I'm not sure promoting it as a vehicle to sightsee on closed lines was the best decision - I'd think that would be quite a limited market.

[@MonopodMan]

For a moment there, I thought the Pacerailer was American just by the looks of it

[@Demun1649]

Derby didn't have to do anything. It just IS. Same goes for Clacton and Southend.

[@johnspurgeon9083]

It would be interesting to hear why the IOW project was abandoned. I gather it got a bit messy and Sadler walked away.

[@user-iz1hd9si3m]

Isn't it the case that BR/British safety regs never really understood, nor wanted to, the requirements of light rail?

[@someonebald2022]

Derby may have inflicted the Pacer onto the Northern Provinces, but it MUST have something to redeem it. Doesn't it?

[@alanjewell9550]

I commuted on Pacers for a number of years. They were fine on the continuously welded Aire Valley route. They provided a cheap way to maintain a high density service & their longevity is the proof.

[@timbounds7190]

@@alanjewell9550 Longevity? Not really....its all down to the Govt. They decided that 40 year old crap was good enough for Northerners and other yokels, and they were only forced to dispose of them when accessibility regulations made them illegal. Awful things....

[@dancedecker]

I totally disagree. They were meant to be a 'stop gap' for about 9 years, but due to government underfunding as usual, were forced to last for over 40. On welded rail they were absolutely fine and probably saved more lines from closure due to their low costings than we will ever know. Perfect? No. But successful definitely. See how many have been snapped up by heritage railways to be an economic, reliable form of stock. And I NEVER went on one thst broke down. No other class can I say that for. ​@@timbounds7190

[@marionbloom1218]

It's easy to knock the Pacers nowadays when we have a lot nicer rolling stock. But you need to remember that they saved a lot of less used branch lines by providing a cheap alternative when the only other option would have been closure. And it wasn't just the North that used them, they were commonplace in Wales and the South West as well. If it wasn't for the Pacer, a lot more branch lines would have closed. They were better than no train at all. So give them the credit they are due.

[@dancedecker]

@@marionbloom1218 I absolutely totally agree. Well said.

[@linkherozxdify]

These, sort of, still exist in Japan. Although a much better design that the Pacerailer and used in a much better way kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZ-YZ5WDj56Ce5o

[@robertp.wainman4094]

I'm trying to think of the coach model this was adapted from?

[@uk-martin4905]

The slightly angular front reminded me a little of Duple Viceroy bodywork if viewed through half-closed eyes in poor light. The side has a (very) vague ECW feel to it. I, too, was trying unsuccessfully (obviously!) to identify its origins Perhaps it was a relatively obscure bodybuilder from that part of the country - Wadham Stringer or Strachan maybe - but I'm not very familiar with their products. It certainly had a little more style than a Leyland National bus body which was as nasty on the road as it was on the rails.

[@robertp.wainman4094]

@@uk-martin4905 I agree with you about it having a vague feel of ECW - do you think there's a resemblance to the AEC Sabre body?

[@TexRenner]

He only wanted to be a really useful engine.

[@charliewatson4248]

No mention of STRACHANS who bodied it.

[@josephturner7569]

I took one of them once and got off half way and looked for a bus.