The Aln Valley Railway has announced that they have been donated a two-car Pacer train, adding to their rolling stock list.
The Pacer, No. 144004, will be transported to Lionheart station in Alnwick once it is withdrawn from service at the end of May 2020.
144004 is currently based at Neville Hill Depot in Leeds and has spent working life running around South and West Yorkshire, serving towns like Harrogate, Huddersfield, Leeds, York and Selby.
Although Pacers have a top speed of 75 mph the unit will be limited to a maximum of 25mph on the Aln Valley Railway.
What did the officials say?
John Hurlbutt, the AVR Traction Manager said:
“I would like to thank our friends at Porterbrook for the kind donation of Pacer number 144004 to the Aln Valley Railway. It will eventually help us to introduce a low-cost mid-week service from our station at Alnwick Lionheart to our projected station at Alnmouth. In the meantime 144004 will be running mid-week services between Lionheart and our new halt at Greenrigg, which will be opening in April 2020. This service will commence once we have completed crew familiarisation and training.”
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The Aln Valley Railway aren’t the only Heritage Railway Aiming to Preserve the History of BR Pacers …
Some other fellow Well-Restored Heritage Railways are also Aiming to Purchase/Preserve A Pacer (or 2) Each.
Oh and I do believe the AVR-Alnwick are about to open up their Extension down the Aln Valley as far as Greenrigg (so I heard).
I hope to one day within the foreseeable future to visit this Astonishing Heritage Railway ‘in-person’ to check it out of course.
I’d like to Congratulate the Astonishing Aln Valley Railway on Aiming to Purchase and Preserve, let alone run this 2-Car Pacer Train.
I wonder what sort of livery the AVR-Alnwick might choose if they do repaint there own ex-BR Pacer in a different paintwork, even as part of said Restoration in-between.
I always knew these Pacers have indeed the potential of entering UK Preservation, Surely
they make a cracking addition to the UK Preservation Movement.