Sensational Southport
Back in early January 2019, I joined NIGHTSHIFTWORKER on a very enjoyable impromptu tour of the Northwest one evening. The aim was to capture some night shots of some of the multiple units that have unfalteringly served the region - and British public - for many years but are now facing the end of the line. The tour took in Preston and Southport with Class 142 "Pacers" and the Merseyrail Class 507/508s being the main targets. Class 319s also put in a guest appearance.
Merseyrail Class 508, 508 143 stands in Platform 3 having arrived with the 2S59 20:21 Hunts Cross to Southport service. It would then form the 2U65 21:43 Southport to Hunts Cross working.
Visible behind the 508 over on Platform 6 was another of the units nearing the end of their careers we'd come to capture - Class 142 Pacer, 142 041. The Pacer was stabled along with Class 156, 156 461, in between arriving with the 2L73 18:19 Blackburn to Southport service and leaving a couple of hours later with the 2J73 22:18 Southport to Manchester Victoria working.
The Class 508 EMUs were built in York between 1979 and 1980 and it was intended that they would work on the Merseyrail network from new. However, stock shortages in the Southern Region meant they were diverted down South to work out of Wimbledon depot and did not move to Merseyside until 1982-1984. They were originally built as four-car units, but the sets moved to the Northwest were reduced to three-car, as the Merseyrail network is designed to deal with six-car trains as a maximum.
At 40 years old, the 508s are some of the oldest units left in service and are to be replaced by the new Class 777 due to enter service in 2020-21.
The Class 142 Pacers were built at BREL's Derby Litchurch Lane works between 1985 and 1987 - with 96 units built. Infamously a combination of a Leyland Bus body on a freight wagon chassis, the railbuses have been much maligned over the years. However, they have provided an invaluable "stop-gap" solution for regional commuter services for almost three decades. The Pacers do not meet new PRM laws coming in from 2020, so are now nearing the end of their service.
Sensational Southport
Back in early January 2019, I joined NIGHTSHIFTWORKER on a very enjoyable impromptu tour of the Northwest one evening. The aim was to capture some night shots of some of the multiple units that have unfalteringly served the region - and British public - for many years but are now facing the end of the line. The tour took in Preston and Southport with Class 142 "Pacers" and the Merseyrail Class 507/508s being the main targets. Class 319s also put in a guest appearance.
Merseyrail Class 508, 508 143 stands in Platform 3 having arrived with the 2S59 20:21 Hunts Cross to Southport service. It would then form the 2U65 21:43 Southport to Hunts Cross working.
Visible behind the 508 over on Platform 6 was another of the units nearing the end of their careers we'd come to capture - Class 142 Pacer, 142 041. The Pacer was stabled along with Class 156, 156 461, in between arriving with the 2L73 18:19 Blackburn to Southport service and leaving a couple of hours later with the 2J73 22:18 Southport to Manchester Victoria working.
The Class 508 EMUs were built in York between 1979 and 1980 and it was intended that they would work on the Merseyrail network from new. However, stock shortages in the Southern Region meant they were diverted down South to work out of Wimbledon depot and did not move to Merseyside until 1982-1984. They were originally built as four-car units, but the sets moved to the Northwest were reduced to three-car, as the Merseyrail network is designed to deal with six-car trains as a maximum.
At 40 years old, the 508s are some of the oldest units left in service and are to be replaced by the new Class 777 due to enter service in 2020-21.
The Class 142 Pacers were built at BREL's Derby Litchurch Lane works between 1985 and 1987 - with 96 units built. Infamously a combination of a Leyland Bus body on a freight wagon chassis, the railbuses have been much maligned over the years. However, they have provided an invaluable "stop-gap" solution for regional commuter services for almost three decades. The Pacers do not meet new PRM laws coming in from 2020, so are now nearing the end of their service.