Wigan Album
Railways
15 Comments
Photo: Baldylocks
Item #: 25418
These units were fabricated at Derby works as a joint venture between BREL & British Leyland.
In total 96 of these units were built for BR,with 94 still in service,as two were written off in accidents,one in a brake failure at Liverpool Lime Street & the other in a SPAD at Winsford.
This was the pioneer one (142 001) & was the first of its class to roll off the production line.
Can`t say that I have ever really liked them.
Loosely based on a Leyland national bus body,they have a somewhat long wheelbase & what with only four wheels per coach,can suffer from excessive flange wear,often giving a rough ride on jointed track & a painfully loud squeal when in contact with checkrails on curves.
From what I remember the 142s had many teething troubles at the start,often with the transmission & had to be re-engineered with Voith two stage hydracyclic? transmission.
A batch of the class 142s were delivered to Plymouth Laira Depot,but were soon found to be unsuitable for use in many areas in the west country,due to steep gradients & curvature of many of the Western Region branch lines & most of them were rejected from the Western Region & quickly moved up North.
Most of the re-engineered 142 fleet is now in service with Northern Rail.
Although I think that a small number of the 142s are also in service in South Wales (Arriva Trains Wales),on the Valley Lines.
I miss the old DMUs
The 142s may be bad...but the DMUs were crap!
What a silly comment...clearly he doesn't know what he's talking about. DMU's where great in their day.
the 142's are a pile of crap they should of only had 15yrs service in them . they do more damage to jointed track and they are a rough ride . the old DMU slam door stock is and will always be the best
When I was young me and my brother didn't know these were called Class 142s, so we used to simply call them the Liverpool and Wigan trains. I always thought thought there were only two models of these particular trains (blue and orange), but I believe there was a yellow version of these DMUs, but I never saw them around the area. Have many memories of watching these trains in the long hot summer hols at Bryn station, Springs Branch and Haydock Junc. They certainly aren't the best looking trains ever made that's for sure.
Single axle wheels causes track damage on these 142s. The weight isn't spread evenly on the bogies, this also causes an uncomfortable ride as well.
Is the signal box, just to the right of the train?
we had abad rip to southport and back in one of these,the lack of bogies means a rolling ride then we hit a bad piece of track after burscough,could have been bescar thought we where off the road,and same on the way back.the derby dmu's wher ten times better riders,mind you I hate anything diesel.
"You hate anything Diesel Baker boy"...today their is more diesel powered cars than ever before, our lorries, vans and HGVs all diesel powered. Our trains still diesel, but eventually will be phased out to give way to electric power. The UK would come to a hault without diesel. What's diesel got to do with tracks anyway? You've a lot to learn lad.
What does 'hault' mean, Garry? I'm glad you're not driving the trains!
Ok..HALT, you've still made a sill comment at the top of the post.
Halt Hault, does it matter. same thing to me{
A far, far, cry from the Stanier and Fairburn's on the wallgate to Southport/Liverpool Exchange route...pulling the single compartment ex LMS carriages...
That's right, Jarvo. It's all about cheapness today I'm afraid, quality and comfort doesn't seem to matter.
Cheap trains, but the fares still go up, up and up.
Nev,
The signal box at Crow Nest was indeed just to the right (& was out of shot).
The small grey box to the right & in shot in this photo is (was) a signalling location relay cupboard.