PACER RAILCAR FOR CYNHEIDRE

The Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway is pleased to announce that a Class 142 Pacer railcar has been delivered for preservation to the railways base at Cynheidre. The railway would like to thank Transport for Wales (TFW) and Angel Trains for their help in the donation of this vehicle which will ensure that the thirty plus years of operation of these units in South Wales continues. The railway would also like to thank Chrysalis Rail at Landore for all of their help.

The final class 142’s were withdrawn from service in the South Wales Valleys in December 2020 and during early January 2021 a number were driven to Landore in Swansea for warm storage. This particular unit, 142 006, made its final journey on the main line from Cardiff Canton Depot to Landore on Wednesday 6^th January. Following a decision to send most these units for scrap, 142 006 has now been transferred to Cynheidre in fully operational condition. It arrived on Monday 15^th February. It is likely that this will be the only class 142 unit preserved with an ‘Arriva Trains Wales’ configured interior.

Unit No. 142 006 is considered one of the the best of those stored at Landore and will now become a long term member of the operational fleet at the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway, in the short term hopefully allowing the railway to offer socially distanced train rides in a safe environment. In the longer term the railway would like to restore the unit to original South Wales ‘Valley Lines’ livery and condition. The L&MMR hope to run a Pacer gala day as soon as current Covid-19 restrictions allow. In due course the railway also plans to offer driver experience courses.

In total 165 Pacer Railcars were built, the class 142 being the third generation and the largest class in terms of numbers. Introduced to service in 1985 and built by British Leyland to a lightweight design based on the then current Leyland National bus design and featuring a four wheel underframe. Upgraded in the early 1990’s with more powerful engines, they have, along with the newer class 143 Pacers and class 150 DMU’s, been the  

Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway Limited

Registered in the United Kingdom No. 03753219. Registered Charity No. UKC1087985

mainstay of services in the South Wales Valleys for over thirty years. The preservation of this unit at Cynheidre ensures that their legacy is celebrated and continues into the future.

The railway is a charity run totally by volunteers. It is hoping to grow into a major tourist attraction for the Llanelli district and in order to reach our goals we need more volunteer help in all departments including operational, maintenance and restoration, and administration. If you could spare a few hours for what is a most enjoyable pastime and worthwhile cause do not hesitate to get in touch. For more information or to volunteer please visit our website at https://www.llanellirailway.co.uk or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/llanellirailway