I've never ridden on a Pacer train.
For most people, this would be considered A Good Thing. Apparently, they are horrible, rattly, uncomfortable things to travel on. As they are being phased out, most passengers are delighted.
But, I like the look of the Class 142 units. I like the idea they were made from bus bodies. Some say they saved many rural lines as the alternative was closure. Mostly though, I just like the look of them.
Finding myself with a half-day in York on Monday, I wondered if there was a chance to have a quick go. Asking people who know about these things, the answer was "probably not, but here are a couple of possibilities". The consensus was that if I wanted to ride a Pacer, I needed to go somewhere else first.
Undaunted, I wandered along to the station and spotted the train at the top of this post. It was due out in 10 minutes so I nipped back to the ticket office and bought a return to the first stop - Selby.
Only when I got back to the platform did I realise that the Pacer had just been parked there. My train was a rather more boring Class 155. Still, Selby has an interesting swing bridge.
The next day, I needed another trip to the station to find somewhere to post some postcards. I noticed another Pacer in a platform that was apparently going out. Sadly, I didn't have time for a ride, but I did hop on just so I could say I've stood in the vestibule!
I guess I'll have to wait for a ride on a preserved Pacer one day...