Administrators AY Mod Posted May 20 Administrators Share Posted May 20 The Class 143 and 144 Pacer DMUs were a series of 2 and 3-car units with Andrew Barclay bodywork on a 4-wheel diesel chassis. Despite their unpopularity with passengers, these distinctive little trains lasted in service until 2021. The Class 143s also had the chassis built by Andrew Barclay. 25 units were built, initially working around Tyneside before moving to the South-West and Wales. With the many changes of operators since privatisation, numerous livery choices are possible. The Class 144s featured BREL-built underframes and spent their careers based in Leeds, working local and regional services. Ten units received centre cars in 1987. Although intended for local journeys, the 144s worked as far afield as Manchester, Lancaster, Morecambe, Lincoln, Hull, Scarborough and Cleethorpes. DUE Q4 2025 NEXT 18 DCC The Dapol Class 143 / 144 features: • A powered and a dummy car in each set • All-new super-detailed bodywork with flush glazing • Separate handrails, wipers and exhaust pipes • Correct underframes for Class 143 and Class 144 • Tooling variants for front end and roof differences (original and combined light clusters / with or without radio pod) • NEM Pocket • Scharfenberg-style end coupling compatible with our Class 142, 153 and 156 units. • Finely applied detail and decoration • Close coupling with extendable corridor connections • Electrical through coupling for improved running • All wheel drive on the powered car • DCC-Ready and DCC-Fitted versions available • Light-Bar ready • Directional lights on both cars, independently controllable internal (where fitted) and external lighting 9 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold franciswilliamwebb Posted May 20 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20 Well at first glance that looks encouraging, shape wise😎 I really did not like the earlier Class 142! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TomE Posted May 20 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20 Body tooling looks excellent, lightyears better than the 142! It's a sensible move by Dapol to get maximum use out of the chassis, it's just a shame there is no interior given the glassy nature of these units. Tom. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 But still no speaker fittings - the visible electronics tells me space is limited but putting a sugarcube in would really bring these units to life so to speak. Outside my time period, but bravo though to Dapol to doing these. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Steven B Posted May 20 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20 (edited) Unexpected but welcome! Hopefully the final tooling will include the interior wall around the toilet cubical. Fingers crossed for a MS centre car to be produced allowing 144014–144023 to be modelled. Steven B Edited May 20 by Steven B 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium JR_P Posted May 20 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20 Interesting development…. I wonder if they could have managed to get the motor, etc, below the window line…. Body shape looks better than their 142, but I’m still not completely convinced…. will have to wait and see this one in the flesh I think…. Nevertheless, a nice surprise for a random Monday morning in May…. 🤗 ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickb4141 Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 Great news and also good to see Dapol expanding their N gauge range. These look a lot better than the 142’s and with a multitude of liveries to cover, I think these will surprise Dapol in how popular they will be. I’ve got 4 sets lined up for a new layout already….. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stuart A Posted May 20 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20 (edited) I thought they'd end up doing these or the 141s. It'll be difficult to resist a WYPTE liveried one. If I was Dapol I'd be speaking to @Chandwell to arrange some promotional shots Edited May 21 by Stuart A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold D9020 Nimbus Posted May 20 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20 The bodywork on the 143s and 144s was built by Walter Alexander of Falkirk, and based on their P-type bus bodywork, and not by Barclay — though they (Barclay) did build the chassis of the 143s. Alexanders are still building buses — now part of AlexanderDennis. I'd have liked a 143 in TWPTE livery (as well as the Provincial one being offered). Perhaps another time? I saw the 143s when they were brand new so have a bit of a soft spot for them — probably helped by the fact that, unlike the 142s, I never actually travelled on one… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Adam1701D Posted May 20 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20 We found that the yellow 142s did not sell too well. I have a T&W version drawn up for a potential future release. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TomE Posted May 20 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20 Pre-ordered a Northern 144. They'll be very handy for a long term project (early days...) Tom. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed-farms Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 (edited) 20 hours ago, Adam1701D said: We found that the yellow 142s did not sell too well. I have a T&W version drawn up for a potential future release. Not sure if it influences matters but the Yellow 142's were mid 90's under regional railways. The 143's were around 5-10 years earlier. @The Black Hat can probably provide you with all the information you need Edited May 21 by Ed-farms Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Hat Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 Really the provincial ones should sell slowly if the Tyne and Wear 142's apparently did. Namely because the provincial ones did some turns in Scotland and on tests, but other than that were predominantly also allocated to the North East network. Tyne and Wear 143s worked alongside them. Both liveried units were repainted into standard Regional railways livery before being sent down to Wales to work services there. This saw 142s in former Chocolate and Cream painted into regional railways Tyne and Wear - the shade in yellow being slightly different. I would also contend that the Tyne and Wear 142s should be ok as they did travel across the North East and Yorkshire far more than other realise, but think at the time that the Dapol 142 was released there was not the matching stock really to be modelling specifically that area itself. N-gauge is not as well served as 00 but some of the late sectorisation Regional variants always tend to make people pause, mainly because most dont know specifically what they are. Standard Regional Railway goes as people recognise that and the BR provincial ones tend to get the rose tinted glasses viewed through. Still at the time the Bachmann provincial 150 sold slowly rather than the standard regional one, so I think its a case of having to get the timing right with release and the right variant needed when it fits with other stock out there. I'm more in tune with 00 gauge releases... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulbygrove86 Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 On 20/05/2024 at 17:45, TomE said: Pre-ordered a Northern 144. They'll be very handy for a long term project (early days...) Tom. Colton Junction? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 I was just looking on Flickr for pictures of them in Provincial livery and I came across this fantastic shot of one box fresh from the factory... By Brian Wotherspoon 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted May 22 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 22 4 hours ago, montyburns56 said: I was just looking on Flickr for pictures of them in Provincial livery and I came across this fantastic shot of one box fresh from the factory... By Brian Wotherspoon Bet it squealed going around that curve! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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