Welsh ‘Pacer’ boost for growing Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway
A FORMER Transport for Wales Class
142 is set to enjoy a retirement in
South Wales, having been donated to the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway (Carmarthenshire).
No. 142006 was delivered by road to its new permanent home on February 15, arriving at the line’s Cynheidre base by road from Landore (Swansea). The previous month, on January 6, it had run from Cardiff Canton to Landore by rail.
No. 142006 is the only surviving ‘142’ from the former Arriva Trains Wales/Transport for Wales fleet, the other 14 sets having been sent to Newport Docks for scrapping by Sims in January/February. Built as one of the GMPTE orange/brown sets, it was transferred to Cardiff in 2001, and it is planned to restore the unit into red/ white/green ‘Valley Lines’ livery, as carried in the early 2000s.
DMU GROUP FORMED
The Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway, which is also home to former Landore pilot No. 08795 and Class 122 ‘Bubble Car’ No. 55019, hopes 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.
A sub-group has been established at the LMMR to promote and support the DMUs based on the line.
The South Wales Railcar Group aims to raise funds and also to aid the acquisition of the expertise, volunteers
and spares necessary to safeguard their future.
A start has been made on renovating the interior of No. 55019/122019, which lost its interior after being converted for Departmental use. Replacement seats are to hand and work is underway on repanelling inside. The plan is to repaint it in BR green with whiskers. Work has also been progressing on exploring opportunities to extend the line northwards towards Tumble, which would offer a journey of just over a mile and, in the longer term, south towards Llanelli.