gnairn23

I phoned them up and they said they do repairs, but charge £20 for a diagnosis, which I don't think I can justify paying.

anyone?

A lot of people say that Hornby cheapened things with the newer one motor model and that the older 2 motored model ran better. In my experience I'd say this is true, my Nothern Spirit one doesn't;t make it round the track where as the older Regional Railways made it round the first time.

yeah my one motored one stutters a lot and someone doesn't make it round the circuit at all. Whereas the older one made it round a couple circuit in one go. Do you electrically couple the two trains, how do you think that improves performance?

This is all a great help. I'll keep an eye out for the spare coupling, but for now she is a non-runner. Beautiful, yes, but a non-runner all the same. One question, but version of the 142 do you think performs best the older twin motored train or the newer train with just one motor? Luckily my great Regional Railways model ( the one in picture above ) came with the electrical connectors that are used on the newer models. They must have been installed by a previous owner. I Think the Regional Railways model has the optimum level of performance, consensus is 2 motors better than 1 and electric couplings and better than no electric couplings.

I managed to get the grey Regional Railways one from Olivia's trains.. It has a motor in each car whereas the Northern Spirit one has just one motor and the other car is a dummy. Common wisdom is that the 2 motored ones run better.

I'am useless at fixing model trains, better at breaking them apparently. I can live with it not being a runner anymore, and I suppose I already have a Pacer in my fleet. It is a shame but as you said spending £20 for a diagnosis doesn't sit right with me, at least Harburn hobbies said no spare piece, no repair.

I phoned them up and they said that they don't have the part and so therefore can't fix it. I might be going to a place in Glasgow but they charge £20 for a diagnosis and if they can't get the part I don't see how they can fix it either....

I don't see why they'd have to stay coupled together, :S I'am thinking if they can repair it, they'd put a new type of coupling on the unit and maybe bypass the wiring all together, I don't know. Thanks for answering my questions by the way, it is an important sentimental childhood model and I'd love to get it back running!

My final question is, is it worth taking into the repair shop for a £20 evaluation and diagnosis when I know you can't get the spare coupling part at all. Realistically what can the repair man do? Can it still be coupled and wired without the old part?

Does anyone have any experience with Wildcat Models and their repair service? I'am thinking of taking something into them.

thanks for the comment. I actually have two pacers now, the Northern Rock one with the broken coupler, was a present in 1999 from my mum and dad and xmas. The other Regional Railways 2 motored one I bought a few days ago to replace the Northern Rock one. But, sentimentality has me wanting to get the Northern Rock Pacer working again. The Regional Railways 2 motored one I am happy separating the units to go back in the box but as you say I need to see if this repairer in Glasgow will take the Northern Spirit on.

anyone else got some input into this?

Finding the coupler for the Class 142 is impossible to get as a spare. I'am going to take it into a local model shop to repair it, but I don't know how they are going to do that without the spare piece? Can they put a different type of coupler on it or something? This was the train..

problem is I need a whole new coupling part.. the one I have is a right off, if I take it to Harburn Hobbies they might not have the spare part.

I was thinking of taking into Harburn Hobbies in Edinburgh but I don't want to waste the journey from Glasgow to be told it's unfixable. Do you guys think it is salvageable?

This is my old Pacer 142 in Northern Spirit livery. The first mistake I made was accidentally gluing the couplings together, The second mistake was trying to get them apart again, eventually pulling the whole Coupling off.. This is what it looks like.. Is she dead?

nice man! It's a funny story that led me to buying this. I had the Northern Rail version that you got in a train pack called spirit of the North. I accidentally glued the trains together and when pulling them apart it broke the whole coupling, so I just had to buy a new one. I just wanted to know it is safe to couple and de couple them as I don't want to damage this newer(older) Pacer! Great wee trains though, completed my complex layout on it's first attempt.

thanks, you can pull them apart, just that some people were saying they should stay together permanently. Apart from that Iam really happy with it, it has a motor in each train and the wiring across them adds up to great performance!

thoughts?

Hello, this is the train.. You can see the electric connection between the two trains, they aren't stuck together and can be moved apart. Some other people says you should keep them permanently together but I don't see why.

Hello all, I recently bought a Hornby Class 142 Regional Railways Pacer. It is one of the older ones, so it has a model in both trains, however the previous owner has installed an electric connection at the coupling. My question is, do you have to keep the trains together at all times or can you taken them apart an put them back together without damaging them? Thanks

Does anyone have anything to say about the pictures? Where could I improve things? I'd like to eventually build a more ambitious layout when I have the space.

What do you expert modellers say?