144004 - 55804 & 55827 Class 144 Driving Motor Second & Driving Motor Second Lavatory

Home Railway

Aln Valley Railway

Location History

Aln Valley Railway Dec 20-Present

Current Location

Aln Valley Railway

Current Status

Operational

Current Livery

Regional Railways

TRA Designation

4

Owner

Website

Record Last Updated

9 April 2023

Preservation Modifications
In 2021 the seating was reconfigured from predominently "airline style" to mainly facing bays, more suited to a tourist operation. Covid-19 plastic dividing screens were also added at the same time in between bays.

Preservation Information
144004 was preserved for the Aln Valley Railway in 2020 but had to be held in storage first at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and later the Wensleydale Railway before final arrival by road at its preservation home in December 2020. On arrival it became the 13th Class 144 to be preserved.

Preparations for service involved the fitting of Covid-19 plastic screens and the moving of seating into facing bays of four, following which 144004 operated its first passenger services in June 2021.

The following year saw 144004 operate a number of new "Pacer Operating Days", with 27 days being included in the calander. The set was to work them all as repairs to sister 144016 were still ongoing.

During 2022 the set was repainted into Regional Railways livery, one of the first Class 144's in preservation to be repainted and also the first time that livery had been seen in preservation on a second generation vehicle.

144004 remains in use and available for service.

Future Plans
To maintain in service on off-peak duties. It is possible that the set might be upgraded to three cars in the future utilising the centre car from 144016.