BRIGG LINE SURVIVOR RELIVES TIMES PAST ON ICONIC LINCOLNSHIRE LINE

It's well over 300 miles from Plymouth to Brigg and Cleethorpes by rail, but the diesel train pictured here (very recently) appears to be attempting this marathon journey, as it has the east coast resort on its headboard!
Long-serving Pacer class diesel units operated passenger services through Brigg over many years - terminating in Cleethorpes and Sheffield.
Rather than being scrapped following withdrawal, some of these so-called 'buses on wheels' have now found homes on heritage railways across the UK.
The Independent Brigg Line Rail Group sent us the picture showing one of them, No 142023, during a test run from Marsh Mills to Plym Bridge on a preserved railway in the far south-west, still with Cleethorpes showing in the destination window at the front!
Our IBLR informant jokes: "It’s a long run - Plymouth to Cleethorpes via Bristol Temple Meads, Birmingham, Derby, Sheffield, Worksop, Retford, Gainsborough Central, Brigg, Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes - on those seats!"
The Pacers were cheap to build but basic and not designed to offer comfortable long-distance travel.
Northern's Saturdays-only passenger service through Brigg was suspended some weeks ago because of issues connected with the Coronavirus emergency.
Prior to a halt being called, more modern stock was picking up and dropping off passengers at our town's station.
One of the Pacers, No 144017, found its way to Scunthorpe steelworks before lockdown, to be used by the Appleby-Frodingham Railway Preservation Society which, in normal times, offers fascinating rides around the huge industrial site, off Brigg Road. Tickets for these were offered through the Tourist Information Centre, housed in Brigg town centre's Buttercross. However, the works tours - generally held on Saturdays - are currently suspended.
We'll keep you posted about their resumption when an announcement is forthcoming.

PICTURED: No 142023 (above\) on a recent test run along the Plym Valley Railway.  And (below) sister unit No 142079 calling at Brigg station some months ago.