Rail journeys: entertainment ideas

[bluebirdman]

On the train for a total of 7 hours yesterday, bored ****less.

With the price of tickets, why do the operaters not provide some entertainment?

It could be restricted to a carriage or two if needed, so those that need to work or want to read can do what they want.

1. A specific 'Adult' carriage with go go dancers, loud music, booze flowing the odd turn & other such 'carry on'.
2. Games like Kerplunk, Battleship and Yahtzee
3. A magician walking between carriages doing tricks

It can't hurt the profits too much, especially if the charge people a few squid to get in the adult carriage.

 

[transmanche]

With the price of tickets, why do the operaters not provide some entertainment?

It could be restricted to a carriage or two if needed, so those that need to work or want to read can do what they want.

1. A specific 'Adult' carriage with go go dancers, loud music, booze flowing the odd turn & other such 'carry on'.
2. Games like Kerplunk, Battleship and Yahtzee
3. A magician walking between carriages doing tricks

Well FGW have some 'entertainment carriages', with airline-style seat-back screens. And GC have some games boards embossed on the tables (Monopoly, Cluedo and the like), with pieces for sale on-board.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I'm still waiting for a carriage with a full sized snooker table.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Great idea!

How about an on train game of bingo or suchlike where the winner gets to drive the train for a bit while the driver goes off and has his sandwiches?

Maybe an adults only naturist coach for people who like to get a bit frisky.

And perhaps in one coach they could take all the seats out and replace them with spacehoppers?

 

[bluebirdman]

Great idea!

How about an on train game of bingo or suchlike where the winner gets to drive the train for a bit while the driver goes off and has his sandwiches?

Maybe an adults only naturist coach for people who like to get a bit frisky.

And perhaps in one coach they could take all the seats out and replace them with spacehoppers?

Exactly! Or an impromptu "Talent show", like The Voice but with godawful railway chairs. Any losers could be thrown out of the window as we move, that would ensure a decent standard.

I suppose it would need to be those big trains with the windows that open between carriages, not the pathetic sweat boxes that trundle around suburban Bristol (sorry, I don't know the names/numbers like some of you Herberts; I stopped learning when I grew out of Thomas the Tank Engine)

 

[cuccir]

There are plenty of forms of free entertainment available to you, if you use a bit of creativity!

 

[transmanche]

There are plenty of forms of free entertainment available to you, if you use a bit of creativity!

Or if you're a bit creepy, there's always the 'Women who eat on tubes' blog... :roll:

 

[PermitToTravel]

I'd be quite interested to know how you discovered that!

 

[transmanche]

I'd be quite interested to know how you discovered that!

The 'Women who eat on tubes' blog? It's had quite a lot of coverage and comment in the news recently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-26919881

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...otos-of-women-eating-on-the-tube-9243220.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...ver-going-to-strangershame-again-9249512.html

It's even made the news in the US:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ting-on-the-tube-creeps-out-london/?tid=hp_mm

and India:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-trains-sparks-anger/articleshow/33460469.cms

 

[Bald Rick]

Perhaps a bar-coach where patrons can purchase alcoholic beverages to imbibe and have a laugh and chat?

 

[AndrewP]

Sensible option would be video / games like you get on planes but what about seeing if you can make the full length of an s class tube train on a grass sledge like these....http://theneelyteam.com/files/2010/01/100_1750.jpg

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I'll guess you haven't travelled with Grand Central, then.

But from my point of view, I would detest any form of popular 'entertainment' on board. Seven hours or so on trains is not uncommon for me, aduring which time I am happy to read a book, browse the 'net, joke with the staff, observe the views, or chat to other passengers.
But I regularly choose the "quiet coach" to minimise my exposure to other people's 'entertainment'. TV, video, personal stereos and electronic games, and I'd pay extra to avoid the suggested "Games like Kerplunk, Battleship and Yahtzee". Quite a lot extra.

 

[tsr]

2. Games like Kerplunk, Battleship and Yahtzee

Now, I have an idea. Suppose you have a railway infrastructure version of that. Whichever player wins ends up having, by chance more than anything, the tactical list of geological incidents affecting tomorrow morning's service. You merely have to guess the size of the problem which you are aiming at (in this case, with water jets, rather than with shells).

So then NR send their new & improved controlled landslip people to whichever bit of land you have destroyed in the game. This would be especially good for accelerating the removal of unstable soil from the Hastings Line.

"Battleslip"?

 

[user15681]

"Battleslip"?

The award for creativeness goes to you!

 

[Emyr]

You could probably fit a decent game of Jenga between stops on a MAN-EUS Pendolino.

 

[deltic1989]

You could probably fit a decent game of Jenga between stops on a MAN-EUS Pendolino.

Which would last all of 10 seconds the first bend you go round .

 

[GatwickDepress]

Perhaps a bar-coach where patrons can purchase alcoholic beverages to imbibe and have a laugh and chat?

[youtube]JAd4AcB1t1M[/youtube]
The spirit of Bulleid's tavern cars is kept alive every Friday and Saturday night.

 

[Welshman]

But from my point of view, I would detest any form of popular 'entertainment' on board. Seven hours or so on trains is not uncommon for me, aduring which time I am happy to read a book, browse the 'net, joke with the staff, observe the views, or chat to other passengers.
But I regularly choose the "quiet coach" to minimise my exposure to other people's 'entertainment'. TV, video, personal stereos and electronic games, and I'd pay extra to avoid the suggested "Games like Kerplunk, Battleship and Yahtzee". Quite a lot extra.

I'm with you on this!

A little while ago, I travelled to Carlisle on a Virgin Voyager diverted via the Settle & Carlisle, just for the scenic views, and was amazed to find many passengers had the blinds pulled totally down to stop the sun reflecting on their personal TVs, videos and electronic games.

And they were also complaining about the extended length of the journey via this diverted route!

Why can't we just sit still, look, learn and listen, rather than having to be "entertained" every minute of the day?

 

[Nym]

Which would last all of 10 seconds the first bend you go round .

That would be the skill required in building it.

I'm quite happy to combine music in my ears with looking out the window, even on my daily commute.

And if that's too bad I'll happily read something on my phone or get some work out to be doing if I have a table.

 

[Bevan Price]

1. Most trains are too small to leave space available for "entertainment"
2. Don't know if they still happen, but there used to be occasional "musical" events on a few lines (e.g. Hope Valley), with a group of musicians performing for the passengers on selected trains. However, it could be very irritating for anyone who disliked the type of music being performed.