Bad seat back tables.

[yorksrob]

We were all there, in the great Northern Rail seat discussion - the one where we all decided on a more padded seat and got ignored !

This is designed to be a more general discussion on seat back tables.

For example, the refurbished 158's on Northern. Acceptable seats (although not better than the ones they replaced, but we'll park that one)

But the seat back tables leave a lot to bd desired. A flat piece of metal with no sort of lip to stop your coffee flying off across the carriage. Is this the best they could come up with ?

Look forward to other examples of bad seatback design !

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Avanti/Lumo seats have the same issue. I quite like the Fainsa Sophia's table, it has a coffee recess and is extendable for a laptop.

 

[Clansman]

= Turbostars have entered this thread =

 

[py_megapixel]

Two come to mind

- Class 196. Just uselessly small. I struggled to fit a sandwich and a bag of crisps on it, let alone a laptop

- Class 377. The first time I travelled on one I tried to pull down the table and it made such a loud screeching noise that I felt like the whole carriage was looking. Southern would do well to invest in a large quantity of WD40.

 

[yorksrob]

The Avanti/Lumo seats have the same issue. I quite like the Fainsa Sophia's table, it has a coffee recess and is extendable for a laptop.

Yes, I quite like the Pendo's but I've noticed this issue with them as well.

 

[fbm99]

I’ve always found the Chapman seatback tables (as fitted to a lot of 156s and 170s etc) to be pretty poor, been on a few trains where they’ve been on a slant so you don’t want to put hot drinks on there.

 

[milooo]

Two come to mind

- Class 196. Just uselessly small. I struggled to fit a sandwich and a bag of crisps on it, let alone a laptop

- Class 377. The first time I travelled on one I tried to pull down the table and it made such a loud screeching noise that I felt like the whole carriage was looking. Southern would do well to invest in a large quantity of WD40.

That reminds me of a 700s seat back tables nearly made me deaf!

 

[yorksrob]

I’ve always found the Chapman seatback tables (as fitted to a lot of 156s and 170s etc) to be pretty poor, been on a few trains where they’ve been on a slant so you don’t want to put hot drinks on there.

Oh yes, I know the ones !

 

[Mikey C]

= Turbostars have entered this thread =

The Chiltern 168 ones, for example, do seem to be unnecessarily small (for what is otherwise a nice interior with decent seats).

 

[Segedunum]

Oh yes, I know the ones !

Bonus points if it then collapses when you put any weight on it. I've had several end up in my lap.

 

[yorksrob]

Bonus points if it then collapses when you put any weight on it. I've had several end up in my lap.

I try not to risk it Shame as they're otherwise decent units.

 

[fgwrich]

I’ve always found the Chapman seatback tables (as fitted to a lot of 156s and 170s etc) to be pretty poor, been on a few trains where they’ve been on a slant so you don’t want to put hot drinks on there.

I find the metal ones slightly better than the rubber ones, but when it came to sprinters you were lucky if you had one at all in some. I think Anglia & East Midlands removed theirs in the 153s.

And you’ll always notice it when ex FNW 150207 turns up on the GW compared to a native, not just for the seat layout but lack of seatback tables, despite being the same chapmans.

 

[fbm99]

I find the metal ones slightly better than the rubber ones, but when it came to sprinters you were lucky if you had one at all in some. I think Anglia & East Midlands removed theirs in the 153s.

And you’ll always notice it when ex FNW 150207 turns up on the GW compared to a native, not just for the seat layout but lack of seatback tables, despite being the same chapmans.

I was gonna say, EMT removed theirs on the 153s and I think some of the 156s as well. There was an ex FGW 153 (153372) with EMT for a bit which actually had tables, but I think the seats were a different model.

 

[fgwrich]

I was gonna say, EMT removed theirs on the 153s and I think some of the 156s as well. There was an ex FGW 153 (153372) with EMT for a bit which actually had tables, but I think the seats were a different model.

Indeed, going back a bit here but when First Great Western inherited its fleet of Class 153s from Wessex, all but two (329/369) had the original BR Class 158 seats in them - Not Wessex Trains finest idea that given how low down they were! First Great Western then refurbished all bar 329/369 and later inherited 361 with Richmond seats freed up from ScotRail’s Inverness refurbishment. A controversial choice to some but I rather like them, and ScotRail and TFW have both kept them!

329/361/369 All had the pretty standard Chapman seats installed by Central & First North Western.

 

[Russel]

The Avanti/Lumo seats have the same issue. I quite like the Fainsa Sophia's table, it has a coffee recess and is extendable for a laptop.

It does make a bit of a mockery of the buffet putting hot drinks in paper bags to carry them back to your seat so you don't scald anyone else, only for the drink to slide off the table as soon as you get back to your seat!

 

[superalbs]

I find the metal ones slightly better than the rubber ones, but when it came to sprinters you were lucky if you had one at all in some. I think Anglia & East Midlands removed theirs in the 153s.

And you’ll always notice it when ex FNW 150207 turns up on the GW compared to a native, not just for the seat layout but lack of seatback tables, despite being the same chapmans.

I believe Anglia also removed the armrests for some reason!

 

[Shimbleshanks]

It must be an age thing, or maybe I do a lot more work on the move these days, but I find availability of a table and its quality the single most important factor in rating the quality of train interiors. I had a rather uncomfortable journey back from Liverpool the other day on a LNW Cl350, trying to balance my not particularly big laptop on the seatback table, though their provision of 'proper' tables is quite generous. Just couldn't get one on that particular occasion. Maybe I should get an even smaller laptop.

 

[dk1]

Seat back tables on the GA class 745/755 fleet seem absolutely perfect but then that’s a reoccurring theme about most things with those trains.

 

[Parallel]

I always found the Richmond seats rather comfortable, IF the base cushion was of appropriate height. If it had been condensed, the curve of the back cushion is positioned in the wrong place which is rather uncomfortable.

I quite like the seat back tables of the Richmond seats too.

Whilst the seats themselves are not bad, the seat back tables are awful on the Avanti 807s and the Lumo trains. The table has only been designed for laptops, so you have the pull out ridge 2/3 of the way back, and no groove for hot drinks which mean they can just slide off the tables when going around curves. Very poorly designed in my opinion.

The seat back tables on GWR’s IETs and LNER’s Azumas are better, but the seats themselves are dreadful.

The seat back tables on the back of the GWR 158 BR seating are also bad, since new cushions with extra padding have been installed, the tables fold out too low down. They are also very flimsy.

The Chapman seat tables are also awful, but they mostly run short distance services so they are not bad.

The tables on the back of the HST and TfW 158 seats are very good. They have a pull out support for laptops, and a groove for drinks.

 

[Starmill]

Anything is better than the seat back tables on a 701.

 

[Tester]

Anything is better than the seat back tables on a 701.

Well they are better than the seat back tables on a 700/0

 

[yorksrob]

The ones with a round indentation for cups are the best IMO.

 

[LowLevel]

The 153s at EMT had a mix of suburban and long distance Chapman shells. The ex Central ones which pre 170 spent a lot of time bolted on to 158s etc on long distance work had arm rests and tables.

The reseated units had a motley collection of shells that were mostly tableless but 311 and I think 326 also came without arm rests to boot.

There was no concerted decision to remove the tables, the mix was there until they were all withdrawn.

 

[nilvaj395]

I’ve always found the Chapman seatback tables (as fitted to a lot of 156s and 170s etc) to be pretty poor, been on a few trains where they’ve been on a slant so you don’t want to put hot drinks on there.

This has always been a benefit to the SR units, even though they are ironing board seats they have much better seatback tables.

 

[Class83]

It must be an age thing, or maybe I do a lot more work on the move these days, but I find availability of a table and its quality the single most important factor in rating the quality of train interiors. I had a rather uncomfortable journey back from Liverpool the other day on a LNW Cl350, trying to balance my not particularly big laptop on the seatback table, though their provision of 'proper' tables is quite generous. Just couldn't get one on that particular occasion. Maybe I should get an even smaller laptop.

The 350/2s often used on that route don't even have tables or seatback ones. Along with 5 across seating for an InterCity experience.

 

[Starmill]

The 350/2s often used on that route don't even have tables or seatback ones. Along with 5 across seating for an InterCity experience.

They really were a shocking unit for a Birmingham - Liverpool journey it has to be said.

 

[DelW]

The 350/2s often used on that route don't even have tables or seatback ones. Along with 5 across seating for an InterCity experience.

They really were a shocking unit for a Birmingham - Liverpool journey it has to be said.

Though down here in South Western land we're told off for complaining about the high proportion of 3+2 450s on London to Portsmouth services

The Desiros' seat-back tables have lasted well - they're around 20 years old now, yet it's very rare to encounter a broken or missing folding table. But of course they're only available in the 2-wide airline seats, nothing in the 3-wide facing bays.

 

[yorksrob]

This has always been a benefit to the SR units, even though they are ironing board seats they have much better seatback tables.

And of course, any seatback table is better than none at all (yes, this means you, Thameslink).

 

[RunRepeat]

Seat back tables on the GA class 745/755 fleet seem absolutely perfect but then that’s a reoccurring theme about most things with those trains.

I must say, I find them too small and too high up the seat back, especially if tryng to use a laptop. It's the only part of my experince with these fantastic units that iritates me!

 

[dk1]

I must say, I find them too small and too high up the seat back, especially if tryng to use a laptop. It's the only part of my experince with these fantastic units that iritates me!

Fair enough. Must say I’ve never tried to use a laptop on one of those before and don’t even own one anymore.