You know you're bored on a train when...

[jonty-comp]

I've never even looked into this forum before, but I went on a train for the first time in years yesterday.

You know you're bored on a train when:

• You stare intently at the LED ticker over the door, waiting for something new to scroll across.
• You start picking out design flaws in the train to the person next to you, whether or not you know them.
• You actually start wondering why the coaches are labelled A, C, D, E, and G, and where the missing letters have gone.

Feel free to continue the list! I think I was on some sort of high-speed tilty train yesterday, it was green and new and it went from St. Pancras to Sheffield. I hope it was a tilty train, because it definitely tilted on some corners whether it was supposed to or not.

[Redirect Left]

• You stare intently at the LED ticker over the door, waiting for something new to scroll across.

rofl, I kept doing that on the Transpennine train a few month ago last time I went to London.

[Dave]

I don't think the 222 tilts.

Also the coach letters will be all out of sync because they've literally had some of the coaches removed.

The 222s were originally delivered as seven 9-car sets and sixteen 4-car sets, but MML/EMT have had reshuffles...

MML first took a car from each of the 9-car sets and put them in 4-car sets, so there were seven 8-car sets, seven 5-car sets and nine 4-car sets.

EMT have changed this again, and have taken another car out of six of the seven 8-car sets. The other 8-car set had another two coaches taken away so to give another carriage to the odd two 4-car sets.

As such, there are now six 7-car sets and 17 5-car sets.

I'm guessing you were travelling on the 5-car that had been reduced from 8-cars.

[Gord]

I used to go from lowestoft to norwich on the train a lot as a kid, on the old DMU's. I would get a bit bored so bouncing up and down on the seats was fun...

...they aren't as springy anymore

[jonty-comp]

I don't think the 222 tilts.

That's worrying then, because watching the lights outside the window at night as we went around the corner it definitely seemed to tilt.

I'm guessing you were travelling on the 5-car that had been reduced from 8-cars.

How very silly, considering all the coach letters were on electronic screens you'd've thought they could reprogram them to be consecutive again or something! Couple that with the fact they took out coach B, which makes little sense, considering A, C and D were normal class and E and G were first class. Oh well, usually there's some semi-tangible explanation.

[andel]

I don't think the 222 tilts.

That's worrying then, because watching the lights outside the window at night as we went around the corner it definitely seemed to tilt.

The track leans into a corner to allow you to go around without flying off the track. Basic physics kid.

I'm guessing you were travelling on the 5-car that had been reduced from 8-cars.

How very silly, considering all the coach letters were on electronic screens you'd've thought they could reprogram them to be consecutive again or something! Couple that with the fact they took out coach B, which makes little sense, considering A, C and D were normal class and E and G were first class. Oh well, usually there's some semi-tangible explanation.

The trains carriages have individual electronics that allow them to different features such as seat reservations, seat layouts, shops, toilets, timing systems, air conditioning and fault reporting. These in turn relate to the Coach position (A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K) and the carriage number (eg 60XXX).

If I'm on the train and really bored I look for the free company rag mag to read - or I text Dave Worley repeatedly.

[Parkey]

That's worrying then, because watching the lights outside the window at night as we went around the corner it definitely seemed to tilt.

I'm concerned. Which way did the train tilt? Was it into the turn or away from it? If it was away I'd suggest you're merely seeing the result of cheeky exceeding of the 110mph line speed.

Dave's right, the 222 has lightweight bogeys like the 220 and isn't a tilting train.

I get bored and buy RAIL magazine.

[Dave]

The 222 has clearance for 125 running on limited portions of the MML, IIRC.

Also the track camber, as Dominic said, might have had an effect. Some trains look like they're tilting because of this.

[jonty-comp]

It might have been the camber, all I know is that I was staring out of the window at a lit-up field as the train turned into a corner (with me on the inside) and the lights tilted upwards, signifying the train tilting into the curve. It was slightly disconcerting at the time, but I guess you probably wouldn't notice in the daytime.

[orudge]

You know you're bored on a train when you film a rambling commentary of your journey, most of which you then cut out of the final meet film because it's rubbish.

[Parkey]

You know you're bored on a train when you don't have an incredibly attractive lass sit next to you and get into a long and interesting discussion about the book you're reading, instead you get a middle aged male computer programmer from Reading who wants to tell you all about why Margaret Thatcher is his hero.

Guess which one usually happens to me.

[Dave]

It might have been the camber, all I know is that I was staring out of the window at a lit-up field as the train turned into a corner (with me on the inside) and the lights tilted upwards, signifying the train tilting into the curve. It was slightly disconcerting at the time, but I guess you probably wouldn't notice in the daytime.

There's a strong camber at Smethwick, for example, photos at Smethwick look like the train is tilting, but in fact the train's just curved.

[Sacro]

It might have been the camber, all I know is that I was staring out of the window at a lit-up field as the train turned into a corner (with me on the inside) and the lights tilted upwards, signifying the train tilting into the curve. It was slightly disconcerting at the time, but I guess you probably wouldn't notice in the daytime.

There's a strong camber at Smethwick, for example, photos at Smethwick look like the train is tilting, but in fact the train's just curved.

I thought it was the fact you can't hold a camera straight...

[Dave]

It might have been the camber, all I know is that I was staring out of the window at a lit-up field as the train turned into a corner (with me on the inside) and the lights tilted upwards, signifying the train tilting into the curve. It was slightly disconcerting at the time, but I guess you probably wouldn't notice in the daytime.

There's a strong camber at Smethwick, for example, photos at Smethwick look like the train is tilting, but in fact the train's just curved.

I thought it was the fact you can't hold a camera straight...

Idiot.

[JamieLei]

The trains carriages have individual electronics that allow them to different features such as seat reservations, seat layouts, shops, toilets, timing systems, air conditioning and fault reporting.

Virgin Trains (Pendolinos) have recently started to add proper stickers with the coach letter on in print, as it was often quite difficult to find your coach letter with the Dot-Matrix screens. Why we still use dot-matrix nowadays is a mystery when LED displays are much clearer.

The advantage of dynamic coach letters is when you couple trains together. Eg, a doubled up 221 (Super Voyager) has letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, H, I, J, L. (B and H are removed in the 220 sets). Southern and Southeastern's 375/7 sets make extensive use of this feature, telling you how many coaches there are in the train, and which number you are in.

You know you're bored on a train when...

Normally I find looking out the windows enough entertainment - but I'd normally have a book on me, or a copy of the Economist incase it's dark. I remember going to London via Chiltern, and getting through the entire Book of Mark (Bible) by the time I'd got there

I thought it was the fact you can't hold a camera straight...

I thought the Worley trait was to hold the camera at an angle? He's got a point

[Dave]

I don't see anyone with a better picture!

That photo also gives some idea of how steep that spur is!

[teccuk]

We only have crap trains in the Southwest, none of your fancy LED light down ere moiy lad.

Erm... take a book next time.

[Ameecher]

I don't see anyone with a better picture!

That photo also gives some idea of how steep that spur is!

I have a better picture which shows the gradient better!

[JamieLei]

I can see the gradient much better in Ameecher's pic

[Dave]

Well you're all crap. Shag off!