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Trivia: Failed onboard entertainment trials

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py_megapixel

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I was looking at something which made reference to the "Audio Carriage" on First Great Western which was some kind of onboard entertainment system from before everyone was carrying around smartphones, but I can't find any details of it and I'm interested to learn more. Was it a paid service or free? What was the content? Were their wider aspirations than just the few carriages it ended up being fitted to?

Nowadays TOCs just stick Wi-Fi on their trains to keep people entertained but surely there must be more examples of other trials of unusal forms of entertainment on trains, either in the UK or abroad?
 
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Worm

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I was reading here a while ago about Class 175’s originally coming installed with a CD player so passengers could listen to a random selection of songs, but didn’t stay in use for long.
 

Merle Haggard

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Not quite the same, but, one of the Euston-Northampton loco hauled sets had printed board games matrices (for example, snakes and ladders) applied to the table-tops in the TSOs - probably mid-80s. On launch day, young ladies dressed as jokers (inspired by the classic playing card design) were selling (or maybe giving away) packs of cards on behalf of John Waddington. It didn't break down the reserve of the commuter, though, and they steadily disappeared as the coaches moved to different workings.
Did later see one of the TSOs at Westbury when on a course there.
 

Halish Railway

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Not quite the same, but, one of the Euston-Northampton loco hauled sets had printed board games matrices (for example, snakes and ladders) applied to the table-tops in the TSOs - probably mid-80s. On launch day, young ladies dressed as jokers (inspired by the classic playing card design) were selling (or maybe giving away) packs of cards on behalf of John Waddington. It didn't break down the reserve of the commuter, though, and they steadily disappeared as the coaches moved to different workings.
Did later see one of the TSOs at Westbury when on a course there.
Don’t forget Grand Central’s rolling stock (inc. Class 180s prior to their refurbishment) had Chess boards and Snakes & Ladders on the tables.

I know that this thread is about failed entertainment systems, however, the only successful entertainment systems I’ve sampled were in Spain - On a ‘Panto’ from Santander to Madrid they played Shaun the Sheep through the TV system and on a Siemens Velaro from Madrid to Barcelona there was a functioning Voyager/Pendelino esque Music channel system, the British equivalent of course being disabled to allow for WiFi connectivity. What I found especially bizarre was that upon arrival to Barcelona they played The final countdown by Europe through the PA system.
 
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Ianno87

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I recall the Class 220/221s (in Virgin XC days) had headphone jacks in the seats.
 

Darandio

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Don’t forget Grand Central’s rolling stock (inc. Class 180s prior to their refurbishment) had Chess boards and Snakes & Ladders on the tables.

I don't recall that being a failed trial? In the opening years of operation I saw plenty of people buying the sets from the buffet and using them.
 

WL113

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A few years ago some of the Class 323s in the West Midlands had on board TV screens fitted. From memory they showed rolling news programmes. Obviously they were soon vandalised and were removed.
 

MidnightFlyer

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Used to have the onboard radios on both Virgin Voyagers and Pendolinos - 4 channels IIRC on the former and about 15 on the latter, including a few BBC national stations. Must be getting on a dozen years or so since they were switched off, though they are still visible between seats - even as moulds in the newer 390 carriages.
 

D2007wsm

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I was looking at something which made reference to the "Audio Carriage" on First Great Western which was some kind of onboard entertainment system from before everyone was carrying around smartphones, but I can't find any details of it and I'm interested to learn more. Was it a paid service or free? What was the content? Were their wider aspirations than just the few carriages it ended up being fitted to?

Nowadays TOCs just stick Wi-Fi on their trains to keep people entertained but surely there must be more examples of other trials of unusal forms of entertainment on trains, either in the UK or abroad?
When the Class 180s were new to First Great Western, they had jacks and controls similar to those found on planes in 1 carriage playing various radio stations. I seem to recall it was one of the end carriages with the buffet in.
 

jopsuk

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From what I remember the Voyager system on Virgin had one live channel (and three pre-recorded)- usually Radio 4, but I can remember once on a service from Scotland to Cornwall with most of the train empty towards the end the guard re-programmed to Radio 1 on request.
 

Ash Bridge

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I was reading here a while ago about Class 175’s originally coming installed with a CD player so passengers could listen to a random selection of songs, but didn’t stay in use for long.

I think it was just the 175/1 3 car units, with the seats in centre car only fitted with headphone mini jacks and volume controls, perhaps still fitted in units not yet refurbished?
I recall the Class 220/221s (in Virgin XC days) had headphone jacks in the seats.

Still got a couple of sets of the complementary headphones they used to give out in Club Class back then.
 

Parallel

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FGW HSTs had an entertainment carriage with screens on the seat backs in front. I believe it was in coach D. Some TV series were available, as well as train yoga and other things.

EDIT: Can see it’s already been posted.

Chiltern currently offers entertainment through their WiFi, there are games and shows etc available free of charge
 

Darandio

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FGW HSTs had an entertainment carriage with screens on the seat backs in front. I believe it was in coach D. Some TV series were available, as well as train yoga and a few other things.

It was Volo TV. I assume that is what the OP was talking about initially anyway.
 

Taunton

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When the National Lottery came along 25 years ago, drawn on Sunday evenings, the winning numbers were transmitted by the signalling centre to the guard on WCML (last years of InterCity) to be read out to all. Used to do a lot of Liverpool-London on Sunday evenings then. There was an acknowledgement to Rugby box for passing it on. You saw people up and down the coach with their lottery tickets out; nobody ever seemed successful. Lasted for a year or so. Of course, Branson had been pipped at the post for the lottery franchise so would not have made it into the Virgin years.
 

hexagon789

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I recall the Class 220/221s (in Virgin XC days) had headphone jacks in the seats.

Pendolinos had the same, I remember listening to some music selection or other on my first trip on a 390 using their in-seat audio.
 

superjohn

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Not quite the same, but, one of the Euston-Northampton loco hauled sets had printed board games matrices (for example, snakes and ladders) applied to the table-tops in the TSOs
They may have been a little lost on the commuters of Northampton but I’m sure they were appreciated by holiday making families. At the weekends those sets made their way to all sorts of seaside destinations.
 

richard1976

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Didn't c2c have some sort of trial for an entertainment system on there class 357 units. Cant remember what the details where was it all or just some of there fleet
 

Worm

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I think it was just the 175/1 3 car units, with the seats in centre car only fitted with headphone mini jacks and volume controls, perhaps still fitted in units not yet refurbished?
That’s very possible thinking about it, last time I went on a 175 about 2 years ago they still had plastic window trims from First North Western.
 

Mikey C

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When the additional units and carriages were purchased (to extend the Pendolinos to 11 cars) didn't they have the Virgin entertainment system fitted so that they were identical to then existing ones, even though the system had long been switched off?
 

Mikey C

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Not a train example, but for a while First had on some of their buses in London (certainly upstairs) some sort of entertainment/advertorial package playing on the video screen (which buses in London used to have to show CCTV images)
 

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They may have been a little lost on the commuters of Northampton but I’m sure they were appreciated by holiday making families. At the weekends those sets made their way to all sorts of seaside destinations.

A set like that (may have been more than one) used to work XC services through Manchester in late BR/early Virgin days, it also had charming real-wood panelling instead of the usual formica. It was aircon Mk2s.
 

ashkeba

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Eurostar e320 had (may still have) some streaming video service on its wifi. It usually doesn't work and just buffers forever.
 

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Bungle965

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When the additional units and carriages were purchased (to extend the Pendolinos to 11 cars) didn't they have the Virgin entertainment system fitted so that they were identical to then existing ones, even though the system had long been switched off?
Yes everything about the carriages had to be exactly the same to the ones in the original sets if I remember correctly!
 

DB

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Pendolinos had the same, I remember listening to some music selection or other on my first trip on a 390 using their in-seat audio.

Hardly ever saw anyone using those.

I think they got killed off when the trains were fitted with wifi, as they needed the power supply for the wifi equipment.
 

DB

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Yes everything about the carriages had to be exactly the same to the ones in the original sets if I remember correctly!

I believe it was a condition of the derogation which allowed them to be built that they had to be identical - the derogation was required because the design was no longer fully compliant with crash requirements. So far as I know the radios in the extra carriages, and the four new sets, never actually worked as the system had been abandoned by that point.
 

adc82140

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IIRC the Volo TV system played havoc with the aircon in the carriages as they created so much latent heat.

The 180s had the headphone sockets in coach E. I think two radio stations (radio 1 and radio 4) as well as three pre recorded music channels. The system was made by Blaupunkt.

What became of the original VoloTV trial coach? It was reseated and completely rebranded. Was it withdrawn, or returned to FGW spec and returned to traffic?
 
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