Trivia: Failed onboard entertainment trials

[superjohn]

I can remember using the onboard radio on Pendolinos when doing all line rovers in the early 2000s. They had live BBC radio which was actually quite useful. As I recall, the Voyagers only had the prerecorded radio which I wasn’t so keen on.

This was in the days when portable music players, audiobooks and the like were far less common. Nowadays I have earpods, a phone full of podcasts and I do my rovers abroad!

 

[Galvanize]

Couldn’t tell you when CrossCountry disconnected the Audio systems on their 220/221 stock.

Audio Entertainment on the Pendolinos...I definitely remember using it in 2008, but next time I went on a Pendolino wasn’t until sometime in 2011 I think, and by then it had been disconnected. So annoying at the time as I forgot to charge my MP3 player before going upto Manchester for the day (was a spur of the moment decision at about 11pm the day before), and had nothing to listen to.

 

[WesternLancer]

I'm not sure it's in the same veine (league?) but does the League Liner Disco Coach count?
some pics links in this thread about that

BR Mk1 Discotheque Coach?

Hello Leafing through my Mark 1 & 2 Coach bible casually yesterday evening I came across a Mk1 listed as number 2990 (I think, am at work at the moment and away from aforementioned book) which was converted to a discotheque apparently! A brief search for any photos so far has come up blank, c...

www.rmweb.co.uk

 

[thenorthern]

With flying the onboard entertainment systems make sense as you can be on the flight for several hours, there is normally no WIFI or 4G internet meaning you can't use devices to watch Netflix or BBC iPlayer. With trains people are normally not on for that long and most of the time there is internet signal.

 

[jopsuk]

I'm not sure the Voyager/Pendo system was a failure as such. It was definitely used, and it was specified when digital portable music players still had tiny capacity, portable CD players meant carrying discs and battling battery life & skipping, cassette players meant small storage and awful sound quality, and weirdos had minidisc players. A bit of variety from what you had on you, especially on a long intercity journey, wasn't a bad idea. Phones weren't smart, mobile internet was awful. Not being able to predict the revolution that would occur in the following 20 years is hardly a failure.

Volo was maybe a little more ill-conceived I guess? By the time it was rolled out the direction everything was headed with portable personal entertainment was far more obvious.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Back in the 1980s, some of the Anglo/Scottish sleeper services had a video lounge on board.

I have a vague recollection of either travelling on one, or walking through a stationary one and marvelling at the tv monitors mounted at luggage rack height throughout the carriage.

I don’t think they lasted long and I remember being told that lots of the screens had been stolen at Polmadie! That was possibly just mess room banter though.

 

[Mag_seven]

Back in the 1980s, some of the Anglo/Scottish sleeper services had a video lounge on board.

I have a vague recollection of either travelling on one, or walking through a stationary one and marvelling at the tv monitors mounted at luggage rack height throughout the carriage.

I don’t think they lasted long and I remember being told that lots of the screens had been stolen at Polmadie! That was possibly just mess room banter though.

There was also a rumour that dubious films were shown from time to time which speeded its demise.

 

[WesternLancer]

I'm not sure the Voyager/Pendo system was a failure as such. It was definitely used, and it was specified when digital portable music players still had tiny capacity, portable CD players meant carrying discs and battling battery life & skipping, cassette players meant small storage and awful sound quality, and weirdos had minidisc players. A bit of variety from what you had on you, especially on a long intercity journey, wasn't a bad idea. Phones weren't smart, mobile internet was awful. Not being able to predict the revolution that would occur in the following 20 years is hardly a failure.

Volo was maybe a little more ill-conceived I guess? By the time it was rolled out the direction everything was headed with portable personal entertainment was far more obvious.

Indeed - I recall specifically carrying headphones with me if I was on a journey when I knew I would be on such a Virgin Train in the early days, long after I had given up bothering to use a Walkman (cassette) and had never bothered to buy a discman for CDs.

 

[357 LTSRail]

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

Recently they retired their onboard WiFi based entertainment called "Vista" (a rather unfortunate name given just how poorly the Microsoft Windows version of the same name performed!) which you can see here: https://www.c2c-online.co.uk/help_centre/onboard/what-is-vista/

As for the onboard televisions and loudspeakers, there was a trial back in 2006 for "360 Onboard Television", backed by TNX Television. The collapse of the firm behind it stalled it as well as extensive protests about the intrusive nature of the plans. (http://web.archive.org/web/20050403122523/http://www.360onboard.com/)

C2C abandons train TV trial

Controversial plans to install on-train television screens on services in Essex and East London, which would be funded through advertising, have been axed.

www.campaignlive.co.uk

http://www.willingale.me/tng2/documents/trugpr.pdf

Rail travellers may be force-fed TV TVs

HUNDREDS OF thousands of rail commuters in Britain could soon be forced to watch - and listen to - television.

www.independent.co.uk

Regrettably, I have no pictures of the demo unit.

 

[DarloRich]

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.

I think it is harsh to state that this installation was a failed trial. The world moved on quickly from when the trains were spec'd and built to entering service. The radio system worked and was used. I used it on occasion to listen to the news. It simply wasn't needed as quite quickly everyone started to carry their own radio/tv/video player/cd player in their pocket!

 

[WesternLancer]

Interesting info here about on board entertainment in another era - LNER cinema cars:
Nice pic

LNER-Pathe Cinema Cars - Steve Banks

Railway historical research (all companies) especially workings on the LNER and BR. Railway modelling of coaches and carriages on a professional basis.

www.steve-banks.org

Informative info:

A cinema attendant giving a ticket to a passenger for the Pathe...

A cinema attendant giving a ticket to a passenger for the Pathe cinema car, which ran on LNER trains.

www.gettyimages.co.uk

"I have to confess that all I can do here is us discuss some of the physical aspects visible in the carriages. The practical, operational and commercial problems were large and led to demise of the whole thing prematurely."

Looks like LMS had cinema coaches too but not sure if this was just for static use (ie park up to show films as opposed to entertainment on the move).

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre Stockbook

 

[supervc-10]

I used to use the Volo TV system on FGW a fair bit when I lived in Bristol. Never paid for it. I was in Bristol from September 2010 to August 2013- I think it must have been made free sometime later in that timeframe. It was always Coach D. I remember watching Wallander on the train back from London a couple of times.