Things to do on the train

Donadea Leo

Hi All,
Just wondering what people do on the train - I have done the obvious sleep, read etc. but thought wouldn't it be great to have a sort of commuting club - i.e. you could have the draughts club or the chess club, ot the Whist Drive club (sorry not sure what a Whist drive is but sounds good).
I spend about an hour and a half per day on the train from Maynooth to Dublin and this is probably as close to free time as I get. I see the same people on the train every day in the same carriages yet say nothing to them (funny enough on occasion I've seen some outside of train and there's usually a hello). Would be nice to have something more social going on the daily commute. Anyway would be curious to hear people's ideas and see if we could get something started. I know lack of seats etc. might be an issue.

PoloTops

Book club

gobnaitolunacy

Fight Club

Judgement Day

Drink? Back in the day I used to commute from Connolly to Bray on the evening Rosslare train and it was as near to an American type club car arrangement as you could get. Same faces at the same spots at the bar every night. I used to have a couple of pints in Grainger's (across the road from Connolly) - at first nervously watching the clock but as time went on I noticed a fellow passenger, a lot older than me, and who never missed the train also imbibed in Grainger's and so I knew if I left at the same time or before him I was sound. Anyway the delights of the Rosslare club car - even when it was reduced to a Park Royal bar car (who remembers them?) could be recommended. No bar on the Maynooth commuter but you could always pack some Dutch Gold.

One favourite sport amongst those in the know was watching the novice or tourist enjoying his drink as we approached Shankill. Just north of that station, at the site of a former crossing, there was a staggered joint which always threw the train violently from side to side. The regulars used to brace themselves for the impact and steady their drinks accordingly - the uninitiated didn't often with disastrous results.

westies4ever

oh lord - we got ourselves a talker! i commuted for years and for me it was quality time with my ipod and a book. Nothing worse than someone striking up a conversation tbh!

coylemj

On my last long-distance train journey I passed the time fuming at the family of a couple and their two kids who spread themselves over two four-seater tables opposite each other in the centre of the carriage. One of their daughters played loud pop music from a mobile phone all the way from Heuston to Athlone while the parents who were sitting at different tables conducted a nonstop conversation by shouting across at one another.

Out and out knackers but I stress not members of the travelling community.

gobnaitolunacy

coylemj wrote: »

On my last long-distance train journey I passed the time fuming at the family of a couple and their two kids who spread themselves over two four-seater tables opposite each other in the centre of the carriage. One of their daughters played loud pop music from a mobile phone all the way from Heuston to Athlone while the parents who were sitting at different tables conducted a nonstop conversation by shouting across at one another.

Out and out knackers but I stress not members of the travelling community.

What is it with people wishing to share what can be loosely described as 'music' with the public on trains? Earphones have been knocking around with a while.

Victor

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Fight Club

Perhaps not.

im invisible

free wifi porn

PoloTops

im invisible wrote: »

free wifi porn

defo ill even volunteer to make a few videos

MD1990

im invisible wrote: »

free wifi porn

yes that would be great it would encourage ppl to come together

iffy_2007

coylemj wrote: »

On my last long-distance train journey I passed the time fuming at the family of a couple and their two kids who spread themselves over two four-seater tables opposite each other in the centre of the carriage. One of their daughters played loud pop music from a mobile phone all the way from Heuston to Athlone while the parents who were sitting at different tables conducted a nonstop conversation by shouting across at one another.

Out and out knackers but I stress not members of the travelling community.

I had the pleasure of sitting beside a chain smoking alco one day, obviously she couldn't smoke on the train so she over compensated by smoking the packet before she got on. It was a miracle i didn't puke all over her.. Disgusting!

Sligo Quay

Prefer to do some papar work if Im on intercity, or just pretend to be sleeping and ear drop om other people's conversation, those who gambled in the boom and paying the price now, Iv gotten an earful of that, completely different people Iv met when I used to do the long monthly commute from Sligo to Waterford, you get more serious down to earth people on the Sligo train, but crazy mad drunks on the Waterford train going on mad stag & hen weekends to Kilkenny, more down to earth souls on the good old Sligo train.

pedroeibar1

Judgement Day wrote: »

Drink? Back in the day I used to commute from Connolly to Bray on the evening Rosslare train and it was as near to an American type club car arrangement as you could get. Same faces at the same spots at the bar every night.

I was only talking about the Boat Train to a 'junior' yesterday! I too was a regular when I could finish on time - 5.30 departure from Westland Row, just time to have a drink before first stop DunLaoghaire, then I moved house so had to give it up (the train that is!) as the next stop was Bray.
No tinny headphone noise then; seats, civilized behaviour and even compartments with furry seats!

The Idyll Race

Judgement Day wrote: »

Drink? Back in the day I used to commute from Connolly to Bray on the evening Rosslare train and it was as near to an American type club car arrangement as you could get. Same faces at the same spots at the bar every night. I used to have a couple of pints in Grainger's (across the road from Connolly) - at first nervously watching the clock but as time went on I noticed a fellow passenger, a lot older than me, and who never missed the train also imbibed in Grainger's and so I knew if I left at the same time or before him I was sound. Anyway the delights of the Rosslare club car - even when it was reduced to a Park Royal bar car (who remembers them?) could be recommended. No bar on the Maynooth commuter but you could always pack some Dutch Gold.

One favourite sport amongst those in the know was watching the novice or tourist enjoying his drink as we approached Shankill. Just north of that station, at the site of a former crossing, there was a staggered joint which always threw the train violently from side to side. The regulars used to brace themselves for the impact and steady their drinks accordingly - the uninitiated didn't often with disastrous results.

Try THAT on the bus!

positron

Here's a mad idea - install fitness equipment in trains! Sure, a treadmill is probably a bad idea, but static bikes, rowing machines, resistance machines etc could help long distance commuters make some use of their time.

/everyone wait here for a second please. << Goes away to patent the idea >>

thisisadamh

Find where all the old stations/junctions to disused lines were on the line and see if you can spot them. Not for everyone, but I find it interesting. www.eiretrains.com is a good website to find the old stations and wikipedia for the old lines.

Judgement Day

thisisadamh wrote: »

Find where all the old stations/junctions to disused lines were on the line and see if you can spot them. Not for everyone, but I find it interesting. www.eiretrains.com is a good website to find the old stations and wikipedia for the old lines.

Even easier if you have a copy of
RAILWAY LINES OF CIE AND NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS which I have just listed here.

http://www.adverts.ie/non-fiction/railway-lines-of-coras-iompair-eireann-and-northern-ireland-railways/1971734

thisisadamh

Judgement Day wrote: »

Even easier if you have a copy of
RAILWAY LINES OF CIE AND NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS which I have just listed here.

http://www.adverts.ie/non-fiction/railway-lines-of-coras-iompair-eireann-and-northern-ireland-railways/1971734

Looks interesting. Does it have the locations of all railway lines before 1985? What other information does it say about the lines?

thomasj

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Judgement Day wrote: »

Drink? Back in the day I used to commute from Connolly to Bray on the evening Rosslare train and it was as near to an American type club car arrangement as you could get. Same faces at the same spots at the bar every night.

I was only talking about the Boat Train to a 'junior' yesterday! I too was a regular when I could finish on time - 5.30 departure from Westland Row, just time to have a drink before first stop DunLaoghaire, then I moved house so had to give it up (the train that is!) as the next stop was Bray.
No tinny headphone noise then; seats, civilized behaviour and even compartments with furry seats!

There used to be a "boat train" from maynooth in the early hours of the morning. Used to leave maynooth aroundabout 7ish. Travelled all the way to rosslare. It used to be the old trains. The trains that you would see on the sligo line before the railcars came along.

gobnaitolunacy

Judgement Day wrote: »

Even easier if you have a copy of
RAILWAY LINES OF CIE AND NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS which I have just listed here.

http://www.adverts.ie/non-fiction/railway-lines-of-coras-iompair-eireann-and-northern-ireland-railways/1971734

Shameless plugging. :P

That book could do with some serious updating! A lot has come and gone since that was printed.

Eiretrains

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Shameless plugging. :P

That book could do with some serious updating! A lot has come and gone since that was printed.

If you thought that was old you should also see the earlier version, Irish Railways Today 1967, basically a line by line description of each route, as they were in 1967, it is fascinating reading.:D

Losty Dublin

Judgement Day wrote: »

Even easier if you have a copy of
RAILWAY LINES OF CIE AND NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS which I have just listed here.

http://www.adverts.ie/non-fiction/railway-lines-of-coras-iompair-eireann-and-northern-ireland-railways/1971734

I'll sell you my spare copy for 20 cent less

Losty Dublin

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

That book could do with some serious updating! A lot has come and gone since that was printed.

Not enough gone for the authors liking