A pint on the train

comradestalin · 22-09-2012 09:34AM #1

I was coming home on the Enterprise yesterday after a long week in Dublin and it occurred to me (not for the first time) - why on earth don't they sell draught beer, especially Guinness, in the bar ?

I was on an RPSI Portrush Flyer a good few years ago and they did draught Guinness then, so that shows it can be done.

It's another example, sadly, of how they don't really pursue real commercial opportunities on the railways. The food service in First Plus leaves a lot to be desired in general.

Louche Lad · 22-09-2012 10:52AM

I know nothing about catering on trains, so I'll dive in with my opinion:D ...

Wouldn't drinks slop onto the floor and other passengers while transporting them back to your seat?

Or if you mean to drink within the bar area, it would make it difficult for other passengers to get things (difficult to squeeze through, and off-putting to many).

comradestalin · 22-09-2012 11:00AM

The RPSI manage it, somehow.

EclipsiumRasa · 22-09-2012 11:03AM

I suppose you could write a letter and find out, but who you'd have to write is a mystery in itself...

Tamper · 22-09-2012 03:40PM

U must be joking?? Corporate catering on the Enterprise use microwaved food, charge the earth for it, tins of beer, in a warm fridge...They're not much a catering firm at all really...They're just there to take money from people for the easy products...They dont care about what the customer thinks or wants!

Losty Dublin · 22-09-2012 05:09PM

The RPSI don't have staff costs to consider (We run 3-4 bar staff at any one time, all voluntary) plus our trains are well staffed with stewards to keep tables clean and empties collected. Don't forget the nature of both services are very different. RPSI trains are leisurely days outs so it's part of the day's crack. Service trains would see it (As with food) as a small extra of income whereas RPSI see it as a large revenue stream for it. It's worth a thought, though.

comradestalin · 22-09-2012 05:49PM

I had thought the Enterprise food in first class was supposed to be cooked to order but, indeed, it isn't great. The coffee's not that good either. And the menu doesn't change that often.

Losty, indeed on the RPSI part, at least there are volunteers around to help clean up any spillage etc. But I recall my Portrush Flyer pint of Guinness as being damn fine.

cbl593h · 22-09-2012 07:48PM

Beware of the trolls.
Feckers.
Another multiple personality.
Thats me axed viced bollocked.

afatbollix · 22-09-2012 07:53PM

The mk3s had bars and the smoking carriages were mighty craic on a Friday and Sunday night.

Not much room on a trolly for a keg

gobnaitolunacy · 24-09-2012 08:06AM

A couple of reasons I can think of:

Cost of installing taps and equipment in catering coaches. Maintenance thereafter. Most (not special) trains I have been on, alcohol was served in cans or bottles (bottles mostly in Asia)

We have a minority of idiots who don't stop at 1 pint and make life insufferable for fellow passengers. Plus I would imagine H&S would have something to say about staggering goons trying to get on or off trains. Having said that the RPSI patrons seem to be well behaved, maybe a bit of self-regulation going on there.

Iolaire · 24-09-2012 09:15AM

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Plus I would imagine H&S would have something to say about staggering goons trying to get on or off trains.

You mean like London Underground every Friday and Saturday night? I wouldn't fancy working that shift.

Losty Dublin · 24-09-2012 10:12AM

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

A couple of reasons I can think of:

Cost of installing taps and equipment in catering coaches. Maintenance thereafter. Most (not special) trains I have been on, alcohol was served in cans or bottles (bottles mostly in Asia)

Diageo install and maintain the beer lines and taps for their own products so that wouldn't be an issue. Space and the ability of beer to pay it's upkeep would be more of an issue.

comradestalin · 24-09-2012 12:00PM

gobnaitolunacy,

The stuff about insufferable idiots already applies, as you can get alcohol right now, just not on draught. But yes we could do with the conductors being a bit more strict. Once, years ago, I saw a guy smoking a cigarette, making no attempt to hide it, the staff walked past several times and said nothing.

You're right though, as Losty also said, there's the overhead of keeping the kegs handy (though there's always plenty of room in the bicycle/large item stowage at the Dublin end of the train!) and cleaning the place up, although given that you have a captive audience it may well be feasable to charge >£5 for a pint to recover this.

corktina · 24-09-2012 03:22PM

its because anti-terrorist legislation doesn't allow you to have Noxious Substances on public transport.

gobnaitolunacy · 24-09-2012 03:32PM

corktina wrote: »

its because anti-terrorist legislation doesn't allow you to have Noxious Substances on public transport.

That covers Real Ale I guess.

Judgement Day · 24-09-2012 03:38PM

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

That covers Real Ale I guess.

Muck - I never drink anything that needs a fork.

The Idyll Race · 24-09-2012 04:09PM

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

That covers Real Ale I guess.

Did either you or JD ever drink Real Ale, or did you form your judgement sight unseen like any good Irishman does?

Judgement Day · 24-09-2012 04:37PM

The Idyll Race wrote: »

Did either you or JD ever drink Real Ale, or did you form your judgement sight unseen like any good Irishman does?

The only reason Real Ale is so popular across is the lack of decent mainstream beers - we have lashings to choose from, Guinness, Beamish, and Murphy's whereas the poor old Brits have Bass and bleedin Watney's Red Barrel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz2LaJOVAiA

corktina · 24-09-2012 06:06PM

whereas I know and love the clip, Bass is almost unknown in the UK and bleedin Watneys Red Barrel is longlong gone thankfully. Meanwhile Real Ale is NECTAR and it's about time the Irish woke up to the con job foisted on them by the breweries (aka Guinness mostly) in this country. It didn't quite work in the Uk and proper beer is on the up and up.

Judgement Day · 24-09-2012 06:09PM

corktina wrote: »

whereas I know and love the clip, Bass is almost unknown in the UK and bleedin Watneys Red Barrel is longlong gone thankfully. Meanwhile Real Ale is NECTAR and it's about time the Irish woke up to the con job foisted on them by the breweries (aka Guinness mostly) in this country. It didn't quite work in the Uk and proper beer is on the up and up.

Sure you're only a 'comeover' what would you know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manx_English

Losty Dublin · 24-09-2012 06:22PM

Judgement Day wrote: »

Muck - I never drink anything that needs a fork.

Real Ale's a better seller on RPSI trains these days than Guinness.

hawkwind23 · 24-09-2012 06:59PM

ive very find memories of the enterprise selling pints.
always strolled down about 10 mins after leaving station and half the train had same idea , some mighty craic and deep discussion was to be had crammed into that little carriage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TwSdVx2nOI

great video , get to about 1 minute in and they are in the bar , 2 taps on the go

The Idyll Race · 24-09-2012 07:36PM

Not sure I'd include Murphy's in the fine beers list JD! *ducks* Think Red Barrel was dead and gone when I first was a drinking age lad travelling to Britain on the St. David in 1982 - happy days!

hawkwind23 · 24-09-2012 07:40PM

another point.
the enterprise does not want anyone drinking or socialising in the bar area as anyone who has tried to sit on those horrible metal slides will attest.
waste of a carriage in my opinion.
id like to see a bar in it with a pump and a couple of decent tables.
i just buy the tins and drink at the table these days but would pay and have a few pints if it was made sociable in the bar area.

Judgement Day · 24-09-2012 07:42PM

Ah but the Mk III's weren't a patch on the original Radio Train carriages. I was on the original 1960's incarnation but was a bit too young to be knocking back pints. The 'high' tea sticks in my memory!

It hurts me to admit it but when it comes to pints on Irish trains the RPSI was always the best. One year I traveled on the two-day tour empty stock movement from Whitehead to Pearse - in the newly refurbished GNR Directors' Saloon #50 - with a full bar service despite there not being half a dozen passenger aboard. Arriving into Connolly in the early rush hour in such splendour and swilling pints of draught - memorable.

Judgement Day · 24-09-2012 07:49PM

Now here is a triumph of railway design, why can't we still have carriages like this?

Copyright: Train Chartering & Private Rail Cars - Simon Pielow

The Idyll Race · 24-09-2012 08:47PM

Judgement Day wrote: »

Now here is a triumph of railway design, why can't we still have carriages like this?

Copyright: Train Chartering & Private Rail Cars - Simon Pielow

Because a bus with a jax appears to be the "way forward" :rolleyes:

end of the road · 24-09-2012 09:09PM

The Idyll Race wrote: »

Because a bus with a jax appears to be the "way forward"

meh, not for me, railway, or no way

gobnaitolunacy · 25-09-2012 07:02AM

The Idyll Race wrote: »

Did either you or JD ever drink Real Ale, or did you form your judgement sight unseen like any good Irishman does?

Yes, and I had to open the windows to air the place the following morning.

I'd give anything a fair go, but the RPSI ale, yuck.

corktina · 25-09-2012 07:09AM

it's just the same as the Wine situation...you can have fine French wines that you savour or a Lidl 3 litre wine box. As with beer, the Irish go for quantity over quality.

gobnaitolunacy · 25-09-2012 07:10AM

Judgement Day wrote: »

Now here is a triumph of railway design, why can't we still have carriages like this?

Copyright: Train Chartering & Private Rail Cars - Simon Pielow

Elfen Safety.People might fall off the stool or get a splinter from the timberwork.

A pint on the train

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