Surfboards etc

[whole diary]

[chuffed]

Couldn't you paint a picture of a 'boarder' collie on it, so they could then sell you a dog ticket ??

[TaplowGreen]

Just out of interest........why are you taking a surfboard to London?

The short answer: I'm from Cornwall and I live in London and I like taking my stuff between the two!     

Km

.............please don't tell me you play the double bass too? 

[Kernowman]

Couldn't you paint a picture of a 'boarder' collie on it, so they could then sell you a dog ticket ??

No but I could paint a couple of wheels on it and tell them it's a bike, might have made things easier!

[Kernowman]

Just out of interest........why are you taking a surfboard to London?

The short answer: I'm from Cornwall and I live in London and I like taking my stuff between the two!     

Km

.............please don't tell me you play the double bass too? 

No, the guitar (and that's had a bit or rail mileage between London and Cornwall too)!

[Bmblbzzz]

I'm intrigued by the fact that such a ticket exists. I can kind of see the logic of it, but it's interesting that it's so different to the process for taking a bike on a train when, as you say, they both take up a similar amount of space; the board being a bit longer and probably wider but also flatter and, I'd imagine, easier to stand vertically.

[Kernowman]

I'm intrigued by the fact that such a ticket exists. I can kind of see the logic of it, but it's interesting that it's so different to the process for taking a bike on a train when, as you say, they both take up a similar amount of space; the board being a bit longer and probably wider but also flatter and, I'd imagine, easier to stand vertically.

Exactly

The whole thing is an interesting area. Re bikes, for example at St Erth today, the four carriage Penzance to Manchester voyager has space for two reserved and one unreserved bike. The three car 150 working the branch has space for four bikes (in the bike area at the front of the unit) with additional space by the door vestibules for bikes/surfboards etc (the door vestibules seem to be used as much as the bike space for this).

Cross country has an interesting policy towards luggage, for a long distance operator, - please don't take too much of it and if you have got a lot of it they can recommend a road haulier - and if you're taking a surfboard to/from Newquay get an HST^▸ (High Speed Train).

I've got an inflatable roof rack so if it comes to it I guess I can attach stuff to the roof! 

On another note though I hope Great Western don't go the way of Cross Country regarding luggage when the new trains come into circulation.
 

[Bmblbzzz]

The driver of a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager, waiting at Birmingham New St, once told me "The bike spaces are useless are there aren't enough of them." I didn't think to ask about surf board spaces!

[Kernowman]

And if you're taking a bike to/from Newquay then don't get a Cross Country HST^▸ (High Speed Train) because it'll be full of surfboards!

[Kernowman]

.............please don't tell me you play the double bass too? 

Ha ha! No but my surfboard ended up next to a double bass on the 17.39 PZ - Pad yesterday in the van of the TGS!
I haven't looked in the van for quite some time. There's room for six cycles with material to tie them (you can't use padlocks etc) and places for reservation labels above each space. My surfboard went for free in the end, It's about six and a half foot long but when layed down on its edge (or upright) doesn't take up too much room.
All in all a fairly easy operation, I got a few comments from a couple of drunk city boys on the Circle line but all in good humour, then it was on to the Northern line where someone asked me about good surfing spots!

I did notice that anyone boarding or alighting at Camborne would have been a bit snookered as the van end of the TGS tends to be off the platform there.

Km





Edit note: Quote marks fixed, for clarity. CfN.

[Richard Fairhurst]

I'm intrigued by the fact that such a ticket exists. I can kind of see the logic of it, but it's interesting that it's so different to the process for taking a bike on a train when, as you say, they both take up a similar amount of space; the board being a bit longer and probably wider but also flatter and, I'd imagine, easier to stand vertically.

I was about to make a glib comment about "and the best solution is to get a folding surfboard" but, apparently, they do exist! http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/10314-the-fantastic-world-of-collapsible-surfboards

[Bmblbzzz]

Oh my! As the Beach Boys so (didn't) sang, "If everybody had a Brompton across the USA / Then everybody'd be surfing like Cornwall-eh" 

[Kernowman]

I was about to make a glib comment about "and the best solution is to get a folding surfboard" but, apparently, they do exist! http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/10314-the-fantastic-world-of-collapsible-surfboards

Wow interesting!