About LNER tandem loading policy for AZUMA. The LNER website says:
The size of the bike storage is the same on all of our trains. Tandems up to 2.5m in length with both wheels removed can also be stored onboard. and
Bikes must have a reservation (tyres measuring over 7.4cm and tandems require two reservations).
We loaded a Thorn Adventure with no wheels and upside down in an IEP loading trial held in 2014 and this has carried through to LNER policy for these trains. I have only seen one report of it being done in practice and suggest for the moment the best way to follow up on that is to go to the Tandem Club website discussion:
https://tandem-club.org.uk/forum/discussions?id=11216I'm working on an article for the Tandem Club Journal where I will suggestways of making practical use of LNER's permissive policy as well as the current state of play with other companies.
Tandem in two sections is likely to be about as annoying as two solos; it's the lack of space for bikes with handlebars that's the main problem. Half-a-tandem is generally more unwieldy than a solo bike, too, as you can't wheel it to the right bit of platform as the train arrives.
This is not our experience. Our S & S coupled Thorn Adventure spilts in two equal halves and I find it's an easy carry, front in one hand and the back in the other with the rear wheel on the ground freewheeling. At the train door it's easy to load one half then the other on my own unless there is a full gale blowing the door shut or the track is way off level with the same result. The stoker handles any luggage.
We now have another tandem with the more usual divide just ahead of the captain's seat tube but have yet to try it on a train. It is easy to move around on smooth ground just like the half and half split. Either type should be no problem hanging in the Hitachi built trains (Class 800, 801, 802 GWR IET, GNER Azuma) provided the space hasn't been filled up with luggage. I'm confident the hook size will be OK with tyres up to 50mm wide. The other option is to ignore the hooks and stand the halves down on the protected couplers. Yes, protectors are essential if you want to avoid the risk of taking a chunk out of someones lower leg or luggage. As far as I know the planned system of bike reservations for actual hanging locations has never been used successfully but you must reserve two spaces as the reservation system is used to prevent too many bikes on one train.
As many couplers configuration leave long unsupported tubes it is worth thinking about loading in a way that protects these vunerable parts from attack by massive wheeled cases and baby carriers. I hadn't thought about that when I took the picture you can see in my Tandem Club forum post. Quick action straps are very useful to stop the halves flapping around or falling over if standing on the deck.
If you plan to take a tandem on any of the tandem permissive train services, print out the company policy for tandems. These are linked from the left had column here:
https://tandem-club.org.uk/files/information/trains/index.htmlStation staff are not usually aware of these policies and some train managers likewise. Be early and if taking a coupled tandem on a non tandem permissive service it does no harm to split it away for the immediate gaze of railway staff and public.