We're engaged; let's get a tandem

What did you do for logistics? I've heard Southwest Trains won't allow tandems on their trains...?

Nice! I'm planning a similar thing this summer.
Interested to know about the train situation too

From what I've been able to gather, you're OK on the East & West coast mainlines if you reserve 2 spots, but pretty much stuffed otherwise..

You're also ok on First Great Western and Greater Anglia, but only the high speed 125s. This all well and good, but you can't get to Hampshire on any of those trains, hence my question.

PS this is a great source of information. YMMV and sometimes, if you catch a nice guard at an offpeak time, they'll let you on. I got our Dawes Super Galaxy on a London Midlands class 375 without much issue.

Is the middle ring new? Doesn't have to be that worn out for two strong riders to instigate some slippage

Can't say we had any issues at all with the trains. I checked the cycling policy and, given that they don't have any tandem-specific conditions, assumed that they'd have to treat the tandem just like any other bike. Certainly that's the argument I had prepped for the train guard. We were travelling well outside peak time though.

@cruffiton Chainrings don't slip do they? Pretty sure it's the sprockets that are the problem, but I can't work out why. It's even more difficult to assess from the pilot's position about five feet away!

Chainrings can slip.

Or rather the chain can slip over the chainring cogs if they're too worn or a bit worn and mega powers.

Worn chainrings do slip, for the same reason worn cassette sprockets do. If the gears are slipping under power with a new chain and cassette, most likely causes are poor gear adjustment (sometimes caused by worn out jockey wheels or bent gear hanger), dodgy freehub body/freewheel or worn out chainring. If the slippage only occurs in one of the chainrings, that suggests it's the chainring at fault.

Hmm. Our middle chainring is quite worn. Will order a new one.

Tandems are money pits. I justify spending on the tandem on the basis that every time I buy something it's basically a gift for my other half.

Not sure she sees it the same way.

Is that a Stronglight 80 I see on there? Try and avoid throwing money at those cranks, you're better getting a modern 110/74 mm BCD set. I think @doglog might have a set of stronglight cranks with 86mm rings he can pass on, or @6pt may still have some 86mm rings rotting in his shed...?

I do indeed have the full original drivetrain from my Dawes rotting in my shed! Not sure what state the drive chainrings are in (or whether it's a stronglight 80! but it looks about right...), will have a rummage over the weekend. The timing chainrings only have one tour on them/1000-ish miles, so practically minty fresh. Happy to pass those on to whoever.
(They were sourced from J D Whisker, so it might be worth giving them a call if you're desperate for something original/new?)

Cranks (driveside and timing) are Stronglight 100LX (170mm). Chainrings are a Stronglight triple (52t-42t-32t), 86mm BCD.

I can buy replacement chainrings from SJS but, @6pt or @doglog, if you have some going spare I'd be very happy to pay you for 'em. They'd be going to a good home.