The LAM Challenge

[ReadingChallenger]

Hey All

Have frequented the forums for a while but only today decided to make an account So, a friend and I attempted the FNC twice last year (completing on the 2nd attempt), and this year we're planning to do the LAM (London All Modes) Challenge. This is the same as the SLAM challenge, just with the whole of London. So, the Tube, Overground, DLR, TFL Rail and Tramlink

We're planning to start this on Friday 11th September and use Night tube to continue overnight, hopefully finishing on Saturday 12th September, so it would be a continuous thing. I do have a few questions though:

Which stations on the tube map would have to be done twice? I know of Shadwell (DLR and Overground), Canary Wharf (Tube and DLR) and Shepherd's Bush (Underground and Overground). Are there any others I need to watch out for?

Also wondering if this challenge has been attempted before? Couldn't find a thread about it on here but I might have missed it

Look forward to the responses and posting on here more

[The Orange One]

No, far too long. We'd have some sort of SLAM time if we had a LAM time. That said, there is this thread.

Paddington (H&C/Circle) and Paddington (Bakerloo/Circle/District) are different.
Edgware Road (Circle/District/H&C) and Edgware Road (Bakerloo) are different.
Hammersmith (Circle/H&C) and Hammersmith (District/Piccadilly) are different.
Bethnal Green (Central) and Bethnal Green (Overground) are different.
Shepherd's Bush (Central) and Shepherd's Bush (Overground/Southern) are different.
Shadwell (DLR) and Shadwell (Overground) are different.
Canary Wharf (DLR) and Canary Wharf (Jubilee) are different.
Euston (Victoria/Northern) and Euston (Overground/London Midland/Virgin Trains/Caledonian Sleeper) are different.
West Hampstead (Jubilee) and West Hampstead (Overground) are different.
West Croydon (Tramlink) and West Croydon (Overground) are different.
Liverpool Street (Central/Circle/H&C/Met) and Liverpool Street (Overground/TfL Rail) are different.

Any two stations with different names are different, for example, Monument is separate from Bank.

Tangy, some clarification on Walthamstow Central would be handy. I've heard rumours that the barrier system has changed there. Is this true? Or do they still count as separate?

Remember to make sure you visit all stations by the correct mode, e.g. no Kentish Town by Thameslink. Remember also to get yourselves Travelcards that cover Watford Junction, Chesham, Cheshunt and Shenfield. Or use what I call an Oyster Covering - this involves tapping in at a convenient point just before heading up to, say, Watford Junction, then tapping out on the way back at a point where your Travelcard is valid once more. I used this method for the London Overground challenge, tapping in at Euston (surface station), heading up to Watford Junction, then at Willesden Junction, where I passed by an Oyster barrier and was once more within the Travelcard zones, touched out.

Please clarify whether you will be using the Emirates Air Line Dangly Way (this is, after all, an All modes), and remember you must also visit Battersea Park by London Overground. No skipping Battersea Park - Tractakid will strike you down!!

[ReadingChallenger]

Thanks for the advice! I didn't realise there were so many that had to be visited twice

Battersea Park is intended, we've got a fair bit of room to manoeuvre overnight so will try to end up at Clapham North for about 5:50am/6am to give time for a run to Battersea Park.

I wasn't intending to do the Emirates Air Line, it just seems like a bit of a strange addition to challenges to me That said, if the general consensus is that it has to be done to constitute all modes, then it shouldn't be too much trouble to include.

I do also have a question as to whether there are any lines/stations that aren't open on a Saturday. I'm aware that there are works on the north west section of the overground on the Saturday, so will do those on the friday, but not sure if there's any others?

Cheers again

[The Orange One]

Battersea Park has no Overground trains on Saturday, so you'd have to get either the 0618 departure Friday morning or the 2259 arrival/2309 departure Friday evening.

The closures are Liverpool Street to Seven Sisters/Walthamstow Central on Saturday.
The rest of the network should be fine, although Romford - Upminster has restricted opening hours (no early morning or late evening), as does the EAL, if you choose to put it in.

To be honest, you'd visit most of these stations twice anyway.

[ReadingChallenger]

Ah, missed the weekdays only bit when I was looking at the overground timetables. Thanks for pointing it out

In which case Battersea Park will probably be the starting station (or maybe somewhere like Morden), as we're aiming for a completion as opposed to a hugely fast time. I don't want to be relying on the one evening train.

[The Orange One]

0515 Morden Stockwell 0533
0539 Stockwell Victoria 0545
0600 Victoria Battersea Park 0606?

Actually, a Morden start might be a good idea, so that when you get to Wimbledon you can jump on Tramlink without having to worry about the Northern Line again. Epping's still a pain, but Upminster gives you the Rominster.

[ReadingChallenger]

Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Will probably end up as a Morden start/Chesham finish or something like that. I was hoping to end up at somewhere like West Ham/Stratford in time for the night services, so I could do most of the Jubilee/Northern/Piccadilly overnight.

[tangy]

Walthamstow Central is now even more a case of two separate stations, as there is now no direct way from the Underground subway onto the Overground platforms without popping out briefly onto the street, as the Overground platforms now have their own separate barriers on each side.

Though non ticket holders can still use the subway to "cross" the station from one side to the other (and to the bus station), hence the need for the barriers being retained at the Underground entrance. No more running up from the Tube hoping to dash onto the train to Chingford that has just pulled in!

Although it is National Rail, do not forget the Northern City line does not operate on a weekend, should you decide to use it to link up stations.

[ReadingChallenger]

Walthamstow Central is now even more a case of two separate stations, as there is now no direct way from the Underground subway onto the Overground platforms without popping out briefly onto the street, as the Overground platforms now have their own separate barriers on each side.

Though non ticket holders can still use the subway to "cross" the station from one side to the other (and to the bus station), hence the need for the barriers being retained at the Underground entrance. No more running up from the Tube hoping to dash onto the train to Chingford that has just pulled in!

Although it is National Rail, do not forget the Northern City line does not operate on a weekend, should you decide to use it to link up stations.

Thanks very much for the help I started to construct a route earlier, which ended up taking me through both Walthamstow Central stations within the first morning.

[ReadingChallenger]

Just saw The Orange One's post about the tramlink closure between Wimbledon and Dundonald Road, which is a bit of a pain in the neck tbh So we'll end up walking from Merton Park to Dundonald Road, and then on to Wimbledon, so we'll still end up visiting each stop. It's not abiding by the Guinness rules I guess but there's not really much alternative

[The Orange One]

You can get to Dundonald Road by tram from the Croydon direction, you'll just have to leg it to Wimbledon from there.

[ReadingChallenger]

You can get to Dundonald Road by tram from the Croydon direction, you'll just have to leg it to Wimbledon from there.

Ah, that's fair enough then. It's a pretty short run between the 2, so no problems. Thanks again for the help

[ReadingChallenger]

Have worked out a provisional route at 39 hours 30 minutes, starting at Morden and finishing at Chesham. I've come out with 452 stations overall, not sure if that's an accurate number?

[Cheshire Cat]

Phew! That's a helluva challenge! I'm starting to look at rhis myself, although it is likely to remain an armchair challenge and wouldn't in any case happen until next year. Presumably the overnight bits are still guesswork (or are there WTTs somewhere?) The exact timings could make a huge difference, given that some of the night buses are half hourly.

[ReadingChallenger]

Phew! That's a helluva challenge! I'm starting to look at rhis myself, although it is likely to remain an armchair challenge and wouldn't in any case happen until next year. Presumably the overnight bits are still guesswork (or are there WTTs somewhere?) The exact timings could make a huge difference, given that some of the night buses are half hourly.

I've used the journey times as they are during the day, and given 10 minutes between each connection (as these are the regular frequencies of most night tube trains) In reality I'm hoping most of our connections are better than that . I've been looking at doing the Jubilee, most of the Northern, the Walthamstow branch of the Victoria and all of the open Central during the night.