tubechallenge.com

greatkingrat wrote:I won't be able to make the challenge but will pop along later on to the pub.

Talking of which 20 stations within Z1,2,3 I know it is difficult to say but what would a rough guess be for the challenge to take, 5 hours??

The postman has just arrived, thanks Matt

I suppose I'd better find some bus maps to look at how to best change between the ends of lines...

OK see the challengers at around 11:50hrs and the non-challengers at the pub afterwards at a time I haven't got a bloody clue of

For those interested in historical tube stock, Sarah Siddons + a battery loco is scheduled to be moved through GPS at around 9.20pm on its way to Upminster for the depot open weekend.

Well if I was taking part my route would be

Canada Water - London Bridge - Kennington - Embankment - Temple - Victoria - Stockwell - South Wimbledon - bus to Wimbledon - Earls Court - Northfields - Acton Town - Earls Court (via District) - Kensington Olympia - bus to High Street Ken - Paddington - Willesden Junction - LO to West Hampstead - Green Park - Kings Cross - Highbury & Islington - FCC to Old Street - Moorgate - Kings Cross (via Circle) - Hampstead.

Olympia could be done earlier depending on how the timetables work.

Estimated time 4:30ish?

Does taking FCC from Highbury to Moorgate count as a visit to Old Street? Or do you have to change to the Northern Line?

scrxisi wrote:(or service running on the same rails) to and from it - i.e. Bakerloo train OR Watford Junction-Euston line train would be valid, but not anything from the high level platforms…

bugger, is that a valid move?
could've stripped a few mins off our time

Ok, three teams entered today, I'll leave the others to speak for themselves.
Thomas Wood, Hajime Urata and Phil Young finished in 5:00:36 at Willesden Junction

The route:
Canada Water - London Bridge - Borough - South Wimbledon bus to Wimbledon - Southfields (missed West Brompton connection to Olympia by 5 mins) - Earl's Court (Olympia train in platform) - Olympia - bus to Hammersmith - Northfields - Acton Town - Stamford Brook - Temple - Westminster (Northern CX branch down) - Waterloo SWT to Vauxhall - Pimlico - Green Park - Leicester Square - Covent Garden - King's Cross St. Pancras - Farringdon - Moorgate - Old Street (considered NR, but didn't have a timetable/frequencies) - KXSP - Highbury & Islington - Euston - Hampstead - bus to Swiss Cottage - St. John's Wood - Baker Street - Edgware Road - Notting Hill Gate - Paddington (nb from sb platform over points) - Willesden Junction

Canada Water was a good starting location, had elsewhere have been picked, it may have made the corners even trickier!

scrxisi wrote:...visitng Willesden Junction, as you have to take a tube train (or service running on the same rails) to and from it - i.e. Bakerloo train OR Watford Junction-Euston line train would be valid, but not anything from the high level platforms…

Isn't it funny that to visit Willesden Junction, taking one Overground train through it is okay, whereas taking a different Overground service is not?

Thanks to those that came along to the inaugural Z1,2,3 R20, despite having an absolutely torrid time I still feel this was a decent event and wasn't too time consuming....

The teams were;
Phil Brown (Sheffield not Worthing ) / John Stark
Thomas Wood / Hajime Urata / Phil Young
Ryan and Kevin Brown

So after looking carfeully at the route for almost 10 mins we decided that we didn't fancy the long trek down the horrid stretch of Northern Line to South Wimbledon so we were actually going to finish by getting a bus from Wimbledon and then leaving South Wimbledon stopping the watch at the next station....... We later found out that both the other teams had in fact changed at London Bridge and gone South all the way on the Northern line, we should have done the same

Like the other teams we decided to change at London Bridge to knock BOROUGH off and then our plan was to hit PIMILICO / WATERLOO / TEMPLE / LEICS SQ / COVENT GARDEN while in this area and then head up to HIGHBURY & ISLINGTON, taking out the other stations in that section then onto HAMPSTEAD overground to WILLESDEN JUNCTION then down to BAKER STREET / ST JOHNS WOOD / NHG / KEN OLY out to NORTHFIELDS and back and then down to SOUTHFIELDS...

So upon arrival at Stockwell the board said 4 mins, which almost immediately changed to 8mins I said to Ryan this so long to wait lets head back to Kennington and when we got back there on a Bank branch the Charing Cross branch was taped off
So back to Stockwell this time to see Walthamstow but NO time indicator and a very packed platform.... We ran round to the Southbound Northern Line as it was looking impossibe to go North! and the indicator showed 3 mins, we quickly jogged back to the Northbound Viccie just in case and a train came within 2 mins (The indicator board still showing no time)...

We then found out the the Northern Line had been closed between Charing X and Waterloo and with Bakerloo already down we decided to go West at Victoria...... A Circle line within 2 mins to NHG double back to HSK and bus to KEN OLY for a 9 minute wait....
Out to NORTHFIELDS and doubling back all the way to Kings X, Viccie to HIGHBURY & ISLINGTON and back H & C to Moorgate and then Northern to HAMPSTEAD (Changing at Camden Town) nice downhill run to Hampstead Heath and 7 minute wait for Overground to WILLESDEN JCT. Bakerloo to Paddington where half the population of the world seemed to be congregating and the platform was 5 deep. We were now approaching 5pm, the dreaded "rush hour" had started no Bakerloo line and the Circle line train to Baker Street was absolutely crammed with bodies.....
So with ST JOHNS WOOD/TEMPLE/WATERLOO/SOUTH WIMBLEDON/SOUTHFIELDS still to do with some nasty rush hour changes at busy stations, having over 4 and a half hours on the clock and being one stop from GPS and the pub we decided to abort.....

Finishing station and time
3rd Ryan and Kev (aborted 15 stations completed in approx 4hrs 30mins)
2nd Tom/Phil Young/Hajime, Willesden Jct, 5hrs 00mins 36secs
1st John/Phil Brown, Northfields, 4hrs 52mins 58secs..

Hopefully we can make this an annual event as would be nice to complete next time...

greatkingrat wrote:Well if I was taking part my route would be

Canada Water - London Bridge - Kennington - Embankment - Temple - Victoria - Stockwell - South Wimbledon - bus to Wimbledon - Earls Court - Northfields - Acton Town - Earls Court (via District) - Kensington Olympia - bus to High Street Ken - Paddington - Willesden Junction - LO to West Hampstead - Green Park - Kings Cross - Highbury & Islington - FCC to Old Street - Moorgate - Kings Cross (via Circle) - Hampstead.

Olympia could be done earlier depending on how the timetables work.

Estimated time 4:30ish?

Does taking FCC from Highbury to Moorgate count as a visit to Old Street? Or do you have to change to the Northern Line?

Following in gkr's shoes, here would have been my proposed route:

Canada Water - Waterloo - London Bridge - South Wimbledon - bus to Wimbledon - Earls Court - Kensington Olympia - bus to Hammersmith - Northfields - Acton Town - Hammersmith - Wood Lane - run to White City - Notting Hill Gate - Shepherds Bush - LO to Willesden Junction - LO to South Hampstead - run to Swiss Cottage - Green Park - Pimlico - Victoria - Temple - Embankment - Leicester Square - Kings Cross St Pancras - Highbury & Islington - Kings Cross St Pancras - (Circle/H&C/Met to) Moorgate - Hampstead

Sounds like you had a fun day Kev! Shame you didn't get to finish all the stations. At least you can relax and look at that picture I sent you!

As greatkingrat and joy54 have done, here is what my route would have been for what it is worth:

Canada Water -> London Bridge -> Elephant & Castle -> Embankment -> Temple -> Victoria -> Stockwell -> South Wimbledon -> Wimbledon (bus/run) -> East Putney -> Putney (run) -> Brentford (National Rail) -> Northfields (bus) -> Acton Town -> Barons Court -> Kensington (Olympia) (run) -> High Street Kensington -> Notting Hill Gate -> Tottenham Court Road -> Leicester Square -> King's Cross St. Pancras -> Moorgate -> Old Street -> Highbury & Islington (National Rail) -> King's Cross. St. Pancras -> Hampstead -> Swiss Cottage (bus) -> Baker Street -> Willesden Junction

Phil and John - what was your winning route?

mps247 wrote:As greatkingrat and joy54 have done, here is what my route would have been for what it is worth:

Canada Water -> London Bridge -> Elephant & Castle -> Embankment -> Temple -> Victoria -> Stockwell -> South Wimbledon -> Wimbledon (bus/run) -> East Putney -> Putney (run) -> Brentford (National Rail) -> Northfields (bus) -> Acton Town -> Barons Court -> Kensington (Olympia) (run) -> High Street Kensington -> Notting Hill Gate -> Tottenham Court Road -> Leicester Square -> King's Cross St. Pancras -> Moorgate -> Old Street -> Highbury & Islington (National Rail) -> King's Cross. St. Pancras -> Hampstead -> Swiss Cottage (bus) -> Baker Street -> Willesden Junction

Phil and John - what was your winning route?

Unfotunately Hassan no Bakerloo in service E & C to Paddington so the 2nd move of your opening gambit would not have been possible...

Going Underground wrote:

mps247 wrote:As greatkingrat and joy54 have done, here is what my route would have been for what it is worth:

Canada Water -> London Bridge -> Elephant & Castle -> Embankment -> Temple -> Victoria -> Stockwell -> South Wimbledon -> Wimbledon (bus/run) -> East Putney -> Putney (run) -> Brentford (National Rail) -> Northfields (bus) -> Acton Town -> Barons Court -> Kensington (Olympia) (run) -> High Street Kensington -> Notting Hill Gate -> Tottenham Court Road -> Leicester Square -> King's Cross St. Pancras -> Moorgate -> Old Street -> Highbury & Islington (National Rail) -> King's Cross. St. Pancras -> Hampstead -> Swiss Cottage (bus) -> Baker Street -> Willesden Junction

Phil and John - what was your winning route?

Unfotunately Hassan no Bakerloo in service E & C to Paddington so the 2nd move of your opening gambit would not have been possible...

Ah, of course! I had completely forgotten that the whole reason you organised a zone 1-3 R20 on this date was because you could not attempt a full network challenge due to engineering works on the Bakerloo line. I was wondering why nobody wanted to go to Waterloo via Lambeth North...

So, after getting down at Elephant & Castle, and standing there looking like an idiot: Elephant & Castle -> Kennington -> Embankment, and at the end: Baker Street -> Swiss Cottage -> South Hampstead (run) -> Willesden Junction (and if required Willesden Junction -> Kensal Green/Harlesden).