13-12-11
Posted: 13 Dec 2011, 21:28
I loved the CiN tube challenge and have been plotting routes since then. I was hoping to go out on the last weekday of the old timetable with a route that was 16:51 (at least in theory) but wasn't feeling too good so decided to take advantage of the extended Ken O opening and give it a crack today.
I'd reworked the timings - the Chesham start got trickier as the first start I could find that didn't take ages was 7:31, which made it tough for a Heathrow finish. I did manage to rejig things so that I could do it but it needed a big run of sexy changes in the last few hours (multi-orgasmic changes?!). Anyway - I abandoned that idea, the one thing I wanted to do was to post a finish time significantly quicker than the 19:24 from CiN. So - with that in mind, I planned on a 6:26 Amersham start and the rest of the route the same from C+L onwards. This cost me about twenty minutes at the start and for some reason cost me later, so the projected time came in with a finish of around 17:30 (hours - not half past five in the afternoon!).
So - armed with my spreadsheet printout complete with the door positions I'd scouted on several trips over the last few weeks, I headed up to Amersham on the night bus. The LU staff member eyed me - I remember seeing her and she'd looked at me like I was mad when I practised the Amersham bridge on a scouting mission a few weeks ago. Anyhow - watch started at 6:26 - first station done. A few minutes later and the announcement came - train to Chesham cancelled. So - two stations down and I was already in trouble! Hmm - what to do. I toyed with waiting at C+L and catching the train down from Chesham so as to rejoin my planned route at the correct time at C+L - except that I figured that since the train to Chesham had been cancelled the train back wouldn't be running either. So - plan B! Get to Chesham (I remembered there was a 7:00am bus to Chesham from Amersham) and start at 7:31 which was faster for the NW triangle of Chesham, C+L and Amersham. I even managed to pick up a coffee in Chesham - result! More odd looks from the staff member at Amersham as I visited for the second time.
Right - so all ready at Chesham for a 7:31 start, and the NW triangle decided to become the Bermuda triangle - with another train magically disappearing. Something to do with a failed train at Neasden. Anyway - I amused myself in the waiting room looking at all the awards Chesham had won for its hanging basket displays as I awaited the 8:03 train. This also has some slick changes in the NW corner but means you need to go sub GWR pace to finish in time at Heathrow. Anyway - I couldn't see a way that I could finish so just decided to have a dry run of bits of the route.
8:03 and we were off! Watch started again, into C+L, few minutes ait and then back towards Amersham. I didn't have the times with me but I seemed to recall it needed a one minute change, so needed to get the door position right. Would all that stairs practice pay off? The short answer is no, the train up from C+L was running 2-3 mins late and the train from Amersham shot past before we got near the platform. Turns out I'd mis-remembered the door position anyway (note to self - carry all door positions you have with you even if you're not planning on using some). So - third visit to Amersham, and I think the staff member thought it was Groundhog day. I then had to wait around for 15 minutes or so for the next train out.
Finally - we were underway (again) and I cleared the NW triangle by just short of 9am. So - two and a half hours for three stations - woop! The next few stations went okay, no tight changes (even though they had been on the original plan). I got the train with time to spare after the North to West Harrow run, although on the original train I wouldn't. I knew my fitness wasn't anywhere near to what it was a few years ago, but I'd tried to adjust for that and allowed six minutes. Turned out it took me nearly eight, so that'll need a revamp before another attempt.
I knew I couldn't complete the route, and to be honest I found solo really soul destroying. The CiN attempt had been tiring but we had good banter with lots of joking around to keep the spirits up, but you don't have that on your own. Maybe it suits some people, but not me, especially when you get problems. I ran through the first chunk of the route, which worked absolutely fine, except for the exit at Regent's Park - the lifts are a pain in the bum and it took as long to get out of the RP as to get to the next station once out. I was checking the timing on my watch to see if it would have worked if I'd been on schedule and it worked fine on the whole. However, since I wasn't going to finish and was just dry running, I stopped at a pub for lunch, did a bit more and then decided to call it quits. I had several ideas for route adaptations and wanted to go and see if they worked on Journey Planner, plus I was toying with another attempt on Friday, so wanted to save energy.
All in all a frustrating day - I guess it's all part of the nature of tube challenging, but I learnt plenty. As well as the above, I need to have changes in a more accessible place so I don't have to fiddle around for them in a wallet. Plus I need to write down what side of the train the change is on - it doesn't make much odds at quiet times but in busy times if you're on the wrong side then you'll lost 30 seconds or so. Finally - one thing I struggle with is being on an empty platform, wanting to position myself for the door position for the next change (especially if it's only a stop or two away) but not been sure which way the train goes. Firstly I can scout this and second - am I correct in saying that the platforms only have a mirror at the front end of the train?
I'd reworked the timings - the Chesham start got trickier as the first start I could find that didn't take ages was 7:31, which made it tough for a Heathrow finish. I did manage to rejig things so that I could do it but it needed a big run of sexy changes in the last few hours (multi-orgasmic changes?!). Anyway - I abandoned that idea, the one thing I wanted to do was to post a finish time significantly quicker than the 19:24 from CiN. So - with that in mind, I planned on a 6:26 Amersham start and the rest of the route the same from C+L onwards. This cost me about twenty minutes at the start and for some reason cost me later, so the projected time came in with a finish of around 17:30 (hours - not half past five in the afternoon!).
So - armed with my spreadsheet printout complete with the door positions I'd scouted on several trips over the last few weeks, I headed up to Amersham on the night bus. The LU staff member eyed me - I remember seeing her and she'd looked at me like I was mad when I practised the Amersham bridge on a scouting mission a few weeks ago. Anyhow - watch started at 6:26 - first station done. A few minutes later and the announcement came - train to Chesham cancelled. So - two stations down and I was already in trouble! Hmm - what to do. I toyed with waiting at C+L and catching the train down from Chesham so as to rejoin my planned route at the correct time at C+L - except that I figured that since the train to Chesham had been cancelled the train back wouldn't be running either. So - plan B! Get to Chesham (I remembered there was a 7:00am bus to Chesham from Amersham) and start at 7:31 which was faster for the NW triangle of Chesham, C+L and Amersham. I even managed to pick up a coffee in Chesham - result! More odd looks from the staff member at Amersham as I visited for the second time.
Right - so all ready at Chesham for a 7:31 start, and the NW triangle decided to become the Bermuda triangle - with another train magically disappearing. Something to do with a failed train at Neasden. Anyway - I amused myself in the waiting room looking at all the awards Chesham had won for its hanging basket displays as I awaited the 8:03 train. This also has some slick changes in the NW corner but means you need to go sub GWR pace to finish in time at Heathrow. Anyway - I couldn't see a way that I could finish so just decided to have a dry run of bits of the route.
8:03 and we were off! Watch started again, into C+L, few minutes ait and then back towards Amersham. I didn't have the times with me but I seemed to recall it needed a one minute change, so needed to get the door position right. Would all that stairs practice pay off? The short answer is no, the train up from C+L was running 2-3 mins late and the train from Amersham shot past before we got near the platform. Turns out I'd mis-remembered the door position anyway (note to self - carry all door positions you have with you even if you're not planning on using some). So - third visit to Amersham, and I think the staff member thought it was Groundhog day. I then had to wait around for 15 minutes or so for the next train out.
Finally - we were underway (again) and I cleared the NW triangle by just short of 9am. So - two and a half hours for three stations - woop! The next few stations went okay, no tight changes (even though they had been on the original plan). I got the train with time to spare after the North to West Harrow run, although on the original train I wouldn't. I knew my fitness wasn't anywhere near to what it was a few years ago, but I'd tried to adjust for that and allowed six minutes. Turned out it took me nearly eight, so that'll need a revamp before another attempt.
I knew I couldn't complete the route, and to be honest I found solo really soul destroying. The CiN attempt had been tiring but we had good banter with lots of joking around to keep the spirits up, but you don't have that on your own. Maybe it suits some people, but not me, especially when you get problems. I ran through the first chunk of the route, which worked absolutely fine, except for the exit at Regent's Park - the lifts are a pain in the bum and it took as long to get out of the RP as to get to the next station once out. I was checking the timing on my watch to see if it would have worked if I'd been on schedule and it worked fine on the whole. However, since I wasn't going to finish and was just dry running, I stopped at a pub for lunch, did a bit more and then decided to call it quits. I had several ideas for route adaptations and wanted to go and see if they worked on Journey Planner, plus I was toying with another attempt on Friday, so wanted to save energy.
All in all a frustrating day - I guess it's all part of the nature of tube challenging, but I learnt plenty. As well as the above, I need to have changes in a more accessible place so I don't have to fiddle around for them in a wallet. Plus I need to write down what side of the train the change is on - it doesn't make much odds at quiet times but in busy times if you're on the wrong side then you'll lost 30 seconds or so. Finally - one thing I struggle with is being on an empty platform, wanting to position myself for the door position for the next change (especially if it's only a stop or two away) but not been sure which way the train goes. Firstly I can scout this and second - am I correct in saying that the platforms only have a mirror at the front end of the train?