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Maybe the season has not quite started...

Season or not, we're having a shot at the GWR, not this week, but before the Richmond branch closes. We have our tickets to London arranged and an excellent route planned - starting in Amersham. We'll be two persons doing it. I think we've got, more or less, everything covered, except for the INDEPENDENT WITNESS!

Even though this is my (our) first attempt, I think we stand a chance. We are (at least) as prepared as I was at last years Z1C and that went pretty well...

Our preliminary (but well founded) analysis says we have:
* a 98% chance to make all stations
* a 25% chance to beat the standing record
These numbers are calculated under the assumption that we experience "normal" i.e. minor delays and slightly displaced time tables, but no major delays.

If anyone is interested in helping us out in this effort by being an independent witness - please get in touch a.s.a.p. through a PM (private message) to me!

Of course we'll cover all costs incurred! We are currently investigating all possible other options, but no realistic alternative has yet presented itself!

/HÃ¥kan

If you can't get hold of anyone, Hakan, I wouldn't worry too much.

As long as you have enough other convincing evidence (ie. make up for the lack of stopwatch witness by asking for more signed witness statements on the say, or more timestamped photos, or other evidence, at the end of the day it's up to GWR.

Adham and I didn't manage to find a witness with a stopwatch when we tried, but we managed to glean a lot of other evidence including plenty of signed statements. We didn't really have a choice in the matter, though...

Crunchy - thanks, for the comforting words!

However, your strategy was never put to a test by Guinness - right?

I'm not too worried, but I'd feel a lot better about it if we had a proper stopwatch operator at hand!

I'd do the independent witness thing if I can find a way to get to where you need me to be.

Do you need witnesses throughout the day?

(I haven't read the rules for ages and I've forgotten )

Let's all go up to Amersham to wave them off!

(And then pull the passenger alarm at Chalfont and run off)

Hakan - no, my strategy was never tested (I haven't beaten the world record time yet!), but it all comes down to how sceptical Guinness are being when you hand them the evidence.

tubeguru wrote:I'd do the independent witness thing if I can find a way to get to where you need me to be.

Do you need witnesses throughout the day?

(I haven't read the rules for ages and I've forgotten )

I can just imagine you turning up not only for the start at Amersham, but on random trains throughout the day, to make up the numbers for witness purposes, and it all looking a bit dodgy that "Neil Blake" has been a witness at about 10 different points throughout the day, even though it's quite legit.....

Oh, and by the way Neil, if by a few minutes' time in the future you haven't received the email I haven't yet sent, can you drop me a line on pete@whatthefuck.tv? Ta.

Hakan and Co doing the all stations challenge....

....I think Geoff and Neil should be scared

Not as much as we're scared by ******** ...

I may be missing something in the rules but it does say that it is just preferable to have the same independant witness at both the start and end of the attempt.
Could you perhaps just ask the man behind the little shop thing on the platform at Amersham to start it, from where it can be whisked off by your back up team and taken to Upminster, or wherever, for some other completely random drunk to stop for you?
Just an idea.

I don't think the master clock can be carried by the challengers- or am I going mad?

jonny is quite right! Had there been a backup team, this could have worked! However, depending on some LU staff or a shop keeper to actually agree to this there and then etc etc... Sounds a bit shaky to me.

However, we still have hope that the witness situation will be resolved!

As for backup team. Any volunteers to bring us sandwiches and water during the day?

If I can get to Amersham at Stupid O'Clock and be at [station not revealed] at the end of the day then I could do the whole master stopwatch thing for you to make sure there's no cheating

Anyone else up for helping them out on the day?

Thanks, tubeguru! That would be great. Keep us posted.

We trust you won't mess up the stopwatch even if it seems to stop before 18:35:43... We Swedes are known to be quite gullible!

We are planning for not having any support during the day - but any small thing will be most welcome!

Well, I'm sure some cynical people would wonder why one of the current record holders is in charge of the stopwatch but you'd have to ask how on earth I could contrive to ADD time to it! I'd only be able to pause it and make your time FASTER