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Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 04 Apr 2017, 11:30
by quisquidillius
Dear all,

While reading various posts on this forum, I have seen a Chesham start and Amersham finish mentioned a few times (or the other way round). Have any attempts been made with these two places as start and finish, and have any of the said attempts resulted in a completion?

Many thanks,
quisquidillius.

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 04 Apr 2017, 13:18
by Iain
I don't recall seeing any in the time I've been on here, which is about five years, but I reckon it could be done. In the recent Red Nose Day attempt, people went out to the NW corner and back, which is essentially what you be doing except the other way around

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 04 Apr 2017, 15:13
by quisquidillius
Iain wrote:People went out to the NW corner and back, which is essentially what you be doing except the other way around
I'm not quite sure what you mean - could you elaborate please?

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 04 Apr 2017, 17:39
by Going Underground
Pretty certain that this was done a few years back as a large group possibly CiN day, cant recall the exact details but seem to remember that a few people had to abort and Soup Dragon and myself completed....

I have twice completed full networks going up to Amersham / Chesham and back from T4 starts if that explains the previous post...

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 04 Apr 2017, 17:50
by Iain
quisquidillius wrote:
Iain wrote:People went out to the NW corner and back, which is essentially what you be doing except the other way around
I'm not quite sure what you mean - could you elaborate please?
NW corner is the Amersham and Chesham bit - in the middle of RND they went up there in the middle of the day and then came back to do the rest of the network, meaning they'd have hit a fair few Met stations twice. You're talking of starting up there and finishing back there - presumably again hitting stations on the main bit if the Met twice.

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 04 Apr 2017, 23:21
by RJSRdg
It might become more of an option once the Croxley Link is completed i.e. with a finish like Harrow & Wealdstone - Watford Junction - Moor Park - Chesham/Amersham

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 05 Apr 2017, 07:15
by al
I think you need to replace the word once with if!

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 05 Apr 2017, 08:20
by DrainBrain
Iain wrote:NW corner is the Amersham and Chesham bit - in the middle of RND they went up there in the middle of the day and then came back to do the rest of the network, meaning they'd have hit a fair few Met stations twice. You're talking of starting up there and finishing back there - presumably again hitting stations on the main bit if the Met twice.
I think the general idea is to take the direct train from Chesham to Watford (via the North Curve) then another Met train out of Watford. At the end of the day catch a Chiltern service back to Amersham from Marylebone (or possibly HotH). Only Rickmansworth, Chorleywood and Chalfont & Latimer get duplicated**, and train changes are minimised.

** Croxley too, but that generally happens anyway.

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 05 Apr 2017, 13:05
by Iain
Apart from the fact that both ways were done in the middle of the day, and there was no north curve train, that's what my first run for CiN did. So in terms of time, you're fine. It obviously adds a bit of time, and you're going to have to deal with not being able to finish at the other obvious end point, adding more time. I still reckon it's very possible though if the rest of the route works well

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 05 Apr 2017, 20:26
by Tube Geek
al wrote:I think you need to replace the word once with if!
And maybe add only onto the end of that...

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 05 Apr 2017, 21:41
by Iain
DrainBrain wrote:
Iain wrote:NW corner is the Amersham and Chesham bit - in the middle of RND they went up there in the middle of the day and then came back to do the rest of the network, meaning they'd have hit a fair few Met stations twice. You're talking of starting up there and finishing back there - presumably again hitting stations on the main bit if the Met twice.
I think the general idea is to take the direct train from Chesham to Watford (via the North Curve) then another Met train out of Watford. At the end of the day catch a Chiltern service back to Amersham from Marylebone (or possibly HotH). Only Rickmansworth, Chorleywood and Chalfont & Latimer get duplicated**, and train changes are minimised.

** Croxley too, but that generally happens anyway.
that's the stops, but the track coverage will still take some time.

The Croxley idea is interesting :)

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 06 Apr 2017, 00:01
by RJSRdg
Iain wrote:Apart from the fact that both ways were done in the middle of the day, and there was no north curve train, that's what my first run for CiN did. So in terms of time, you're fine. It obviously adds a bit of time, and you're going to have to deal with not being able to finish at the other obvious end point, adding more time. I still reckon it's very possible though if the rest of the route works well
And you still have the big disadvantage of the NW finish - namely that trains up that end of the Met only run every half hour or so, meaning that missing a Met can add 30 mins on to the completion time (as opposed to the Heathrow finish, where missing a train only adds on another 10 minutes).

Obviously if you happen to live in the NW corner, there is an obvious advantage to having the start and finish on that part of the network!
And, in the highly improbable event that it was possible to find a GWR-beating route on that basis, it would probably be easier to get the witness(es) to meet you at Chesham and Amersham than say Chesham and Heathrow.

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 06 Apr 2017, 13:38
by Iain
An idea occurred to me - if you're just going for a completion, catch the train into Amersham the night before the run, noting when you depart Chalfont. Stay at your digs, then do a Chesham start, skipping an Amersham double back, leaving that visit until the end of the day. If for some reason you don't get time, then you just use the Chalfont "start" from the previous day!

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 08 Jun 2017, 08:17
by A Challenge
Iain wrote: 06 Apr 2017, 13:38 An idea occurred to me - if you're just going for a completion, catch the train into Amersham the night before the run, noting when you depart Chalfont. Stay at your digs, then do a Chesham start, skipping an Amersham double back, leaving that visit until the end of the day. If for some reason you don't get time, then you just use the Chalfont "start" from the previous day!
Wouldn't it be quicker (although it may not be allowed) to go from Great Missenden?

Re: Chesham to Amersham

Posted: 08 Jun 2017, 09:27
by al
A Challenge wrote: 08 Jun 2017, 08:17
Iain wrote: 06 Apr 2017, 13:38 An idea occurred to me - if you're just going for a completion, catch the train into Amersham the night before the run, noting when you depart Chalfont. Stay at your digs, then do a Chesham start, skipping an Amersham double back, leaving that visit until the end of the day. If for some reason you don't get time, then you just use the Chalfont "start" from the previous day!
Wouldn't it be quicker (although it may not be allowed) to go from Great Missenden?
It would not be allowed, as not "same rails"!