2nd attempt - Fri 27 Aug 2010

[adc82140]

Note to mods- should I have started a new thread for this?? Apologies if so.


Attempt no. 2 tomorrow- New challenge buddy (previous one pulled out due to family commitments), slightly altered route. Car positioning exercise later today- I'm shocked at the cost of parking at Heathrow, but it was either that or a taxi from T5 back to Amersham.

My previous challenge buddy had digs in central London, so it was a bit easier to get home at any point on the route- ths time I'm relying on being able to get to Heathrow, so if necessary I'll have to call an abort decision while there's still hope of the Piccadilly Line running.

[hwolge]

I'm shocked at the cost of parking at Heathrow, but it was either that or a taxi from T5 back to Amersham.

Good choice! We took a cab from T4 to Amersham in 2006 and it was £70...

[moley]

Split for you.

Amersham - interesting choice. I've just read your original topic where you said that Chesham was not the place to start. All that I would say to you is that you should check the options following each time table change as you may find it changes.

A lot of attempts are currently starting at Chesham - it does depend on what time you are starting though.

[adc82140]

Plan B for parking- will leave a car at Hatton Cross (£6 for the day), and taxi there from T5- much cheaper.

Starting at the beginning of service tomorrow, though now undecided as to whether to start at Chesham or Amersham. There is now a train first thing that goes direct Amersham to Watford. Interesting.

[mullardo]

Good Luck

[moley]

Tip with Amersham / Chesham - get the timetable and calculate ALL the options.

[Root]

Isn't that exactly the kind of help that we shouldn't be giving new challengers, Moley?

[greatkingrat]

Telling someone to look at a timetable is hardly a massive hint.

[palkanetoijala31]

Plan B for parking- will leave a car at Hatton Cross (£6 for the day), and taxi there from T5- much cheaper.

Starting at the beginning of service tomorrow, though now undecided as to whether to start at Chesham or Amersham. There is now a train first thing that goes direct Amersham to Watford. Interesting.

Next time get to know a certain member of the forum £6 less for parking near Hatton Cross hint hint! And where is Amersham to Watford direct not on tfl it isnt.!

[Root]

Telling someone to look at a timetable is hardly a massive hint.

Saying it twice in the way moley has done makes it extremely obvious what he is trying to get across. That's just my opinion.

[Steeevooo]

I agree, we do seem to be almost spoon-feeding any new challenger these days - it wasn't by chance that people started commencing their challenges at Chesham, it was obviously through research and planning etc, something which new challengers appear to have to do less and less of!

[greatkingrat]

Well at least no one has mentioned the excellent connections you get if you start on the 0621 from Ealing Broadway.

Oops.

[jbom]

Well at least no one has mentioned the excellent connections you get if you start on the 0621 from Ealing Broadway.

Oops.

If I were to start from Ealing Broadway, it would be on a Woodford via Hainault train.

[adc82140]

Oh dear. Another aborted attempt.

Abandoned at 190 stations after 14 hours. We were over 3 hours behind schedule, down to pure bad luck. There were no real problems on the network, we were just plagued with arrivals on platforms with 6-8 minute waits. I don't think we had less than a 4 minute wait for a train all day. Early in the morning we were put way behind by a 20 minute wait at Moor Park for a Watford train. Two that were timetabled simply didn't show, and of course that meant that there wasn't one waiting at Watford to take us back.

And where is Amersham to Watford direct not on tfl it isnt.!

Sorry that should have read Chesham to Watford!!

Anyway, for the next challenge a complete route rewrite is in order. There are several fundamental defects in the current one.

[moley]

Telling someone to look at a timetable is hardly a massive hint.

Saying it twice in the way moley has done makes it extremely obvious what he is trying to get across. That's just my opinion.

There are many forum posts on here where it says that the best place to start is Chesham. These chaps are saying the exact opposite hence my original post. As for my second post - common sense.

What I object to is where new people get given best part of a route.