15/06/2012 Carwyn's 1st Attempt

[Adelante_CCT]

Mid-afternoon update, running 8 minutes later than my schedule with 2 stations missed, west ken and sloane square.
@tractakid, fortunately I had just done earls court-edgware rd-hammersmith, just before the baker st problem caused suspensions and delays in those areas, although it did affect me slightly in the rayners lane area.

[tractakid]

Will you pick up the stations later?

[Adelante_CCT]

Yes, I hope to be in that sort of earls court region later anyway, will hopefully get them done then, just a bit of a pain as it will delay me further. Currently running about 15 minutes behind my timings.

[Iain]

Sounds like it's going well then - in our attempts we've been more than that down on schedule by this time of day.

[Sam]

Sounds like it's going well then - in our attempts we've been more than that down on schedule by this time of day.

Depends on their scheduled time though doesn't it, yours may have had tighter connections in it.

[Adelante_CCT]

Well if all had gone to plan then it would have been an 18h11mins, my connections haven't been to bad as this is my first time I wasn't too strict on myself.
I unfortunately will have to abandon before the end as I have to get back to Cranford where I am staying and the last few met trains only go back as far as rickmansworth and I would need to get back at least as far as harrow to get a bus, otherwise a completion would probably be on the cards.

[Adelante_CCT]

I have finally made it to Chesham! Shame about missing West Harrow, Croxley, Watford and Amersham though.
266 stations in 17:43:29. Full write up over the weekend.

[The Raven]

Well done! Better luck next time! I await your write up!

[Iain]

Good going!

[Adelante_CCT]

Just a point to mention before my report, my route will be included, I know recently this has been a contentious talking point on this forum but I feel it’s just easier to list my day in order. I don’t feel my route is perfect and am sure that people wouldn’t learn anything from it, therefore if you really don’t want to know my exact route then stop reading, otherwise here we go:-

I was staying in the Cranford Travelodge and was located in what must have been the furthest room possible from reception. I was going to have to start my day much earlier just to get out of the hotel; it was like one of those cartoons, endlessly going past the same type of door after same type of door.

Down to Hounslow West in time for the 04:55 (for a 05:02 start from T4), however problem number one occurred when it came in 5 minutes late resulting in the missed connection at T123 and therefore nearly 20 minutes down already.

Up via Acton, and off at Barons Court for my first main exercise of the day with a jog to Ken O in time for the 06:32 of which I was the only person on. This left two minutes late however does go direct to Edgware Rd which is handy. Off down to Hammersmith and then Richmond.

Off at Gunnersbury and I hear the district is suspended between HSK and Edgware Rd due to major signal failure at Baker Street, got lucky on that one then, walked to Chiswick and just missed my original train that I would have been on if I’d been allowed to start the challenge on time.

After a 17 minute wait I was off to Ealing B – West Acton – North Ealing – Uxbridge – Ickenham – West Ruislip – Epping – Central Loop – Leytonstone – Leytonstone HR – Walthamstow QR – Walthamstow, this period went well, nothing to get excited about but no major delays either apart from a little wait at Rayners Lane due to the Baker Street problem. Now 30 minutes behind schedule.

Down to Brixton with no problems until just outside Brixton station where a four minute wait resulted in missing the next train back up and having to get back on the same train again up to Victoria. Now 35 minutes behind schedule.

This was now about to be my best part of the day, I had planned to double back to Sloane Square depending on the next Eastbound Circle Line to Aldgate knowing these were only every 10 Minutes. I was just about to go up towards the Westbound staircase when the person in front of me realised they were going the wrong way and shot across to the Eastbound stairs, for some reason I decided to do the same and as I was coming up in pulled a circle line, very chuffed I was . I could see there was an Upminster due 2 minutes behind and never thought I would make it from Aldgate – Aldgate East in time, but perhaps it was held at Tower Hill for a minute, as I was coming down the stairs at Aldgate East it was pulling in. Pulled into Upminster with a C2C back to West Ham immediately, jumping straight on a Jubilee to Waterloo and then jumping straight on a northern to Edgware. I had reduced the deficit to just 8 minutes behind schedule!

Across to Canons Park, Stanmore then Baker Street. Working out there would be no Met train to Moorgate for a while and not wanting to walk all the way over the circle platform and seeing a Bakerloo just sat there made me think to just jump on it to Regents Park and then go to GPS and on to Moorgate. Just 7 minutes behind now!

Up to Finchley – MHE double back and High Barnet, missed a 307 by just seconds and decided to get a 184 to Barnet Sainsburys and walk the rest, ‘never again!’ Down the Picc to South Ken for a double double back via Sloane Square and West Ken before heading down to Wimbledon. Major congestion in the Earls Court area meant this last section took forever and a lot of time was lost. Also whilst heading down to Wimbledon noticed a broken down northbound train between Wimb Park and Southfields with the driver flagging us down to speak to our driver, only stopped for a few seconds though and proceeded past 3 stopped trains and then arrived alongside 3 other at Wimbledon, any later and I would probably would have been stuck before arriving Wimbledon. Now 55 minutes behind schedule.

Tram to Morden Park and walk to Morden just missing one and then up to Borough and back to E&C. By now I had realised I was too far behind my plan to get a finish so now it was just do as many as I could, up to H&W down to South Kenton – Preston Road where I caught my final ‘challenge’ train up to Chesham. Back down to Harrow for a bus back down to Harlington and off to my hotel for a well deserved shower.

I really enjoyed my day and am just a little annoyed that I wasn’t able to complete despite having no serious problems that affected me. I have learnt quite a bit such as bus stop positions and would hope that a future attempt would result in a more promising finish.

Next time I will perhaps rely on buses a bit more, especially for longer walks/jogs, saving my legs for the shorter runs as towards the end my legs couldn’t run anymore and are still aching now, never again will I be walking from Barnet to Cockfosters, I never realised it was on such a hill!. Also not to take muffins again as the ones in my bag basically disintegrated (fortunately still inside its film wrapping).

Overall stats: 266 Stations in 17 Hours, 43 Minutes 29 Seconds.

[geofftech]

always nice to read someone else's day! great stuff. it's a nice feeling too (as you had out at Upminster) when everything just connects several times in a row, isn't it?

'never again!' for High Barnet to Cockfosters .. hee hee, you should try running up that hill instead!

[Nigel]

Thanks for the write up. A very creditable first attempt. It sounds like you are now hooked, and will be trying again before long.

[Cheshire Cat]

Interesting report. Well done for doing 266 - so near and yet so far! Better luck next time.

[Iain]

Glad you enjoyed it, a shame you couldn't get the other few but I bet you'll be back. The muffin story in particular reminded me of my first challenge as a similar thing happened to me.

It's worth looking at the various options for the transfers such as High Barnet to Cockfosters, there are all sorts of possible buses that I'm still learning about - I learn something every time I try a FNC. It's probably easier Cockfosters to HB but of course that can make synching up for MHE trains harder.

[Going Underground]

It's probably easier Cockfosters to HB but of course that can make synching up for MHE trains harder.

Even when you start a full network at High Barnet