The Flying Finn - Latest GWR attempt - live updates

[Root]

That's not what I meant! Anyway, I thought it was first used for Hannes Kolehmainen?

[hwolge]

The time to beat is 18hrs 15 mins

The current record (current as at the date of this letter) is:
Category opened for applications for the tube network as of 27 March 2008 (i.e. following the closure of the East London Line as part of the London Underground on 22 December 2007 and the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 on 27 March 2008). Minimum time: 18 hours 15 minutes

Got the email today!!

Good luck Andi

Thanks, Steven, I appreciate your sharing of this vital piece of information

I think we'll see new records end up down to around 17h45m on this configuration. The extremely well planned, timed and executed holiday 17h30m will probably not be beaten any time soon.

I wonder when the press stop for GWR 2009 book is? Since it'll be published in October or so, I guess any new records must be confirmed no later than end of July or something to make book...

[CrunchySaviour]

It's got to be over by now. How did it go?

There have been many changes since I last attempted a challenge, and my geographical situation effectively prevents me from doing that any time soon. Terminal 5, "Zone 9", the East London Line... there is much I must get used to, and there's bound to be more, but let it be known:

The Underground Masker will return.

Hope the Finn kept flying!

PS. Hakan, I now drive a Volvo.

[hwolge]

The Underground Masker will return.

Does that mean the musician or the tube challenger? According to Underground Masker's homepage he is:
"...a songwriter, "singer", rapper and "musician". He is a hip-hop artist as well as an alto and baritone operatic legend. He is a virtuoso thereminist, guitarist, drummer, bassist and ocarina player."

Anyway, good to hear from you! (I'm a SAAB person myself, currently driving my 6th one, and I've never had a Volvo...)

[Root]

The Underground Masker will return.

Yay.

[Soup Dragon]

First of all welcome back to Anthony, it's like the good old days are back.
Secondly I had a text from Andi just after 10pm, saying that he had t abort because of problems on the Victoria line.

[Going Underground]

First of all welcome back to Anthony, it's like the good old days are back.
Secondly I had a text from Andi just after 10pm, saying that he had t abort because of problems on the Victoria line.

Indeed I can confirm this, I received a phone call from Andi just before 9pm and he didn't have much to do. I believe he was heading up to High Barnet and then making his way over to the Picc line and was confident of a very good time and possible GWR and was quite upbeat......

However a text 20 minutes later confirmed that the attempt was aborted as Andi had overlooked the early closure of the Victoria line..........

It was probably the decision to change route early in the day that screwed this up, so this was a very frustrating end to the day.....

Well things are looking up on the forum, Ollie is back and now Anthony...
If we can drum up Zeibura and a couple of others it really will be like old times.......

[CrunchySaviour]

Oh NO!!! What a bummer, so late in the day! Commiserations to Andi.

The GWR is sure to fall once again, though. I can feel it in my mask.

The Underground Masker - The Tube Challenger will certainly return. The Musician might well also return...

Then again, the Masker - The Tube Challenger's future is uncertain. Having gone for a run this morning, perhaps the start of my training for 2009, I went to a large adventure playground with adult-sized "rides", and went down a slide (yes, like a child might do), but it was quite a big slide, and at the bottom was a kind of embankment of bedded-in woodchips, and I hit this embankment at speed with my feet, and my legs bent to cushion the impact, but it was such an impact that I sustained whiplash (self-diagnosed) in my right knee. I've pulled something in there to the extent that it hurts when I twist my leg or put weight on it in most positions. This will prevent me from training for a while.

Other than that, I feel a thunder of Tube Challenging in my heart that I just can't control. I won't walk away. I will follow my soul.

I will make a great effort to be there at Z1C 2009, and 2009 will also be the year of my "comeback" attempt. I am steely-determined.

However!!! To truly call myself "back" here on the Forum, I must fully acquaint myself with the current Tube map and any Guinness-based annoyances. Have they relented regarding Shoreditch?

[nozzacook]

Unlucky Andi to get so far through the day and be stopped like that.

[Rick Mansworth]

Ollie, seeing you unfortunately missed Andi at Chesham, fancy meeting me and Perry Vale at 05.48 on Tuesday (April Fool's Day)?!!

RM

ps Our fundraising is going great guns.. nearly £5K!!
http://www.justgiving.com/thetubechallenge

[Dr Who]

What a pisser!
Sorry to hear that Andi, Shame about the Victoria Line sounds like you where on for a good time.
Oh well always next time.

[palkanetoijala31]

Well hello everyone im now awake after a good sleep somehow made it to Fleet services and fell asleep there for an hour then preceded back to Bournemouth and got in at 2.30am after a long day in the saddle

many thanks to Tangy (martin) Steveooo,Going Underground (Kevin) and any others that helped me throughout the day here is a right up of the day and funny events.

Started the day by purchasing a 27h ticket in the car park at Amersham so i could have got a hotel at upminster and back just in case i was close to the record but was hoping to get one of the last trains back from Aldgate.

Amersham departure was 05.28.15 secs so my earliest departure yet from there Sarah started me off then left me to my own devices.Chalfront connection very easy took some lovely photos was starting to get light and down to Chesham where i thought maybe i be looking out for Ollie down the platform he wasnt there.Saw the driver asked him nicely to drive as fast as he could to Moor Park he gave me the thumbs up and set about getting my first witness the same guy as did us on March 4th surprisingly.

Moor Park arrival 06.19.10 thought yes i had to have made it saw no train on approaching going to Watford and yes it came in just about 1m and half later so now i have 3 attempts 2 Moor Park connections made.

Up to Watford and change was good first time i did it i never got the train number here remedied that 1 so now know it off by heart and down to North Harrow was tempted to change to run down to West Harrow maybe i would have avoided Kings Cross later if i have done that.Set off at a good jogging pace never stopped apart from to slow down for the lights must have been i think 7 mins i ran all the way to Rayners Lane wasnt really looking at the watch.In to the station and got my breath back and went to the door poisition for the next connection there was a train in the siding not sure if it was a late train or not but it left earlier than i said it would left at 06.59.24

Down the Piccardilly line to North Ealing and i have had horrible changes here in past but no it was good had time to walk across platform and even get down to next door position and take a pic before the train came in and it was the train before my plan so i was 5 mins up.

Park Royal no bus there so had to jog down to Hanger Lane but i knew that i had more minutes due to the fact i got an earlier train rang Kevin to let him know my progress was enjoying it a lot at this point.

The first hiccup a slow driver of a Central line train messed up my Ickenham connection no bloody bus U1 again at West Ruislip surprise surprise so ran but knew even i couldnt make a 4 min connection so had to settle for a leisurely photo op and door position at Ickenham and my wait at Uxbridge wasnt too bad i,ve had a lot worse.

Down to Preston Road and made some time back with a good connection there less than my plan and back to Northwick Park where i hoped to get back on plan with a good run made the Kenton train even though i thought it was late it said it was on time?it proved to be late as arriving at Harrow & Whealdstone there was a train there but as soon as i opened the doors i heard the train pull off so walked it instead and had to wait for the train i just gotoff to come round.

9 mins down but all not lost Bakerloo line extremely good and a bonus later on in day as i heard it was part suspended but i had already done it connection at Elephant & Castle was phenomenal 30 secs in and out and transfer maybe here i should have gone up the Northern line to High Barnet i think i will next time Kings Cross is just too unrealiable as a station.

Camden town good connection although i nearly knocked over several passengers there just get out of the way im doing a world record attempt im sure they tutted under their breath.

Up to Edgware noticed i had clawed back to 5 mins down on plan with a good connection at Elephant & castle got out of the station and saw a bus 142 thought gr8 i get that to Stanmore turns out it was wrong direction but i wasnt to know that got off and got bus 340 instead saw train rumble over bridge so sprinted to make train did but then the driver wouldnt open his doors many obsencities later at high voice saw that a train was approaching i think the change at Stanmore was to the train i just insulted thank god he didnt hear me at Canons Park a 29 secs change at Stanmore never had that good there.

The Change of opinion about the Jubilee Line it was kind to me all day must have known i was out doing the network and didnt want to be sworn at heard that Kings Cross was out and as i wanted to go up Northern and across there next had to change my plans so made a Circle connection at Baker Street a circle line train when i wanted it?

Took it all way round to Aldgate and ran to Aldgate east and then thought while i waited what to do next decided to go up to Stepney Green pain in the arse and back down to Earls Court where i hoped to get a Kensington Olmypia train on the board no such luck got on the Wimbledon train but then an Ealing Broadway came in cross platform change at got on it to Chiswick Park ran to Gunnersbury and some sort of normality knew roughly what time the trains were had a good train to Feltham and went out to the Bus Station exit thought then to run up road but a bus h25 not desired one but it was there and took to Hatton Cross.

Hatton Cross a perfect train a t4 then going round to T123 and the wait was 23 secs so no 8 min wait there u best to just judge ur instincts Hakan and down to new Heathrow T5 they thought i was one of the protesters cos they were all in red now the trains there go into a siding and then come back out 7 mins later so the bus option may be interested at heathrow t4 i estimate u have to get between t4 and t5 in 10 mins though.

Heathrow t5 nice station and now it has a new tradition bit like Starkey,s stairs or steps it now has the Flying Finn Choccy Machine which i have christened.

Well i didnt like the Picc line all day they were spreading out the service so it was slow getting up to Acton Town met Stevoo there and down to Ealing Broadway allthough we never really had major runs at that point good connection at Ealing Broadway and we didnt need to run for the connection although it was there and it was a Hainualt train via Newbury park a plain sailing trip all the way up it to Hainault a 7 min wait for the Woodford train so not bad at all good connections and much better than my plan said i had a 6 min wait at Epping it was only 3 min.

Stratford easy connection and down the Jubilee line made a slight mistake as we could have crossed platformed to a quicker train and out to waterloo for a fast change at waterloo all the quick changing direction and dodging people made my knee really hurt but it held up and we were in and out in just over 2 mins

I must thank Steveooo at this point as he got most of the train numbers for me before he left at all the points at Stockwell and on the last one he tried to hold up the train for me as i was arriving i got on the platform to see him being told off by the guard ranting and raving at him said she was going to get btp corr these staff sometimes dont know how to work.

down to Morden and double back to South Wimbledon bus 57 took me to Wimbledon not too bad changes got on the Edgeware road train as that was going first and the one i wanted then no they decide to change it to the Upminster train first lots of shouting run a f**king good system up to Earls Court got out and changed back to the Edgeware train i was previuosly on crazy i made a mistake here as i forgot i changed position and was on the wrong door this costed me a good connection there for a Hammersmith train a 8 min wait.

out at Hammersmith and luck a bus there with the slowest bus driver in the world i dont think we hit 25mph but i made Kensington Olympia with me running and swearing all the way down the drive dont u effing leave and various other swear words.Out at Starkeys steps where martin (tangy) was waiting told him to move and went up Piccardilly line where it was now clear to Cockfosters realised late on that we couldnt make the last Vic Line train otherwise i have difinately beaten the benchmark of 18h15m all because of a fire alert at Kings Cross which really disrupted my plans throughout the day. oh well heres to Tube 5 my lucky number

[palkanetoijala31]

Lancaster Gate

I was there at 13:50 so I don't know if I beat Andi or not!

was that the time u left or arrived or did u leave at 14.01 like i did i was the bloke with the red ferrari top by my choccy machine.

[Lancaster Gate]

Lancaster Gate

I was there at 13:50 so I don't know if I beat Andi or not!

was that the time u left or arrived or did u leave at 14.01 like i did i was the bloke with the red ferrari top by my choccy machine.

Yes I got that train! Not sure of the exact time, it was certainly a minute or two after 14:00, however I'm sorry I didn't see you! I bet you got frustrated when it stopped at Hatton Cross for five minutes? I saw it leave just before I caught the next train back to T5.

[palkanetoijala31]

it was a bit frustrating but what can u do the chances of me being in the same place as you is remarkable we can share that honour then did u get a look at the bus station maybe i should have done i had 8 mins or so to get back