First run of the Posh Challenge

[tubeguru]

I started at Plymouth, and aborted at Plymouth. Do I get a place on the scoreboard?

[Going Underground]

Had I been taking part, I would have started at Ruislip Gardens rather than Ruislip Manor, although there probably isn't much in it.

Ditto.

That would have been my 1st choice had a bus tied up better and was my initial planned starting point, but within the starting window given Ruislip Manor was the better option...

Thanks to Andrew for organising and was chuffed to come in ahead of schedule thanks to getting the LO train ahead, which I think was due to the DLR / Jubilee line working out quicker than anticipated... Always nice to claim another world record

[Sam]

Quick, update your signature else it's not official!!!!

[tractakid]

To all those saying 'I would have...' Go and do the challenge then These times are definitely beatable. I had a couple of disasters along the way.

I splashed out on an anytime ticket, leaving MK at 07:14. I would have made the 06:59 had it been there, but it was delayed. I'm glad I did this- got some door positions and became familiar with some of the interchanges.

Arriving at Ruislip Manor I went to the loo- on return to the platform I was greeted with the smiley faces of Kev and Nozza. Due to the Central Line chaos- I had a dilemma. Did I leave on my planned train, or do I play it safe and leave on an earlier train to make an important connection later? I decided to play it safe. It's a pain not having next train indicators to refer to. This happened to be the same train Kev and Nozza took. I say 'happen', I suspect they were actually stalking me. Getting off at Ruislip, (Kev and Nozza copying me once again), I slogged it as quickly as I could to West Ruislip. I was greeted with a train entering the platform with a 7 minute wait. This did make me wonder if I could have gotten the train after at Ruislip Manor, but at least I was on a train which made my connection. Kev and Nozza turned up a fer minutes later having waited for a U1.

This connection was at Greenford. Kev and Nozza got off the train here, veering towards the First Great Western train. I was thinking 'no way, they thought of this too?!', but it turns out they were trying to tease me, they were in fact just changing their door position. I think they were surprised that I did get on the train. My plan to get the train to West Ealing, catching a bus to Northfields worked perfectly. The only annoyance is that the connection at Greenford takes a few minutes, as a bus turned up at the perfect time at West Ealing.

It turns out the train I boarded at Northfields was the one Kev and Nozza had also boarded. I was gutted not to be ahead of them, but then again, had I followed the same route as them, I would almost certainly be behind them. Then again- Kew Gardens, as expected, is a real pain, slow connections would probably have allowed any differences to be cancelled.

My stalkers followed me all the way to Manor House, down to Finsbury Park and onto a Victoria train. I pushed past Kev to get my door position, and that was the last I saw of them. I had finally shaken them off.

Turns out that we were on the same Charing Cross branch train, they changed at Euston, whereas I changed at Warren Street. I JUST missed a train at Warren Street, which it appears Kev and Nozza just missed at Euston.

The next few stages were my demise. I switched to the Bakerloo at Waterloo, which actually got me ahead of Kev and Nozza. I took a risk, I ran up to the NR station to get a train to Blackfriars. Disaster struck- the train departing as I arrived at the platform. I took a minute or 2 to recalculate- the next train was about 15 minutes away, so I headed back down to Elephant and Castle to get a Bakerloo to Embankment. A great side effect of this was the ability to buy a drink from the platform here- I was very thirsty. The next district train terminated was for Tower Hill- which was fine, except this messed up my door position. I wasn't too far off.

Twice I have used Tower Gateway. Twice it has failed me, with a train pulling out as I go up the escalator. Kev and Noz were on this train. After this, everything went as smoothly as it could. Another perfect bus connection, 2/2 from Deptford Bridge to New Cross Gate. I arrived there with a long wait till the next Palace train, so I got the next train to Sydenham and waited there instead.

2 of the finest margins cost me... luck wasn't on my side. Oh well. I enjoyed it.

Thanks everyone for coming, shame we didn't get to chat for longer in the pub.

[hopeful traveller]

That kiosk at Embankment deserves a medal for the number of challengers it has served! I bought water there on most of my all lines runs.

[tractakid]

if you had time to buy a drink on the all lines, you should probably head to the beginning to start again.

[hopeful traveller]

if you had time to buy a drink on the all lines, you should probably head to the beginning to start again.

"Could I have some water, please?"
[Gets water]
[Throws a pound in his hand]
"Keep the change."
[Jump on train]

Simples.

[Sam]

If you wanna get the all lines record. You shouldn't even have time for that, you need trains in the platform so you can jump through closing doors!!!

[The Raven]

My Route:
Manor House Finsbury Park Highbury & Islington Shadwell Custom House Canning Town Canary Wharf Hendon Quays Depford Bridge New Cross Gate Crystal Palace Balham Bank Cannon Street Embankment Tottenham Court Road Leicester Square Covent Garden Hammersmith Kew Gardens Kew Road South Ealing Boston Manor Acton Town Rayners Lane Ruislip Ruislip Gardens South Ruislip

Not my best day challenging, had quite a few long waits during the day!

[palkanetoijala31]

If you wanna get the all lines record. You shouldn't even have time for that, you need trains in the platform so you can jump through closing doors!!!

Seeing as i have the 2nd fastest time for this and still no where near that record Sam is defo right although i didnt do any squeezing through doors i think in order to get it every connection must be perfect!.Going back to the Posh challenge the originator Andrew route is very sound although i have started at Ruislip gardens myself!