The Orange One's attempts

[The Orange One]

And a DLR Challenge today! I didn't have a stopwatch that could record for the entirety DLR Challenge, as my smartphone is broken and the one on my replacement phone only goes up to an hour. I came up with a method to gain a starting and stopping time with the tools I had though. At Lewisham (station 1) I started my stopwatch as the clock hit 12:58 and stopped it as the doors closed, 7 seconds later - giving me a starting time of 12:58:07. As I arrived in Shadwell and stepped onto the platform, I started the stopwatch (having reset it earlier). The time was showing 15:11 and 52 seconds later when the clock changed to 15:12 I stopped the stopwatch - meaning I stepped onto the platform at 15:11:08. I then calculated a finishing time of 2h13m1s - assuming all clocks on the DLR run exactly the same time. Below I refer to this method as "my imaginary stopwatch". I don't know whether this counts, but if it does, please put it down.

I had a false start at Lewisham! Got to Elverson Road, attempted to change carriage (the train was "about to depart" as I got to the platform) and the train pulled away. Headed straight back to Lewisham to start again (and restart my imaginary stopwatch). This time I made sure I was in the right carriage when I started off. Sexy change at Canary Wharf to head on to Stratford. I was heading out of the station when I see on Platform 16 below me a Stratford International terminator pulling in. I take this to Stratford International and double back through Stratford on to Beckton. Tower Gateway leaves in 3 minutes so I run out of the station onto a waiting bus back towards Gallions Reach, bitterly cursing that I'd already seen the once every 10 minutes direct bus to King George V as I came through Gallions Reach on the DLR. Get to Gallions Reach and start running. I might as well have walked. I got to King George V to find the Woolwich Arsenal terminator leaving and a 10 minute wait. Board the Woolwich Arsenal terminator after 10 minutes, in and out of WA in 30 seconds and off towards Bank. Get to Shadwell to find the Tower Gateway train is in 4 minutes - this means it's better off to continue to Bank/Monument and head round on the District. 2 minute wait for the District to Tower Hill and then walk into Tower Gateway to find a 2 minute wait for the train out. Stop my imaginary stopwatch as I step onto the platform at Shadwell.

Your views on whether this should count as a DLR Challenge time as it's not recorded properly...

[The Orange One]

I'm doing another Zone 1 tomorrow before I start at uni (I'll still be in London!)

Tangy can you log 02:13:01 DLR Challenge, 00:41:20 All Lines please?

[tangy]

Done. See updates on Explorer Ticket/Top Times

[The Orange One]

Thanks.

[The Orange One]

Redid the Zone One today.

With a horrible 5 minute wait at London Bridge (and ensuing 3 minutes at E&C), a necessary double-back to Earls Court because there was no Wimbleware or Olympia in the forseeable future, and the fact I walked Russell Square - Goodge Street instead of running because I ran up the stairs when the only lift closed its doors as I reached it, I believed my time would be awful (so bad I didn't check my stopwatch).

Imagine my surprise at recording 02:47:25.

Which means my route is a potential record-breaker.

[The Orange One]

Decided to do an Alternative Challenge today, but the Northern line is closed apart from a little bit at the top end (which is no use), so almost everything was out!

Eventually decided on a DLR - and now have a time of 02h01m27s. Apologies to Sean and Nigel (though I'm almost certain this is possible to beat - the important bit is almost certainly the Tower Gateway/Bank loop). Wish I could say I'd taken a gamble which paid off, but no - a late departure from Lewisham (which made an extremely close Stratford connection) and a very helpful 474 at Beckton are the reasons behind this time.

[palkanetoijala31]

I think the paper should be informed of the NEW DLR record holder feat!

[tractakid]

Good job. Not nearly enough planning went into my DLR attempt, I must have another go.

[Nigel]

Congratulations on your new record.

With the half term holiday coming up, I will have to see if Sean wants to have another go at the DLR.

[The Orange One]

S'ford Int'l (as the destination boards call it) should start acting like a two platform terminus again, or better still, lose the manual operation! That slowed things down a bit.
I didn't do any running until the loop at the end (though upon reconsidering, I didn't actually need to run that), so perhaps a sub 2 hour time is possible? I can think of some quite interesting gambles that may work. Particularly if the challenge is done during peak hours.

[The Raven]

Congrats on your first record (I think!)

[The Orange One]

Thanks, yes it is my first. I might have another try at Zone 1 next Saturday, armed with a lovely new route which should shave about 5-10 minutes off my last.

[The Raven]

So long as you don't break the record, good luck!

[The Orange One]

Third Z1 Challenge - Vauxhall to Regents Park.

02:40:34 - apologies to Kevin, Antony and Glen.

I knew when it was 2h30m and I was leaving Paddington (H&C) to run to Paddington (B/C/D) for the last run it was going to be close. But 10 seconds? The train could have been packed with me stuck at the wrong side. I did have some of the best changes I've ever had - straight through the closing doors at E&C, H&C turning up within 1 minute upon arrival at Aldgate East. Notable exception: Wimbleware at Earl's Court.

Things of note:

- No D Stocks used. 1 C Stock used (Wimbleware). This is due to an abundance of S Stocks. Metropolitan was not used (can you believe this?)
- Nearly got lost on Chancery Lane Farringdon, having never done it before (it was Russell Square Goodge Street on the last route, and I am so glad I was able to get rid of it as it left me half dead at Goodge Street with Euston Euston Square coming up)
- I am now sick of the Circle Line. If I never use it again it will be too soon.

[tractakid]

Congratulations. You can retire now, I think. hehe