Random 15 Championship 2013/14: Round 3

[tangy]

Luck was definitely NOT on my side with my route.

After opening the envelope at Oxford Circus the first station that jumped out at me was Clapton, and I, knowing the train times from Liverpool Street immediately jumped onto the Central line to get the 12:48 departure, only to run onto the concourse at Liverpool Street and see it pull away!

Okay, no problem, I will double back Aldgate East and get the next one at 13:03. Did the double back fine and again it was a close connection for the 13:03 but this time I just made it through the NR barriers only to hear the doors close! To say I was cheesed off is an understatement!

Now I had no choice but to waste 15 minutes waiting for the 13:18 departure and finally get to Clapton half hour after I should have. Anyway, bailed at Clapton and ran down to Clapton Pond for bus 488 over to Dalston Kingsland. At this point the NLL seemed all well and good, with a train in 5 minutes. My plan was to go to Kentish Town West and run to Kentish Town...

That plan was thrown off course when the NLL train I was on got stopped just outside Camden Road, I noted a freight train rumble through heading eastbound and thought, ah, that's the holdup. After a couple more minutes the train I was on was routed into the wrong platform at Camden Road and terminated. It transpired there was overhead wire problems in the Gospel Oak area and we would be going no further. The previous westbound train was still sat in the normal platform at Camden Road and was about to head to Willesden Junction via the normally freight only Primrose Hill link onto the Watford DC lines (but sadly nothing in that area was on the list).

Therefore ran down to Camden Town and onto Kentish Town via the Northern Line. I got a Thameslink train within 3 minutes (the same one I would have been on anyway if I had run from KTW, albeit with a longer wait). Down to St. Pancras and ran through the station to the subsurface lines and straight onto a waiting Circle Line train (the next two after were Mets) which was helpful to visit Padd H&C.

Little did I know at this point that this wasn't even on the list (as I misread it). Bailed at Padd H&C and ran to Lancaster Gate only to see a train pull away and 5 minutes for the next! Changed at NHG for the subsurface lines, hoping a Wimbleware was first (to get to ECT) but no, it was a Circle. So it was a trip round to Gloucester Road, only to see a westbound District pull away from the other platform. Okay, I will chase it by using the Piccadilly to Hammersmith.

This worked, as at Hammersmith I had a one minute change onto a Richmond train (the train I missed at Gloucester Road was bound for Ealing, so this must be the previous train). Nice Turnham Green double back and returned slow lines back to ECT. Down to East Putney, where I had quite a wait for a route 37 bus. Once onboard I was debating whether to stay on all the way to Clapham Common or bail at CLJ and get the SLL round to Clapham High Street and double back Clapham Common. I decided to do the former as I worked out it would be a few minutes quicker.

Down to the platforms where I met Rhys Benjamin and we got into a discussion about how many stations we had left to do, one being Hammersmith H&C. I was then thinking hang on, have I missed a station? Rhys showed me his station list to confirm it was Hammersmith H&C. Balls, I had visited Paddington H&C instead......with this news, I now had to make quite a detour to get Hammersmith H&C visited (my original plan was head to straight to London Bridge then over to the New Cross area). This required me getting off the Northern line at Stockwell, Victoria line to Victoria, District to South Ken (it was a Wimbo bound train), Piccadilly to Hammersmith (passing through ECT for the third time), run to other Hammersmith, H&C to Goldhawk Road, run across Shepherds Bush Green, Central line to Bond Street then picking up the Jubilee line to London Bridge to get back on track!

Ran up to London Bridge NR and onto the correct platform (as I knew trains from CST can only use certain platforms) and within a couple of minutes was off to St Johns, double back to New Cross and ran to New Cross Gate for a 1 minute wait for a late running ELL train to get me to my finish at Surrey Quays.

Could have been quite a good time if it wasn't for missed Chingford line trains and visiting a station I didn't need to!!!

[MylesHSG]

I think I'll avoid the pure brew next time, got home and face planted myself on the stairs. Dam carpet burns.

[tractakid]

In the early rush I also read Paddington H+C hence my run there. I also knew Hammersmith was in there so headed there anyway! Met Kev and Nozza at Wood Lane and may have been ahead of them had it not been for my diversion as I was the only one of us on the central line at Oxford Circus.

Kev and Nozza tackled Turnham Green differently to me, and although I beat them back to Earl's Court we were on the same train to Putney. Again I took a different strategy at Putney, but met them again at London Bridge. Being confused about platforms for New Cross trains, (I had researched NXG trains but arrived in the gap in the timetable, it actually made more sense to do NWX/St Johns first I later realised) I had to make a dash from platform to platform as the train was pulling in. Fun times.

All was well until Caledonian Road when, still stuck with the baldies I was shocked that they didn't join me for the run to CIR. Was depressing to get there and find no trains. Annoyed, I struggled to put in any effort to get back to Caledonian Road, before heading to Walthamstow and Clapton. Very weary of the time and my need to get back, I was thinking of heading straight to Euston, but decided that as I was here for the challenge I would at least try to complete. I decided to abort at Hackney Central, and started looking for buses in the Euston direction. Got on one towards Victoria, then halfway through the journey we reached Dalston Junction. I didn't get off, but soon thought that to get to Euston it was actually a really good idea to go via H&I. So I got off and ran back to the station. As this involved visiting Canonbury I took the time here and amended my text to Tangy!

I made the 1743 train to Wigan North Western, so although later than hoped, I wasn't too late back.

My vote for the next round is either Saturday of Half Term!

[MylesHSG]

So I took a bit of time to get all the stations circled and the start of my route planned. I knew a mistake here could cause big problems with my very limited knowledge of all National Rail south of the river.

I went west on the Central, one behind most others I assume. Went from White City to Wood Lane and headed towards Hammersmith. A quick change and I decided to get the Picc out of Hammersmith as it arrived first, and not knowing the Turnham Green times for the Picc thought as the worst i'd get to Acton Town and double back to Earls Court via the District. A long wait here, but a Wibleware turned up nice and quick at Earls Court.

I headed all the way down to Wimbledon and then get a train to Clapham Junction and from Clapham to Balham. Up to London Bridge then get a cancelled train according to the screens to St. Johns. A double back to New Cross then the change to New Cross Gate, where Rhys informed me that the whole of the NLL from Richmond to Stratford was closed. Undeterred I headed for Whitechapel and a H&C towards Liverpool Street. My plan was to double back at Clapton and get onto the NLL from Hackney Downs to Hackney Central. I knew it was still closed and instead went up to Walthamstow Central and get a Victoria down to Highbury and Islington. I was able to take out Canonbury, but a member of staff at Highbury and Islington informed me that the NLL would be closed indefinitely so I was unable to complete Caledonian Road and Barnsbury. So instead I headed to St. Pancras International via the Victoria line and finished at Farringdon after taking the Thames Link one stop.

[Iain]

What is CIR please?

[greatkingrat]

My route was Oxford Circus - Shepherds Bush - run to Goldhawk Road - Hammersmith - Turnham Green - Earl's Court - Wimbledon - 93 bus to South Wimbledon - London Bridge - St. Johns (20 sec double back!) - New Cross - run to New Cross Gate - Whitechapel - Farringdon - St Pancras International.

I then intended to run to Caledonian Road & Barnsbury but due to construction work in the KXSP area the road I wanted to take was closed, so I actually ended up at Camden Road instead. There I found the Overground was suspended so had to rejig the route and did Camden Town - Euston - Walthamstow Central - Hackney Downs - run to Dalston Junction - ELL to Highbury & Islington.

At that point the boards and announcements were still saying the NLL was suspended, however luckily I checked the Real Time Trains website and saw a train had just left Stratford, so after about 10 minutes, got to Caledonian Road to finish.

[tractakid]

What is CIR please?

Which station on the list is runnable from Caledonian Road?

[The Raven]

My Route:

Oxford Circus White City Wood Lane Hammersmith Turnham Green Earl's Court Wimbledon South Wimbledon London Bridge St John's New Cross New Cross Gate Whitechapel Farringdon St Pancras King's Cross St Pancras Caledonian Road Caledonian Road & Barnsbury

This is when I realized that the London Overground was suspended. When I returned to Caledonian Road i spotted Kev and Nozza and told them not to get off and continue on to Finsbury Park

Caledonian Road Finsbury Park Walthamstow Central

This is where I accidentally went to Liverpool Street

Liverpool Street Whitechapel Highbury & Islington Caledonian Road & Barnsbury

[Iain]

or you could simply type it?

I'm guessing it's Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, but there's no reason before your last post to believe that CIR (how the hell is that a sensible abbreviation?) is one of the 15.

[tractakid]

or you could simply type it?

I'm guessing it's Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, but there's no reason before your last post to believe that CIR (how the hell is that a sensible abbreviation?) is one of the 15.

Or you could have done the 5 second check on the national rail website if you hadn't used logic to figure it out.

[Iain]

Surely part of the aim of this forum is to communicate, not to be obscure?

Oh, and it took about 60 seconds, not five seconds

[tractakid]

Surely part of the aim of this forum is to communicate, not to be obscure?

Oh, and it took about 60 seconds, not five seconds

There is absolutely no way this takes 60 seconds.

From not having a tab open I timed the whole process using a stopwatch at 7.86 seconds.

[Iain]

It took me 60 seconds (give or take a few, I didn't use a stopwatch). Do you have it bookmarked or something?

Either way I'm not going to keep looking up codes when you could just use plain English.

[tractakid]

It took me 60 seconds (give or take a few, I didn't use a stopwatch). Do you have it bookmarked or something?

Either way I'm not going to keep looking up codes when you could just use plain English.

Then live in ignorance. I wrote out the majority of station names, and just left the one code in because it is a silly one, just to have a bit of fun. What fun I had. >_>

[Iain]

Not knowing all the station codes is hardly ignorance, and certainly not something I'll lose any sleep over.

I'm glad you had fun, perhaps you could think of other people as well?