Random 15 Championship 2014/15: Round 1

[tangy]

Welcome to the 2014/15 Random 15 Championship. I am your host (commonly known to regulars as the BERC when I am hosting Random 15 challenges). The Random 15 challenge is just that, visit 15 randomly selected stations that feature on the Tube Map (usually within zones 1-2 and using the Underground network only). There will be certain rounds within the championship that are a variation of this such as adding an extra zone or network e.g. DLR onto the challenge and the first event of this season is just that a "twist" round. So with a little over three weeks to go, are you ready to take on the Random 15 championship?

If anyone is not familiar with the standard rules (or scoring) for Random 15 challenges, they can be read here: http://www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubecha ... 5rules.htm (for regulars this is exactly the same as last year).

So let us announce the details for round 1.

Round 1 is a twist round whereby as well visiting the 15 randomly drawn stations (chosen from zones 1 and 2 on the London Underground network only) there will an additional 10 stations that are banned/ blocked preventing you boarding, alighting or stopping or one of these banned stations. The ban applies to ALL lines passing through this station (so if Oxford Circus was banned, you cannot board, alight or stop at this station on the Central, Bakerloo or Victoria lines). The ban DOES NOT apply on street level (street side of the ticket barriers), so you can take a bus or run past the banned station without penalty.

To avoid the same station appearing both as a banned station and one that needs to be visited, there will be two live draws held from my bucket. The first to pick the 10 banned stations then the draw for the 15 you need to visit from the rest that are still in the bucket. Therefore please be at the meet up point for 12:15 hours.

When: Saturday 20th September
Time: Please meet for 12:15 for draw for a 12:30 start
Pre-challenge meet up: Paddington H&C (directly outside the ticket hall)
Post-challenge meet up: The Champion pub, Wells Street (near Oxford Circus/Goodge Street)

So who is up for the challenge?

[A2]

Hi Tangy,

I'm up for this.
As far as I know the only playthrough of this format was Orange, Tom and Myself over summer where 3 of us took 3 completely different routes and ended up within about 10 minutes of each other. At that point we defined an extra rule as follows:
- If you should find yourself (or at some point realise) that you are breaking the banned station rules you are allowed to back track across the same route until you are no longer "in knip" (to steal a Mornington Crescent term). An example of this is if you are arriving at a station where you need to change in order to avoid arriving at a banned station, but the station you're intending to change at is closed. At that point we agreed that you were allowed to double back to the first permitted station via the same route without penalty, except to your time.
- Additionally if the closed station were a required station then it would be counted as passed through, so long as the route didn't continue until it had been doubled back to, in the case of it being a final station then the time would be taken at the first opportunity to disembark).
Are you going with the same or different, or anything else special that we need to be aware of?

Look forward to being there. Will bring cake (if the pub after allows for it).

[The Orange One]

Some questions - when I ran a "banned stations" R15 back in March, I made some rules, but since this is your challenge, you may have different answers. A2 has brought up the rules we used, but above there is a link to the thread.

- What are the penalties of visiting the banned stations/what happens if we visit them accidentally (e.g. Holborn to Tottenham Court Road, except TCR is suddenly closed and the train continues to Oxford Circus)?
- What about other services (e.g. if West Brompton was banned, passing through on LO/SN)?
- If Embankment/Bond Street/Covent Garden/Gloucester Road are on the banned list, can they be passed through on the appropriate deep level line (Bak/Nor, Jub, westbound Picc, Picc)?
- What about (with a Stamford Brook ban) if the Piccadilly Line decided to call there? What about Turnham Green (also on the Picc - this line is more trouble than it's worth)?
- Finally, say for example Hyde Park Corner and South Kensington were banned, would drawing Knightsbridge as a station to visit mean a redraw?

Closures (imported from the other thread)
District: Barking to Upminster (irrelevant)
Jubilee: Willesden Green to Stanmore (irrelevant)
Metropolitan: Everything south of Northwood (might make things a little harder)
Overground: The East London Line in its entirety, though there ARE same rails trains

Attendance List (imported from the other thread and updated)
Going Underground
palkanetoijala31
nozzacook
A2
The Orange One
and I assume Tangy as well, since he picked the date

[tangy]

To answer your questions in turn:

What are the penalties of visiting the banned stations/what happens if we visit them accidentally (e.g. Holborn to Tottenham Court Road, except TCR is suddenly closed and the train continues to Oxford Circus)?

Will get back to you, still need to think this one through.

- What about other services (e.g. if West Brompton was banned, passing through on LO/SN)?

This depends on whether all lines are within the same station (using the "same station" criteria as with last season's National Rail version of the Random 15), in the case of West Brompton, the WLL is within the same ticket barrier as the District so WOULD be banned. If Finsbury Park LU was banned, this is separate from the mainline platforms which would NOT be banned.

- If Embankment/Bond Street/Covent Garden/Gloucester Road are on the banned list, can they be passed through on the appropriate deep level line (Bak/Nor, Jub, westbound Picc, Picc)?

My rules above state "board, alight or stop at a banned station" since these deep level lines will not be stopping at the appropriate station then they can't be banned, so can be used to non stop the station. However the lines that DO still call at these stations will be banned.

- What about (with a Stamford Brook ban) if the Piccadilly Line decided to call there? What about Turnham Green (also on the Picc - this line is more trouble than it's worth)?

This would be a unplanned event and something that could not be factored in. There is no special orders for the Picc to be stopping at these stations during the middle of the day this weekend, so in the unlikely event that this does happen then you should stay on the train until its next timetabled stop (Hamm D&P or Acton Town) and carry on as normal from there. You should NOT alight as the station would still be banned.

- Finally, say for example Hyde Park Corner and South Kensington were banned, would drawing Knightsbridge as a station to visit mean a redraw?

[/quote]
If a station is drawn that cannot be visited due to it being sandwiched by banned stations then that station would be disregarded and a new station drawn instead. This is exactly the reason why I am doing this round as a live draw.

[nozzacook]

Could we not have the 10 banned stations drawn in advance then live draw the 15 station as usual on the Saturday.

[Going Underground]

Could we not have the 10 banned stations drawn in advance then live draw the 15 station as usual on the Saturday.

Good idea then just leave them out of the bucket on the day...

Also I notice the times when this was last done were remarkably quick, but this has the potential to be a very long challenge...

[palkanetoijala31]

can i clarify something in the list of ten banned stations we are allowed to pass through them or tottally avoid them when you say alight does that mean the train cant stop there?

[greatkingrat]

Yes, I agree with Nozza, my intention was that the 10 banned stations would be published in advance. I think trying to live draw two sets of stations would take too long and get rather confusing.

I would say if you accidentally visit a banned station, you just retrace your steps to the previous station and then carry on.

[The Orange One]

Also I notice the times when this was last done were remarkably quick, but this has the potential to be a very long challenge...

Last time, this was a 15 from 20 as well. We did have Queensway, HSK, Sloane Square, Knightsbridge, West Brompton and Wood Lane on the banned list (as well as stuff like Clapham North, Pimlico and Chalk Farm), so we were anticipating some trouble in the West London area, but we were lucky enough not to get anything that bad.

can i clarify something in the list of ten banned stations we are allowed to pass through them or tottally avoid them when you say alight does that mean the train cant stop there?

You cannot visit the fare-paying area of the station at all (board, alight, pass through on a train that stops there, stand on the platforms). You can only pass through if the train is not meant to stop there anyway (like the Picc/District in the west or Bond Street on the Jubilee). I also assume you can't run through the station (in case you want to take a shortcut through Earl's Court or something like that).

I also vote for the banned stations in advance, although I suppose having them on the day could be interesting. It would take a long time, though.

[The Orange One]

Well, just ran a simulation (using a scientific calculator as a generator). Got East Acton and Turnham Green banned, then what should crop up but North Acton! Also ended up with H&I to visit and GPS, Warren Street and Russell Square banned, how on earth to head westward (next exit from the Overground into town at Finchley Road and Frognal of all places).

Ran a second simulation and got Brixton, Clapham South, Bromley-by-Bow, Archway, North Acton, East Putney, Manor House, Willesden Junction, West Hampstead and Clapham North as the 10 banned stations. I swear, if this happens on the day - I signed up for a twist round and got no twist!

[mrredrunner100]

hi

if its ok with everyone, is it ok if me and tom comes along and gives this a go, never done an random 15 before and we would like to try it out

is this ok?

thanks

mrredrunner100

[The Orange One]

Of course, everyone is welcome

[mrredrunner100]

Of course, everyone is welcome

Awesome

i have added our names to the attendance list

Attendance List (imported from the other thread and updated)
Going Underground
palkanetoijala31
nozzacook
A2
The Orange One
mrredrunner100 and tom
and I assume Tangy as well, since he picked the date

[palkanetoijala31]

Of course, everyone is welcome

Awesome

i have added our names to the attendance list

Attendance List (imported from the other thread and updated)
Going Underground
palkanetoijala31
nozzacook
A2
The Orange One
mrredrunner100 and tom
and I assume Tangy as well, since he picked the date

that last one i would keep off the list as last time the berc was so late we had to pick our own stations.

[nozzacook]

Large map and two 5p's in bag just incase.