Thames Valley Heritage Railways Challenge

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RJSRdg
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Thames Valley Heritage Railways Challenge

Post by RJSRdg »

Six railway attractions in the Thames Valley area now operate a discount scheme - a passenger at the first railway is given a card which they can exchange at any of the other railways for a £2 discount - and get given a fresh card to use elsewhere!

The six participating attractions are:

Swindon & Cricklade Railway
STEAM - Museum of the GWR Swindon
Great Western Society (Didcot)
Pendon Museum
Cholsey & Wallingford Railway
Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway

As there are no rides at STEAM and Pendon the challenge is - what's the shortest time anyone could take to ride on the S&CR, both Standard gauge lines at Didcot (the Broad Gauge line is currently closed as Firefly is out of ticket), C&WR and C&PRR?
272 stations in 18:30:32
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A Challenge
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Re: Thames Valley Heritage Railways Challenge

Post by A Challenge »

That would make for an interesting challenge but presumably it wouldn't be public transport only?
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RJSRdg
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Re: Thames Valley Heritage Railways Challenge

Post by RJSRdg »

I reckon it is possible:

11:15 departure from Hayes Knoll arrives at Taw Valley Halt at 11:30
11:42 Bus 15 from the Tawney Owl pub arrives at Swindon station 11:58
12:11 train to Didcot arrives 12:28.
Gives an hour to do the rides at Didcot Railway Centre before catching the 13:31 to Cholsey arr 13:37
13:35 Cholsey-Wallingford (yes, they DO connect unless the Didcot train is running late!) arr Wallingford 13:50 approx.
14:16 Thames Travel X40 to St Aldates arr 1458
15:06 Oxford Bus Company 400 to Thornhill arr 15:22
15:32 Oxford Tube to Lewknor arr 15:46
15:58 Carousel 40 Lewknor to Chinnor arr 16:05 in good time for the 16:30 round trip.

Of course there's no equivalent to a Travelcard for all this so the fares would clock up (and you spend more time travelling by bus than on the heritage trains!) but it is possible!

I suspect however that it's not possible in the reverse direction.
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Re: Thames Valley Heritage Railways Challenge

Post by A Challenge »

It still isn't that at all easy though, is it?
Tumbleweed and former Nimbleweed Scorekeeper

Winner of Gumbleweeds V, VI + XI, Nimbleweeds I, III - IX + XIV and (joint with GuyBarry) winner of Timesnap

And most importantly, Former leader of Tumbleweed, and first person to 250,000
RJSRdg
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Joined: 16 Mar 2015, 00:35

Re: Thames Valley Heritage Railways Challenge

Post by RJSRdg »

Who said anything about "Easy" - the clue's in the title "Challenge"!

However apart form the numerous changes required to get from Wallingford to Chinnor (16 miles direct by road!), it isn't "difficult" in terms of having to run any great distance with split-second timing, the only slightly awkward one is if the Turbo's late at Cholsey and misses the connection, though if you manage to do the demo lines at Didcot in half an hour you can catch an earlier train to Cholsey.

I had hoped the new Chiltern service to Oxford might help, but it doesn't :-(
272 stations in 18:30:32
The only person to have used a boat in a Random 15 Challenge!
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Re: Thames Valley Heritage Railways Challenge

Post by A Challenge »

I'm still not saying they are easy but there are different degrees of 'challenge' (FNC to All lines/zone 1).
Tumbleweed and former Nimbleweed Scorekeeper

Winner of Gumbleweeds V, VI + XI, Nimbleweeds I, III - IX + XIV and (joint with GuyBarry) winner of Timesnap

And most importantly, Former leader of Tumbleweed, and first person to 250,000
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