Elsie's Challenges

Zone 1, Alphabet, All Lines - discuss them here
Elsie
Zone 3
Posts: 126
Joined: 03 Aug 2016, 21:45

Re: Elsie's Challenges

Post by Elsie »

Oh bu@@ery balls!

Engineering work means NO trains from Aldgate, Moor gate, Farringdon etc. Can't do Z1 or mouse now. I should have checked engineering schedules. Oh well, I'm at Whitechapel now and will visit (bar those that are closed) the 21 I've not been to before, 21 as I started at Sloane Sq today.

I am a n00b!
Elsie
RJSRdg
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Posts: 1227
Joined: 16 Mar 2015, 00:35

Re: Elsie's Challenges

Post by RJSRdg »

If you've got a Z1-6 Travelcard you could head east and do the DLR challenge if you haven't already done so.
272 stations in 18:30:32
The only person to have used a boat in a Random 15 Challenge!
Elsie
Zone 3
Posts: 126
Joined: 03 Aug 2016, 21:45

Re: Elsie's Challenges

Post by Elsie »

There's was major disruption on the network today!

No trains Baker St-Aldgate East.
Circle line was borked
Delays on the Jubilee
Oxford Circus was closed

I had done 21/64 stations when I reached Aldgate East in 58 min's when I found out. :cry:

I decided to start visiting (as per Geoff Marshall's challenge) stations that I haven't actually been to so did Whitechapel, Monument, Cannon St, Walked to Bank (to develop how far it was), Chancery Lane, Holborn, Marylebone (sandwich break!), High St Kensington, Gloucester Road, Knightsbridge, Pimlico, Stockwell and Brixton.

I also play a location based game called Ingress and at each of these stops I set my self a target to visit at least 5 portals (things in the game - it's like Geo Caching and the forerunner to Pokemon Go) before moving on to the next station. This of course slowed me down on the Tube but I was mixing the two things I enjoy.

Stopped off for refreshments in Brixton and then caught a bus to Marylebone (playing Ingress on the way), then knocked off Russel Sq before making my way to Euston and the Pendolino back.

I could have done the DLR and had considered it but I wanted to properly (i.e. exit the barrier) the stations I've not been to as well. Next time I will check for engineering works AND make sure I have a proper backup in place if it all goes south!
Elsie
Elsie
Zone 3
Posts: 126
Joined: 03 Aug 2016, 21:45

Re: Elsie's Challenges

Post by Elsie »

In preparation for the June 2nd event (and for something to do on my week off), I decided to come down and have another crack at a Zone 1 challenge.

The day started badly. I gave myself 90 mins to drive the 50 miles to Tamworth station, with the train at 09:01 I got to the car park (for which I had already pre-paid online), at 08:40 only to find no room at the inn. :evil: I found the nearest long stay which needed £4.50 ... and I didn't have enough change. I ran to the nearest shop, bought water, got change and ... the car park ticket machine would not accept new pound coins. :cry: :evil: :cry: A kind soul took pity on my and not only swapped the coins so I could get a ticket but also gave me a lift back to the station. I was running over the bridge as the 09:01 pulled in, just made it! From here I found out very quickly that 1st class on a London Midland is not in any way, shape or form comparable to that on Virgin. Got to Euston to find the loos closed and everyone being diverted to 'orrible portaloos on platform 18. No thanks! Decided to make my way to Baker St as there is a Weatherspoons right outside, coffee, bacon butty and the loo would set me up nicely - but I didn't get there.

As I got to Euston Sq, two ladies with back packs asked me "How do we get the train to Bath?".
"I believe you'd go from Paddington", says I."
"That's what we want. How do we get there?" One asked.
"On the Hammersmith & City line", I responded ... to their blank looks.
"What's that?"

At this point, I knew the Karma Gods were looking at me, expecting me to repay my debt after I had been helped in Tamworth.

"Have no fear ladies; I shall (if you would like), be your personal guide to Paddington Station"

So off we went into Euston Sq, I helped them buy tickets and they followed me to the platform. Turns out Linda and Mary (both mid 60's) are from Canada and on a European Tour. They'd done a cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Madiera, then been onto Italy and France, coach up to Paris and then Bruge for a couple of days, coach to London. Now they were on their way for a couple of days in Bath, before a trip to Bournemouth (I love the way North Americans call it Born-Mouth!) - no, it's pronounced Bornmuth!, and then Southampton to get the Queen Mary II back to the states. I got them to Paddington ticket office and bade them farewell. Good deed returned Karma Gods, take note! Finally got my loo break, had something to eat and made my way back to Euston as that's where I'd planned the route from.

Zone 1 - Starting at Euston at 12:15
Euston :arrow: KXSP :arrow: Angel :arrow: Old Street :arrow: Moorgate, change to H&C
Moorgate :arrow: Barbican :arrow: Farringdon :arrow: Euston Sq :arrow: Grt Portland St :arrow: Baker St :arrow: Edgeware Rd :arrow: (CD) Paddington (CD) walk
Paddington (Bakerloo) :arrow: Edgeware Rd (Bakerloo) :arrow: Marylebone :arrow: Regents Park :arrow: Oxford Circus change to Victoria
Oxford Circus :arrow: Warren St change to Northern Line
Warren St :arrow: TCR change thru a maze of tunnels to the Central
TCR :arrow: Oxford Circus :arrow: Bond St :arrow: Marble Arch :arrow: Lancaster Gate :arrow: Queensway - Only one lift working, just missed, walk to Bayswater
Bayswater :arrow: Notting Hill Gate :arrow: High St Ken :arrow: Earls Court change to Piccadilly
Gloucester Rd :arrow: South Ken :arrow: Knightsbridge :arrow: HPC :arrow: Green Park :arrow: Piccadilly Circus :arrow: Leicester Sq :arrow: Covent Grdn :arrow: Holborn :arrow: Russel Sq - Dbl back to Holborn
Holborn :arrow: Chancery Lane :arrow: St Pauls :arrow: Bank :arrow: Liverpool St

At this point I messed up. A Met train to Aldgate pulled in and I should have caught that, walked to Aldgate East and then got a District to come around the bottom loop but Oh no, I thought I can't do that, it'll break me plan!. What a twonk :oops: It took ages for a H&C to come along and after the walk back to Aldgate, it took another eternity for a Circle to appear. I'd left Holborn at 14:06, Liverpool St (after NOT catching the Aldgate Met) at 14:19 and didn't move from Aldgate until 14:36. That's a pitiful 30 mins to do 6 stations with one short walk and 2 changes. Anyway, back on it ...

Aldgate :arrow: Tower Hill :arrow: Monument :arrow: Cannon St :arrow: Mansion House :arrow: Blackfriars :arrow: Temple :arrow: Embankment - change to Bakerloo
Embankment :arrow: Charing Cross dbl back
Charing Cross :arrow: Embankment :arrow: Waterloo :arrow: Lambeth North :arrow: E&C change to Northern Line
E&C :arrow: Borough :arrow: London Bridge change to Jubilee
London Bridge :arrow: Southwark :arrow: Waterloo :arrow: Westminster change to District
Westminster :arrow: St James's Park :arrow: Victoria - Victoria south
Victoria :arrow: Pimlico :arrow: Vauxhall :arrow: dbl back to Victoria
Vauxhall :arrow: Pimlico :arrow: Victoria C&D west
Victoria :arrow: Sloane Sq .... End!

As I stepped off the train I stopped my watch at a pitiful 3hr 19m 24s. Which, while it is the fastest time I've done I'm still annoyed with. The change at TCR really messed me up. I had wrong door position and the signs took me in one bloody loop back to the platform I'd just come off. I can't run (which obviously doesn't help!) but my stupid decision at Liverpool St and with the Aldgate trains really put the kibosh on the whole thing.

After this, I made my way to Haymarket for a rest in the Virgin Money Lounge (free tea and coffee!), got changed there in their awesome loos and used on of the free to use iMacs to email the parking company asking for a refund!

I'm looking forward to the real cup on June 2nd but as I made such a mess of a planned route, I've got no idea on what my time is going to be on something I have to make up on the fly!
Elsie
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al
Zone 6
Posts: 774
Joined: 20 May 2007, 09:34
Location: Staffs

Re: Elsie's Challenges

Post by al »

I've been caught out by Tamworth car park before myself, but for reasons I won't go into I got a parking ticket at the council car park :x
Held some Alternative Challenge records for a long time.
Doesn't any more.
RJSRdg
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Posts: 1227
Joined: 16 Mar 2015, 00:35

Re: Elsie's Challenges

Post by RJSRdg »

Any reason why you didn't do a doubleback at Sloane Square and then go down to Vauxhall rather than the other way round?
272 stations in 18:30:32
The only person to have used a boat in a Random 15 Challenge!
Elsie
Zone 3
Posts: 126
Joined: 03 Aug 2016, 21:45

Re: Elsie's Challenges

Post by Elsie »

RJSRdg wrote:Any reason why you didn't do a doubleback at Sloane Square and then go down to Vauxhall rather than the other way round?
I have no reason other than being an idiot. I read your post 3 times before the sense of it hit me like a lump hammer. You're absolutely right; I should have doubled back at Sloane Sq and finished at Vauxhall. It would have been quicker and more sensible. Thanks for pointing that out, I can't (well, I can) believe I've been so stupid!

:facepalm:
Elsie
Elsie
Zone 3
Posts: 126
Joined: 03 Aug 2016, 21:45

Re: Elsie's Challenges

Post by Elsie »

Never again on a Saturday, or at least, make sure I start as soon as I get to London.

I got a £10 Virgin Trains return to London on Saturday so I came down to have another crack at Zone 1 and also to see what the Waterloo-Vauxhall train journey was like as I've never done it. I arrived at 08:33 and I went to a (very quiet), Leicester Square for a bite to eat and a coffee. In hindsight, what I should have done is got on with it as I paid the price later on.

My challenge started at Southwark (as it was a station I'd never been to before) at 10:10 and went to London Bridge but as I came off the Jubilee, I came face to face with a Cylon, a David Tennant, a Transformer and a class from Hogwarts making their way to a comic convention - all in the way. Took the NL down to Elephant & Castle but every time I use this station to catch a Bakerloo train, it always sits and waits. This time was no exception as the driver reported a fault and had to turn all but the emergency lights off and reset something to fix it; this wasted around 6 mins. Up to Waterloo and I came up to the main concourse near the old Eurostar platforms to see a Vauxhall train was leaving in 3 mins from Platform 2. Having to run horizontally whilst others are trying to get to their trains is not easy. I got onto the train ... but it did not move. The driver came on and said there was a problem with the doors, if you want Vauxhall and others, jump to platform 1 - so off we hopped to the next train and took that.

At Vauxhall, there was only one barrier working for exiting the station, so I had to queue with everyone else to get out. Down to the tube and took the Victoria line up to Victoria to catch a district line train for the Sloane Sq double back. I just managed to catch this and missed my door position but it was rammed ... with old people, who ALL got off at Sloane Sq heading for the Chelsea Flower Show. I wasted so much time stuck behind doddering old biddies and missed one double back train which I could have easily caught. Took the next one and went to Embankment where I changed onto the Northern Line to head for Euston. The train pulled away from Embankment at 11:09 so that bottom run had taken me 59 mins which I knew then was bad news.

From Embankment I went upto Euston and changed, quite quickly, to the Bank Branch south getting off at Moorgate - which is where another issue arose. I'd heard there had been an incident at Victoria that was affecting the District Line but I didn't think it would affect me until much later, but it did. 2 Met trains came through Moorgate but I wanted a Circle or H&C to go to Paddington. It took 18 mins for a H&C to arrive :( I took this and went to Paddington, swapped to the other and took the Bakerloo to Oxford Circus, then the Central (out of position) to Queensway and the walk to Bayswater. A circle line was the 1st in (Darn!) but caught the next District to Earls Court and had perfect door position to shoot down to the Piccadilly which I jumped on but again, missed door position. At Russell Sq I doubled back to Holborn ... why does this have to be an up & over task? Couldn't they have built it with adjoining platforms so you just nipped from one to the other?!

As I left Russell Sq to go back to Holborn, the 3 hr mark ticked by. :( Central Line to Liverpool St and jumped on a Circle to Aldgate (which sat outside the station for what felt like an age). Up the stairs, left turn and up to Aldgate East with a 2 min wait for my last District train to take me to Temple, finishing in 3hr 32m 41s. That's a really poor time for what (I thought) would be a good route.

I've done a basic video of the route here
https://youtu.be/4ILnesQpKcc

Things I've learned:

1. I should have started the challenge as soon as I got to London.
2. Never catch a Bakerloo from Elephant & Castle
3. Avoid Saturdays to miss football, rugby, comic conventions and gardening grannies
4. Carry more water!
Elsie
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