Oxford Circus Green Park Earl's Court Putney Bridge Earl's Court Barons Court (District) North Ealing on foot to West Acton Ealing Broadway Acton Town Osterley Acton Town Chiswick Park on foot to Gunnersbury Kew Gardens Willesden Junction Stonebridge Park Euston Finchley Central (I'll explain) West Finchley Tufnell Park - no bus - back in to Tufnell Park Euston Blackhorse Road Leytonstone High Street on foot to Leytonstone Leyton (oops!) Woodford (not via Hainault) Stratford Canary Wharf
This didn't look too bad on the map. Four pairs of proximate stations made it effectively a Random 11. But, unlike car door mirrors, things on a tube map are further than they seem.
Left OXFORD CIRCUS and headed down to PUTNEY BRIDGE without major delay then back to Earl's Court. I intended to go to Kew Gardens next but there were no Richmond trains signed at all. With at least 10 minutes to wait I got a District train via WEST KENSINGTON to BARONS COURT. Still nothing about Richmond trains, but a Picc to Rayner's Lane showed up and I decided to change plans. I took the Picc to North Ealing then walked to WES TACTON. 6 minute wait. Heading to Ealing Broadway a District went past in the opposite direction. Not a good sign. 6 minute wait.
Acton Town, then OSTERLEY, then Acton Town. Decided to go via Chiswick Park and Gunnersbury as if there was actually a problem with District trains towards Richmond I could always get an Overground.
Got to KEW GARDENS but you can't just cross to the other platform. You have to go out the ticket gate and through the subway. However, I got my door position wrong and there was a big scrum of people trying to get out. When I eventually got to the gate - BAM! 105 error. GU and I know about problems with the (not so) Super-Off Peak Travelcard tickets. Had to get the attendant's help and I ended up being the last person to leave the platform. Got to the other platform. 12 minute wait.
Eventually to Willesden Junction and through HARLESDEN to STONEBRIDGE PARK. Decided to skip a Bakerloo and took the following Overground train to Euston. Hooray! the ticket gates were open. No 105 error here. First train is going to High Barnet (win!). We get to FINCHLEY CENTRAL and the driver announces that because of late running the train would terminate there (less of a win ). It's only a couple of minutes to the next train though. At WEST FINCHLEY a Southbound train arrives just as I'm going up the steps so I run over and catch it. I think I spot Richard further down the platform, but there's no time so I get in the last carriage.
I was waiting meekly by the other lift thinking Richard had got away. However, Richard might become my bad luck totem...
Yes, I go back to Tufnell Park and then to Euston and catch a Victoria train via FINSBURY PARK to Blackhorse Road and I meet Richard again on the Overground platform. We have quite a long wait. Richard says that he thinks we'll finish together...RJSRdg wrote: Up to street level to see a Number 4 in the distance and 26 minutes on the DMI board. Nick disappeared back underground, while I made a futile attempt to outrun the bus! Needless to say I didn't manage it but was able to pick up a Boris to FINSBURY PARK, where I caught the Vic to Blackhorse Road. Got slightly lost on the footbridge(!) but made it down to platform level to discover (1) the next Goblin wasn't for 10 minutes and (2) Nick had caught me up despite going back into Euston.
There was no attendant. I had to wait several seconds before I could tailgate someone else through the wide gate.RJSRdg wrote: At Leytonstone High Road, the barriers refused to read either of our tickets. I tailgated another passenger whilst Nick showed his to the attendant.
Harrington Road is the one I took.RJSRdg wrote:I hoped this might gain me a little time but after passing under the bridge I looked back to see him on my tail. Now although I've done Leytonstone to High Road several times, I've never done the run the other way before so I wound up taking an earlier side road than I expected, bringing me in alongside the Central Line. Seeing a northbound train approaching the station, and not anticipating catching it, I slowed, only to see to my horror Nick coming out of the other side road 100m ahead of me!
NO! I caught a train going the wrong way! For some reason - probably exhaustion from chasing after Richard - I thought I needed to go to Stratford next. A double back at Leyton ensued and then there was a driver change at Leytonstone for yet more wasted time.RJSRdg wrote: I rushed to the station but there was no sign of him either in the subway or on the platform, so presumably he had managed to catch the train I had seen (*).
Up to SNARESBROOK and WOODFORD, back to Stratford and finally to CANARY WHARF in 5:38:02, certain that Richard (and probably everyone else) had beaten me.