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Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 15 Aug 2017, 20:39
by tangy
Hello and welcome to the 2017/18 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 and/or London Connections 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/s or network/s e.g. DLR, National Rail onto the challenge and these are known as "twist" rounds.

The rules of the Random 15 Challenge are unchanged from last season but if anyone is not familiar with these (or how the scoring works), they can be read here: http://www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubecha ... 5rules.htm

The 2017/18 season is about to begin. So here is the vital details for you:

When: Saturday 16th September 2017 12:30 UK local time.
Pre-Challenge meet up point: Oxford Circus- Exit 8 Argyll Street
Post challenge meet up point: The Bricklayers Arms pub, Gresse Street (off TCR, the road).
Variant: Round 1 as is traditional is the "Champion's Twist". Therefore, The Orange One has given us Zones 2-4 LU only, but travel through Zone 1 will be permitted due to the potential spread of the stations.
Time limit for completing: As this is a twist round, the time limit to complete is 6 hours.

Closures directly affecting the challenge:
--Circle/H&C: No service Edgware Road (Circle)- Hammersmith (H&C).

Other engineering work to be aware of:
--c2c: All trains will run to/from Fenchurch Street. No direct trains Stratford- Barking.
--Crossrail: No service Liverpool Street- Stratford (Greater Anglia main line unaffected).
--DLR: No service Bow Church- Stratford.
--First Great Western: Reduced Greenford branch frequency.
--Greater Anglia: No trains via Tottenham Hale or Lea Bridge- diversions via Seven Sisters.
--Overground- East London: Closed New X Gate- Crystal Palace/West Croydon.
--South Eastern: Cannon Street closed, thus no trains between Cannon Street and London Bridge or onwards to/from Charlton via Greenwich.
--Southern: No trains FROM London Bridge TO East/West Croydon via Sydenham (but there are stopping trains in the up direction)!
--Thameslink: No trains Blackfriars- London Bridge- East Croydon, diversions via Elephant.

Let the madness commence...

Tangy
The BERC.

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 15 Aug 2017, 21:58
by RJSRdg
Sounds like I'm definitely going to need the A to Z for this one, then!

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 15 Aug 2017, 23:31
by greatkingrat
As this may be quite a long challenge, maybe it would be better to move the start to 1200 or even 1130, which would still give time for people to parkrun / Spoons beforehand?

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 06:44
by Elsie
Hmm.

Attend this or pick my wife & kids up from the airport?

I'm afraid it'll have to be the latter!

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 09:40
by greatkingrat
Also is Oxford Circus counted as one of the 15 stations?

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 12:03
by Going Underground
Attending: GU
parkrun @ ?? : GU
Spoons @ ?? : GU

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 13:17
by dstock17
may i suggest Fulham palace parkrun or any others Mr Brown hasn't done.

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 15:27
by DrainBrain
dstock17 wrote: 16 Aug 2017, 13:17 may i suggest Fulham palace parkrun or any others Mr Brown hasn't done.
We did Fulham Palace the day after the 2015 Comic Relief FNC.
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/fulhampalace/ ... qNumber=76

I'm sure there's plenty others to do though.

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 17:57
by dstock17
you may have done lol ok suggestions?

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 18:45
by Going Underground
I was thinking of saving the tarmac ones for the winter weather and looking at grass in Sept so how about Roundshaw Downs?

Spoons 20 mins away and then easy to Oxford Circus from South Croydon station = 40 min journey :)

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 20:45
by The Orange One
Going Underground wrote: 16 Aug 2017, 18:45 I was thinking of saving the tarmac ones for the winter weather and looking at grass in Sept so how about Roundshaw Downs?

Spoons 20 mins away and then easy to Oxford Circus from South Croydon station = 40 min journey :)
You're thinking the Skylark? I'd have said the Foxley Hatch in Purley would be better - South Croydon sees only 2 trains per hour, while Purley sees a rather more healthy 8 trains per hour (though a change at East Croydon might be necessary to get to Victoria). Also it's a direct road down there...

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 21:19
by dstock17
nice to see a non alcoholic knows where the spoons are.

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 21:32
by Going Underground
4 trains an hour from South to East Croydon and 119 bus from parkrun to The Skylark was the plan....

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 22:13
by tangy
greatkingrat wrote: 16 Aug 2017, 09:40 Also is Oxford Circus counted as one of the 15 stations?
Oxford Circus will be counted as one of the 15, but due to the limitations of the generator only 14 stations will appear on the list when challengers open the envelope. The "missing" one not on the list will be Oxford Circus.

As per normal Random 15 practice, challengers will start their stopwatches when I give the signal at Oxford Circus, then it is up to you which direction you wish to head next for the zone 2-4 stations.

Re: Random 15 Championship 2017/18: Round 1

Posted: 16 Aug 2017, 22:49
by The Orange One
Going Underground wrote: 16 Aug 2017, 21:32 4 trains an hour from South to East Croydon and 119 bus from parkrun to The Skylark was the plan....
According to Realtime Trains the 2tph from South Croydon towards London Bridge have been totally withdrawn - presumably due to the engineering works via Sydenham - leaving just the two to Victoria (at 15 and 45 past the hour)...