Tube Olympics 2018: Event 2- Mouse

[tangy]

The second event of Tube Olympics 2018 is a Mouse challenge. This will take place on Tuesday 13th February 2018.

The Mouse consists of visiting all stations on and within both Central London branches of the Northern Line using standard Tube Challenge rules. If you are unsure of which stations are included in the Mouse please see http://www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubecha ... erules.htm

Start station is Leicester Square for an 18:30 start. Please can we meet up beforehand in the area at the bottom of the stairs to exit 3 by 18:25. We then head down to the Tube platforms, same rules apply as for the Zone 1 challenge, you may start on your chosen train AFTER 18:30:00 hours (using the clock on the next train screen).

The current Olympic record for this event is 01:37:25 set in 2010.

For clarification, if you have a route that passes through Leicester Square twice you can reset the clock at your first unique station (and register a faster time) but this time will only count towards the league tables on Explorer Ticket. The awarding of medals will be judged on the first initial start of your stopwatch at Leicester Square.

After the challenge, meet up will be at our usual haunt, The Bricklayers Arms in Gresse Street for awarding of medals.

Competitors for this please make yourself known...

[dstock17]

The second event of Tube Olympics 2018 is a Mouse challenge. This will take place on Tuesday 13th February 2018.

The Mouse consists of visiting all stations on and within both Central London branches of the Northern Line using standard Tube Challenge rules. If you are unsure of which stations are included in the Mouse please see http://www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubecha ... erules.htm

Start station is Leicester Square for an 18:30 start. Please can we meet up beforehand in the area at the bottom of the stairs to exit 3 by 18:25. We then head down to the Tube platforms, same rules apply as for the Zone 1 challenge, you may start on your chosen train AFTER 18:30:00 hours (using the clock on the next train screen).

The current Olympic record for this event is 01:37:25 set in 2010.

For clarification, if you have a route that passes through Leicester Square twice you can reset the clock at your first unique station (and register a faster time) but this time will only count towards the league tables on Explorer Ticket. The awarding of medals will be judged on the first initial start of your stopwatch at Waterloo.

After the challenge, meet up will be at our usual haunt, The Bricklayers Arms in Gresse Street for awarding of medals.

Competitors for this please make yourself known...

Have you pasted and copied this and forgotten it says initial start Waterloo Instead of Leicester Square.

[tangy]

Have you pasted and copied this and forgotten it says initial start Waterloo Instead of Leicester Square.

Thanks for spotting this, now edited. It was copied and pasted from the 2014 event posting

[Going Underground]

Attending; GU

[xcooler123]

Attending; GU, xcooler123

[tractakid]

I'm in. Planning my route... now?!

[RJSRdg]

I'm hoping to be there too.

[Going Underground]

I think Rich G is a possible so the medals will have to be earned now

[RJSRdg]

One of those events where fractions of a second end up making a big difference!

From Leicester Square, Kev, Tangy, David and I caught a northbound Northern Line train (a Mill Hill East service of course!) to Camden Town, whilst Andrew C headed off on the Picc. At Mornington Crescent, Kev realised he should have caught the Picc at the start and had to replan his route on the hoof. Kev, David and I doubled back down the Northern again (Charing Cross Branch), though in different carriages. At Euston I jumped off and waved at David in an open doorway as he stayed on "Where's he going?" I thought (it later transpired that David had thought he was on the Bank branch until he got to Warren Street!). Up through the taxi rank and round the corner to Euston Square, then round to Farringdon. At Moorgate, a good change down to the Northern where I caught another Mill Hill East service (!) to KXSP, remembering to be at the rear of the train for the quick change to the Picc, which again worked very well (train already in the platform) - with hindsight, maybe *too* well, as I was in the wrong carriage, which put me right down the end of the platform at Covent Garden, with no easy cutthrough to the other platform (where I had already noticed there was a train stationary). By the time I'd run partway back along the platform and through, the doors were closing and I was a little too far back for a desparate leap so I let it go, then glanced up at the board. Next train NINE minutes, with a further five to the one after that. (David mentioned later that when he had boarded a train at Covent Garden he had glanced at the board and seen a 15 minute gap, which presumably was to the third train - meaning he had made the train I had just missed - turned out to be crucial!).

Rather than wait 9 minutes, I opted to 'run' to Holborn, though I can't have been running very fast (or wasted too much time getting my bearings) as I met Tangy at Holborn who had just got off the train I opted not to wait for! Over to Bank where we both ran to Cannon Street, Tangy pulling ahead of me by some distance but remarkably the pelican crossing remained on green long enough for me to get across too. At Cannon Street - disaster! My Travelcard decided to stop working! After trying about 4 barriers and with no staff around, I crawled on my hands and knees underneath and down to the platform where Tangy was still waiting having just missed another train. Over to Embankment, down to the Bak where we just missed another train!

Up to Charing Cross, back down to E&C. On the way down, I dropped a comment about finishing at Kennington. Tangy replied that he would not be finishing at Kennington OR Borough! At E&C he opted for the Southbound Northern Line whilst I took a Northbound one (for once, NOT going to Mill Hill East!). Partway to Borough I realised that Tangy was doubling back at Kennington then going up to London Bridge and finishing at Southwark, and kicked myself for not thinking of that. Up to London Bridge, just missed a Jubilee, round to Waterloo and down to Kennington for a time of 1:47:08. I won't spoil the results other than to say that just missing that train at Covent Garden turned out to be significant!

[The Orange One]

I just read about TfL plans to make Bank branch trains skip Kennington for a few months - I guess this might have an effect on the Mouse Challenge...

[tangy]

Confirmed results of the 2018 Winter Olympics "Mouse" challenge held on Tuesday 13th February 2018.

5th: Richard Standing 01:47:08 at Kennington
4th: Tangy 01:46:39 at Southwark
3rd: Andrew Chilcraft 01:42:52 at Kennington
2nd: Kevin Brown 01:35:43 at Southwark
1st: David Edwards 01:28:06 at Southwark NEW OLYMPIC RECORD

Signed: Tangy
Tube Olympics Supreme Admin