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Re: Iain's Tram Trials and Tribulations

Posted: 31 Dec 2019, 00:30
by tintin
I had my first attempt at the tram challenge today. It was all going well until I misread the DMI at Elmers End, then got lost running to BJ.
Ended up with a 2:07, but now that I know where I'm going I know I can comfortably take 15-20 minutes off that. And I've thought of a different route that may be even faster.

Re: Iain's Tram Trials and Tribulations

Posted: 08 Jan 2020, 16:39
by Duncan
AS I'm now on the board , here is my completion of the Croydon Tramlink on Monday 4th November 2019.

Start –

Wimbledon – Elmers End – departed 10:43:17

Left tram at Reeves Corner – 11:06:11 and then on foot to George Street, which took me past a whole lot of shops I didn't know had a Croydon branch.

George Street to New Addington – departed 11:13:35
Then sat outside Centrale for about a minute!! Jumped ship at Sandilands (11:29:45) for the first following tram to Elmers End or Beckingham Junction - wasn't bothered which one at that point.

Sandilands -Elmers End – departed 11:33:52.

Not sure when I got to Elmers End as I was trying to get the Train that was on the platform but alas it pulled out as I was stepping off the tram. As it was tipping it down and I didn’t have a brolly it was a jaunt across the road and up the street a bit to wait at the bus stop for the 54 bus, at 11:54 to Beckingham Junction.

Annoyingly I went the wrong way when I got off the bus and wasted about a minute or so but I don't think this impacted on the departing tram I eventually got on.

Beckingham Junction – Wimbledon – departed 12:06:19
Again get off at Sandilands, where we missed a New Addington tram by about a minute, I could read the sign as it passed us on its way out of the station as we seemingly crawled in. Luckily the next tram was also a NA branch and the wait was about 2 minutes.

Sandilands – New Addington – departed 12:26:22

Arriving at the end of the line at 12:42:20 and where with there being a returning tram on the opposite side it was straight back up to Croydon and a trip round a virtually empty shopping centre and then the Overground back into town.

So a remarkably rubbish 1 hour 59 minutes and 3 seconds for the completion. Just pleased to break the 2 hour mark on a first attempt. Lost a good 15 minutes or so at the Elmers End/ Beckingham Junction transfer so easy room for improvement!!