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Can someone please find the original rules from Park Challenge I to stop the arguments, thank you

Going Underground wrote: ↑22 Oct 2018, 23:02 Can someone please find the original rules from Park Challenge I to stop the arguments, thank you

Well, having skim-read the threads this never came up until Tufnell Park in 2015. Honestly, GU, it's probably just up to you to make an executive decision. You don't have to go by last year's ruling. It's just a bit of fun.

I'll have to look nearer the time on whether I can do this or not, because I'm not sure if I have the 15th available or not. If I'm careful with my iPhone battery and invest in a better power pack...

Also Finsbury park is a bit unique out of the parks as it can left by non Lu means hence why I like clarification on that rule

On the Stonebridge Park start I checked and was told that I could start there with a photo and leave by bus, so long as I came through there again later by tube (although due to shared track an Overground would count).
In the case of Finsbury Park I think you therefore could start by bus or NR (after taking a photo) but as there are no shared tracks you MUST at some point in the challenge visit / pass through by Victoria or Piccadilly line train as well. Simply using NR at the start would not cause the station to count.

That's a shame as it ties my hands a bit

You don't have to get the photo as you pass through, do you? So in theory you could get a photo of (say) Newbury Park as you go past it on a bus and then come back and do it by tube without getting out?

Clarification then............

1) You must take an external photo of Finsbury Park Station to start the challenge

2) I think that Tufnell Park muddied the waters somewhat a couple of years back, but to be consistent with last years challenge you don't have to depart from Finsbury Park on LU but at some stage you must visit on either the Picc or Viccie lines as outlined by A2 - I don't think this was the original intention when Dr Who fist came up with this challenge but as pointed out this is only a bit of fun at the end of the day...

3) You don't have to take your photos at the same time as an LU visit. If desired you can visit all the stations then get your photos later or vice-a-versa - as outlined by hopeful traveller

4) Starting window extended to 1000-1200 to help Andi / anyone else but I hope you all make it to the post pub meet up

All clear now

Brill - thanks Kev

Rules clear. Cunning plan yet to be developed!
Definitely attending though.

(I have worked out that due to the revised start times I theoretically don't have to get out of bed until 11:00 on the day of the challenge, but that would put me far too much at the mercy of GN/TL...)

I note from the TfL Journey Planner that services on the GOBLIN are showing with the warning:

"LONDON OVERGROUND: Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 December, a reduced service will operate between Gospel Oak and Barking, with trains operating every 15 to 45 minutes."

Yet both on the Journey Planner and also on RealTimeTrains the services are being shown as quarter-hourly.... does anyone know what is happening here? I'd much rather be using the GOBLIN to get over to the start than having to traipse into Central London and out again!

They don't have enough trains to run the full service at the weekend. I guess they are repeating the same pattern each weekend, so look up this weekend and the missing trains should be cancelled off.

The current situation with the weekend GOBLIN is fluid.

Basically, the new fangled electric trains that were meant to be fully operational by now are still having problems and have been sent back to Bombardier several times for rectification. So the two coach diesels have to soldier on until the electrics are ready.

However, two of the diesels have already gone to their intended new home with London Midland (leaving the GOBLIN with 6 trains for 6 diagrams with no spare). To increase to time available for maintenance (and avoid in service breakdowns during the busier weekday flows) two diagrams at weekends have been cancelled with resultant gaps in service. As well as the trains, the usual rail replacement routes J and T are running every half hour as a supplementary service- though journey times are much longer).

There are discussions to amend the current haphazard weekend service with a uniform x20 minute service with the national timetable change.

From my experience the cancelled diagrams always appear to be the same ones every weekend so for a Saturday the following are CANCELLED:
--Departures ex Gospel Oak: 0705, 0735, 0835, 0905, 1005, 1035, 1135, 1205, 1305, 1335, 1435, 1505, 1605, 1635, 1735, 1805, 1905, 1938, 2035, 2105, 2205, 2325.
--Departures ex Barking: 0620 (first train will be 0634), 0648, 0748, 0818, 0918, 0948, 1048, 1148, 1218, 1248, 1348, 1418, 1518, 1548, 1648, 1718, 1818, 1848, 1948, 2018, 2118, 2148, 2253

All other scheduled departures SHOULD run but I would advise to check what is actually running on a the day with a real time train tracking app.

You'd have thought that tufnellpark would have done a Parks Challenge but no this will be my first attempt. I may even get an unreliable 4 bus to the start at Finsbury Park just for old time's sake.

I have a couple of questions on photographing station names. Hyde Park Corner doesn't seem to have its name on the roundels at the top of the stairs, so what do you take a photo of? Regents Park has the station name in blue and white at the top of the stairs. Can you take one from the bottom of the stairs or do you have to take the photo from the street? Hopefully some of you experienced Park challengers can clarify. Many thanks.

tufnellpark wrote: ↑03 Dec 2018, 12:00 You'd have thought that tufnellpark would have done a Parks Challenge but no this will be my first attempt. I may even get an unreliable 4 bus to the start at Finsbury Park just for old time's sake.

I have a couple of questions on photographing station names. Hyde Park Corner doesn't seem to have its name on the roundels at the top of the stairs, so what do you take a photo of? Regents Park has the station name in blue and white at the top of the stairs. Can you take one from the bottom of the stairs or do you have to take the photo from the street? Hopefully some of you experienced Park challengers can clarify. Many thanks.

From what I can recall you only have to take an external photo of the station sign. I believe (and am more than happy to be corrected of these, since the last time I went to either station was probably the last time I did the Park's Challenge!) that there are some signs for HPC in the subway network around the station, or perhaps on the stair railings - I believe these are blue writing on white enamel signs. For Regent's Park, is it possible to get a photo of the station name sign from the bottom of the stairs? If so, then I don't see why that wouldn't be acceptable - you certainly wouldn't have to unnecessarily go all the way up to street level if you don't need to!

I speak only on behalf of myself, and not on behalf of whatever acronym is used for the organizer/arbiter of the Parks Challenge!

tufnellpark wrote: ↑03 Dec 2018, 12:00 Hyde Park Corner doesn't seem to have its name on the roundels at the top of the stairs, so what do you take a photo of?

Unless my memory is playing tricks there is a white text on blue background illuminated sign in the subway above the very threshold of the station itself. Isn't that what you're supposed to photograph?