Page 1 of 1

South of the River Challenge 27/10/2018

Posted: 28 Oct 2018, 00:13
by RJSRdg
Another example of "how not to do a challenge"!

Today I attended a model railway exhibition in Swanley, Kent and decided to have a go at the 'South of the River' Challenge on the way home. (Yes, I know east to west is the wrong way to do this challenge, but I was just really aiming to get a time on the board).

First thing that surprised me was how long it took to get from the exhibition hall in Swanley to North Greenwich - over an hour and a half! (considering it only took me two hours to get from Reading to Swanley). There must be a better way somewhere than the route I took....

Having finally boarded a westbound train at North Greenwich, I got to Canada Water and realised that I hadn't started the watch! Back to North Greenwich and start again!

Second time off to a better start, over to Waterloo, on to the Bakerloo to E&C, up to Borough, down to Stockwell, easy change to a southbound Vic to Brixton, up to Vauxhall, back down to Stockwell, back on to the Southbound Northern Line. All good changes so far - nearly all had the train ready waiting in the platform.

At Morden, with a respectable 1:10 on the top and thoughts of a sub-two-hour completion, the original intention was to double back up to Wimbledon South thence over to Wimbledon (I haven't been this way before), but with no other trains at Morden and the board saying a 3 minute wait for the next northbound, I opted to stay with the route I knew and ran round to Morden Road, down the steps and on to the platform (4 minutes to wait!). Round to Wimbledon, as I approach the Tube platforms I hear a Tube train departing. I think had I stuck with the South Wimbledon route, I may have made it.

Up to East Putney, run down the road to Putney. Next train to Richmond 28 minutes! Had I caught the earlier train at Wimbledon, I would have been a train up here too. Hopped out of the station, contemplated catching a 337 to Richmond instead but even that would have involved a 15 minute wait and been slower, so I got myself a burger to eat while waiting for the Richmond train. Nice change at Richmond for the District to Kew Gardens, final time 2:28:45 but could have been so much better....

Re: South of the River Challenge 27/10/2018

Posted: 28 Oct 2018, 01:30
by DavidC
Immediate reactions:

- I haven't checked what was closed today (er, yesterday)
- Swanley to North Greenwich via Denmark Hill and Canada Water should only be just over an hour, not ninety minutes
- for me, public transport via South Wimbledon seems to work well without too much exertion, so discarding a mere 3 minute wait at Morden feels a bit imprudent
- 28 minutes indicated wait at Putney suggests something was seriously broken or unavailable, even for a slow train to Richmond rather than the optimal fast one: anything more than about 12 minutes worst case suggests something untoward had happened.

Re: South of the River Challenge 27/10/2018

Posted: 28 Oct 2018, 08:12
by greatkingrat
SWR guards were on strike yesterday which will have caused the much reduced service.

Re: South of the River Challenge 27/10/2018

Posted: 28 Oct 2018, 13:03
by RJSRdg
Thanks, David. I had included the walk from the exhibition venue to Swanley station in the hour and a half and I don't think I timed my arrival at the station right as the first train was Bromley South then straight to Victoria (and the boards weren't working so I couldn't see what was next). I ended up changing at Bromley South, Catford/Bridge and London Bridge. Hadn't even thought of going via Denmark Hill.

With hindsight, yes, I should have done South Wimbledon, and it would have been a good recce exercise to have done so. One reason I didn't was that as it was pitch dark by then, at least the Morden route was one I know.

I wasn't aware of the Guard's strike until the guard on my train home from Richmond mentioned it as we approached Virginia Water. Had I been aware I probably wouldn't have been daft enough to attempt the challenge in the first place!

Re: South of the River Challenge 27/10/2018

Posted: 29 Oct 2018, 16:24
by dstock17
I'm always undecided which is the fastest way to do this connection on the evidence of the many times I have done stats say an actual run between Morden and Wimbledon is better. I rarely get a ten second in and out of Morden which is technically what u need in order to beat a determined runner going direct not via s wimbo

Re: South of the River Challenge 27/10/2018

Posted: 29 Oct 2018, 23:02
by RJSRdg
But that's your running speed, not my running speed! ;-)

Re: South of the River Challenge 27/10/2018

Posted: 29 Oct 2018, 23:13
by dstock17
RJSRdg wrote: 29 Oct 2018, 23:02 But that's your running speed, not my running speed! ;-)
It's actually about the averages not speed going direct means u have made a decision. No waiting possibly for 2 to 3 mins for a train to leave Morden then it is I say 4 mins travel back to s Wimbledon and get outside station. So say that's 7 mins which u have already walked slash run towards modern which is more of a straighter route than Wimbledon to South Wimbledon. Which I think run wise is around 10mins give or take. Morden rd tram is a good distance away and also could be used as a stop gap on average even for a slower runner I have walked this connection as well compared to all the possibilities. Best one I ever had was with film crew tram at Wimbledon left then got out Morden rd and bus