Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

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hopeful traveller
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by hopeful traveller »

Attending; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain, RJSRdg, alexmcmotor Simon & Kat, michael_churchill, A2, hopeful traveller
Suggested parkrun Clapham Common; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain
Suggested Spoons The Beehive Brixton; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain, A2

Thanks for the Facebook reminder, by the way! I was convinced this was next Saturday until that turned up.

@GU: does the spoons normally take place pre- or post- parkrun?
1 FNC Completion (PB: 17:18:18 with G Bryant, A Chilcraft, I MacNaughton)
4 Zone Ones (PB: 03:00:35 with G Bryant)
15 R15s (PB: 01:55:48 with T Cooling and R Jackson)
11 All Lines (PB: 00:44:03)
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xcooler123
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by xcooler123 »

tangy wrote: 08 Jan 2019, 22:42 The new London Connections map is very much available in its usual printed leaflet form, current issue has a light blue cover.

You will have more of a chance of obtaining a copy at a National Rail station, I have seen them readily displayed in timetable racks at several larger stations. I grabbed a stack of them from VTs ticket hall at Euston in readiness for this event (so will bring a few with me to the meet up point).
I have also grabbed a few from Euston ticket office this morning for people to have.
David
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by Going Underground »

Attending; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain, RJSRdg, alexmcmotor Simon & Kat, michael_churchill, A2, hopeful traveller
Suggested parkrun Clapham Common; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain
Suggested Spoons The Rockingham Arms E & C; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain, A2

Thanks for the Facebook reminder, by the way! I was convinced this was next Saturday until that turned up.

@GU: does the spoons normally take place pre- or post- parkrun?

Have amended to reflect change of Spoons which is post parkrun / pre R15 - an easy jaunt up The Bakerloo line so we should be there until at least 1145 :)
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roblo97
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by roblo97 »

Attending; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain, RJSRdg, alexmcmotor Simon & Kat, michael_churchill, A2, hopeful traveller, roblo97
Suggested parkrun Clapham Common; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain
Suggested Spoons The Rockingham Arms E & C; GU, xcooler123, DrainBrain, A2, roblo97(?)
I’m hoping to get to Spoons for somewhere around 11:30 ish!
R15 PB: 2:23.23
DLR PB: 2:00:50
Bottle PB: 02:30:30
Tramlink PB: 1:55.37 (Cheers David!)
Triple Crown: 7:00.13
FNC: 18:42:50 (Cheers Andi and Josh!)
Park: 8:29:35
Z1: 02:45:54
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by greatkingrat »

michael_churchill wrote: 09 Jan 2019, 09:31 I always download the PDF, crop it to zone 2 and print it on A4 paper. It ends up at an easily readable scale. I gernerally use that on R15 rounds that don't include NR, as well.

I notice that a December 2018 version is available which includes the dotted-line walkable connections like the latest pocket tube map.
I have done this in the past as well. If there is engineering work I also go into Paint and erase the sections of line that are not running.
Soon to be yet another forum train driver
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by RJSRdg »

How not to do a Tube Challenge, Episode 3.

"I think I'll go through life just catching colds and missing trains..." - Frank Sinatra

I'd been 'practising' since Tangy released the starting station by running the generator a couple of times a day and trying to work out routes. It helped in that it made it easier to remember the relative positions of the NR stations in south London and those in the North East. What it didn't help with was that as most of the random selections I'd generated had a similar pattern to them, I'd already got a sort of route in mind even before I arrived at Baker Street.

As almost all the selections the Generator come up with had involved stations up the top ends of the Jubilee and/or Bakerloo Lines, I went through the barriers and down onto the Met platforms (in order to access the Jub/Bak) before I'd even opened the envelope. On the Met platform I realised today's selection had no NW stations so I looked at the list in more detail. My pre-conceived route had involved picking off any NW stations first, then proceeding round anticlockwise to finish off with any stations in the northern reaches of the Northern or Picc. The first station to appear on the list in an anticlockwise fashion was South Ken, so I crossed to the westbound H&C, Circle platforms where Simon, Das, Michael and a few others were. This was the last time I would see any other challengers during the event!

By the time I'd left Edgware Road on a Circle Line train, I realised I'd made a mistake in that I should have gone to South Ken via Green Park on the Jubilee, Picc, especially when I considered that the western part of the Circle is not the straight north-south line it appears on the map! Too late to change my mind now, though. So round through South Kensington and Sloane Square to Victoria. Here, thanks to 'First off the Tube', I had the correct door position, but somehow had it in my head I needed the National Rail platforms, so I went up the steps to the ticket barriers, which were entry only and was directed back down towards the platforms. This was where I remembered I was actually intending to get a Victoria Line train! Down to the platform and just missed a Vic, owing to my diversion. Next one was along promptly, and down to Vauxhall. Running up the ramp, I somehow tripped and landed flat. At first I thought nothing of it but it soon became apparent I had jarred both knees and one ankle! Up to the nearest NR platform to see a train to Clapham Junction pulling out. Next train from this platform 4 minutes, but there was another southbound train over the other side. So down I went and up the next flight of stairs, and this was where my knees really started to protest. Again, I reached the platform just in time to see the train leave, and somehow got myself back to my original platform for the next train, which turned out to be a Queenstown stopper. Down to Clapham Junction, over the bridge, again just in time to see an Overground pulling out of Platform !. Next train 15 minutes. By now for some reason, I was feeling overcome with exhaustion and wondered about dropping out but I've still completed every challenge I've attempted (or run out of time) so I didn't want to spoil my record. Next Overground train comes in, I get on it, wait for quite a few minutes. Eventually, "The next stop on this train will be Imperial Wharf" - this is the wrong train! Jump off to see the Dalston train pulling out of Platform 2 - another 15 minute wait! Eventually I got on the correct train to Clapham High Street via {b]Wandsworth Road[/b]. Brisk hobble to Clapham North, down to Clapham Common, up to London Bridge via Borough. Just missed a westbound Jubilee but caught the next one to Waterloo and straight back again. Up to the NR platforms and a seven minute wait for a train to Cannon Street (NR). From there, back down onto the Underground, west through Mansion House to Temple and what started off as a run but quickly became a walk as my legs said no, past the Old Bailey to Chancery Lane. (This is an unusual run as it crosses the boundary between Westminster and the City of London, so it starts in one city and ends in another!) East on the Central to Mile End, District to Bow Road, back to Whitechapel, where I just missed a northbound Overground but as it was a Dalston Junction terminator, it didn't make any real difference. Change at H&I for the net train to Caledonian Road and Brondesbury Poor door positioning here lost me time. Out and down to the bus stop. Next bus 4 minutes. Only two stops, so I opted to stride it out and indeed got to Caledonian Road well before the bus. Down the lift to the platform, and on to Holloway Road to finish in 3:32:37. With the injuries picked up en route, I was glad just to have finished, but slightly disappointed to have been over 3:30.

Had it not been for the fall though, and my errors at Clapham Junction, I think I would have finished with something under 3 hours.
Last edited by RJSRdg on 13 Jan 2019, 10:12, edited 3 times in total.
272 stations in 18:30:32
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by hopeful traveller »

An interesting set of stations today that provided many personal triumphs for me, and as a result I have to say I was overall not too disappointed, but I do know I could have done even better.

After a bit of chaos with Rob's Spoons breakfast we all clambered aboard and rode up the Bakerloo Line to make it to Baker Street with plenty of time, where I noticed two of the most pointless leaflets ever produced by TFL and that appalling bend in the Met Line on the new map.

As the proverbial flag dropped at 12:30 I knew full well there would only be one way in or out so in a change from my usual tactic I thought I'd get through the gateline where there was more space and then work out what I wanted to do. Spotting the two Caledonians and Holloway Road, I thought I'd go there first.

With a route sort-of mapped out on the Met Line (and Kev & A2 discussing tactics in full-blown earshot) we all got out at King's Cross to begin the dash North. Kev and A2 squeezed me into the wall and allowed several others to overtake me when leaving the Met Line, but we ran down the corridor, I went down the Piccadilly escalator (as did many others) and then almost - ALMOST - turned left into the Northern Line by mistake, thinking it was another gangway to the Piccadilly Line. Up to Holloway Road, down to Caledonian Road, where we had one of those increasingly rare events - a tube challenger's foot race...

With only one lift working everyone squeezed in and although I was one of the last on, I managed to squeeze my way to the exiting side, thus giving me pole position for the 0.4 mile dash down the very slight hill to Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, a station I had never heard of and only Google gave me the idea to run to it at all (leading to some humour from me as I referred to the station as "... and Barnstaple" and "... and Barnsley"), I had no idea when the train I needed left CR&B so I decided to see if I could go down the road as quickly as I could without slowing up and somehow keeping pace with the others if I could. Ideally I needed them to run in front of me so that I knew where I was going.

As it was, I started out of the blocks very well and let the first stint, although several others faltered. Tangy had decided to do the road crossing first, but as Peter overtook me at the halfway point I decided to follow his kamikaze road crossings on the basis of "well, they'll either hit Peter or they'll stop for both of us". Unfortunately my body couldn't do the whole thing and I had to give up and start walking. At that stage I hauled out my phone to see when the train departed, and the 2-minute warning harried my legs back into action. It rumbled over the bridge and I turned left into the station... ramp. It's about 200 metres long, and you have to go over a footbridge at the end. I was around 30-40 seconds away from making it.

My annoyance with my unfit body soon turned to relief for two reasons: one, I had finished an unexpected third in the foot race; two, Tangy, who won the race, had also missed the train. Peter had gone the other way. If either Tangy or I had made that train, we probably would have won.

As it was, 9 horrible minutes were sat at Caledonian Road and Barnstaple, before going Eastbound the one stop so we could all decide what to do at Highbury & Islington. Stupidly, I mapped out the station incorrectly but it didn't really matter as I knew when my Northern City Line train left and all I had to do was saunter along to catch it. The Northern City Line is in dire need of a clean and some better lighting. It still looks hopelessly 1970s. It later transpired that everyone else caught the Victoria Line back down, but I rejected this as I felt that faffing around at King's Cross wouldn't work.

Alex & Kat were on this particular service and I decided, more out of game theory than anything else, to change for the Northern Line at Old Street rather than Moorgate. This worked spectacularly as a sexy change meant I ended up one train ahead of those two. Then I ran for the Central Line at Bank and despite a faulty indicator board lulling me into a false sense of security (said 5 minutes, ended up being <1), this was another sexy change. Then after turning around at Chancery Lane (which I forgot was not cross-platform) I waited for around one minute to end up on a (altogether now) Woodford via Hainault.

At Mile End I ran into David and Peter, who had been waiting for an eastbound subsurface train for around 8 minutes and we all therefore got this train to Bow Road, and we all rode it back to Mansion House. For literally no reason Peter and David decided to run to Cannon Street when there was no advantage to be had here, so I went via District and we all piled onto the 1405.

London Bridge is horrible to connect between, and having done said connection on the way to the Spoons, I knew how horrible it was. However, I had spotted a shortcut and exploited it, although in the end it made no difference. At Borough, Peter parted ways with us as David and I double-backed to London Bridge, then onto the Jubilee, where I ran through the other way to the Jubilee Line. Once again, David's faster pace had counted for nothing as I was still matching him train-for-train, although I have to admit London Bridge was pretty close for me.

After changing at Westminster - easier said than done - my legs verily collapsed although I had somehow kept up with David again. At this stage I really started to think about my endgame, and knew when I would arrive at Vauxhall. I was faced with three options:
- stay on Victoria Line, faff around with Stockwell and a Clapham Common DB, then run uphill to Clapham High St
- bail at Vauxhall for 87/452 bus to Wandsworth Road
- bail at Vauxhall for 14:51 to Clapham Junction

After changing at Victoria and still with David not being able to shake me off, at Vauxhall I went for it. And everything ran perfectly. The 14:51 I made in time - it was actually a minute early - and this gave me 5 minutes to run from platform 11 to platform 1 at Clapham Junction. Again, easier said than done. Made this with around 2 minutes to spare, and was gobsmacked to see a gloating Clive and David at Wandsworth Road.

No worries, I would come in marginally behind them with a good connection at Clapham North... no. The Northern Live sernice pattern was 5 mins, 6 mins, 7 mins, 8 mins. So much so that by the time David and Clive had ambled the change I had run I was still at the platform.

Then just cram onto a crowded train and finish at Clapham Common.

I am amazed just HOW much slower my endgame was to David's!!
1 FNC Completion (PB: 17:18:18 with G Bryant, A Chilcraft, I MacNaughton)
4 Zone Ones (PB: 03:00:35 with G Bryant)
15 R15s (PB: 01:55:48 with T Cooling and R Jackson)
11 All Lines (PB: 00:44:03)
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tangy
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by tangy »

The results of round 3 of the 2108/19 Random 15 Championship held on Saturday 12th January 2019.

This was a twist round, with NR (and LO/XR) stations in zone 1 and 2 added into the mix.

The stations generated were:
--Baker Street (meet up)
--Clapham Common
--South Kensington
--Holloway Road
--Mansion House
--Cannon Street (NR)
--Sloane Square
--Caledonian Road & Barnsbury
--Bow Road
--Waterloo (LU)
--Wandsworth Road
--Vauxhall (LU)
--Borough
--Chancery Lane
--Caledonian Road

There were 16 challengers who split into 13 teams:-

13th: Rob Lomas 04:08:15 at Borough.
12th: Das Stevens and Lee Maxter 03:42:35 at Chancery Lane.
11th: Richard Standing 03:32:35 at Holloway Road.
10th: Nick Gardner 03:08:15 at London Bridge (NR).
9th: Alex Kneller and Kat Hopper 03:03:58 at Bow Road.
8th: Simon Kneller 03:01:58 at Bow Road.
7th: Michael Churchill 02:51:24 at Bow Road.
6th: Rhys Benjamin 02:45:42 at Clapham Common.
5th: Peter Smyth 02:43:00 at Wandsworth Road (timing rounded up, forgot to stop his timer).
4th: Kevin Brown and Andrew Baker 02:39:44 at Bow Road.
3rd: Tangy 02:35:51 at South Kensington.
=1st: David Edwards 02:29:15 at Wandsworth Road.
=1st: Clive Burgess 02:29:15 at Wandsworth Road.

Putting these scores into the leaderboard gives:-

1. David Edwards: 34 points overall [3 rounds attended]
2. Clive Burgess: 30 [3]
3. Andrew Baker: 23 [3]
4=. Kevin Brown: 21 [3]
4=. Tangy: 21 [3]
6. Hugo Marrow: 18 [2]
7. Andrew Chilcraft: 14 [2]
8. Peter Smyth: 12 [3]
9. Mike Townley: 8 [1]
10=. Damian Cook: 6 [1]
10=. Matthew Cook: 6 [1]
10=. Samuel Mills: 6 [1]
10=. Michael Churchill: 6 [3]
14. Rhys Benjamin: 5 [1]
15=. Nick Gardner: 4 [2]
15=. Simon Kneller: 4 [3]
17=. Rob Lomas: 3 [3]
17=. Alex Kneller: 3 [3]
19. Kat Hopper: 2 [1]
20. Richard Standing: 1 [3]
21=. Das Stevens: 0 [3]
21=. Felix Andrew: 0 [2]
21=. Max Shepherd: 0 [2]
21=. Andi James: 0 [1]
21=. Rhys Jackson: 0 [1]
21=. Lee Maxter: 0 [1]

Round 4 will be held on Saturday 16th March. It will be a normal round with a live bucket draw.

Tangy
the BERC.
Adjudicator of the Alternative Challenges and webmaster of the Tube Challenge "Top Times" website at www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubechallenge

This is a Central line train to "Woodford via Hainault"- sadly, not no more!

Tangy.
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by michael_churchill »

I felt that my connections were the best I've ever had on an R15, so my route planning obviously still needs some improvement.

From Baker Street, I took a Hammersmith train to Edgware Road, then waited 3 minutes for a Circle line train to leave. The train became packed at Paddington with tourists and a busking band who only seemed to know how to play "When The Saints Go Marching In". Through South Kensington and Sloane Square to Victoria. Then the Victoria line through Vauxhall (LU) to Stockwell. Next, the Northern line down to Clapham Common. Reversing there, it was 8 seconds between the doors opening on the arriving train to doors closing on the departing one. :D I alighted at Clapham North and walked round to Clapham High Street. There I had my longest wait, 9 minutes for an Overground. Through Wandsworth Road to Clapham Junction, then straight onto an SWR train to Waterloo. From Waterloo (LU) down the Northern line to Kennington, back up, through Borough, to London Bridge. After having trouble finding it after every NR ticket barrier told me to "Seek assistance", I just managed to get on a Southeastern train to Cannon Street (NR). Next, a District to Mansion House. Then I walked to St. Paul's and took a Central through Chancery Lane to Holborn. Then, the Piccadilly line through Caledonian Road to Holloway Road. Waiting for the double-back on the platform I ran into Simon. Back to Caledonian Road (straight into a waiting lift :) ), then a brisk walk to Caledonian Road & Barnacle, I just managed to catch the Overground and left Simon behind. Sorry, every man for himself. :wink: I took the Overground all the way to Stratford, then Central to Mile End and finally District to finish at Bow Road.
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by Das »

Hi,me and debutant Peanut(Lee Baxter)went From Baker Street to Edgware Road ,changed to Circle line and also had to suffer 'When the Saints go marching in',we stayed on this tube through South Kensington,Sloane Square,Mansion House and alighted at Cannon Street,NR to London Bridge and back underground through Borough and got off at Clapham Common,1 second change and back up to Clapham North,ran to Clapham High Street,met up with Andrew and Kevin for one stop Wandsworth Road,doubled back as far as Clapham North,up one to Stockwell,up another one to Vauxhall,NR to Waterloo,back underground north to Camden Town,ran to Camden Road,East to Caledonian Road & Barnsbury,ran to Caledonian Road,through Holloway Road changed at Finsbury Park,Victoria Line to Highbury and Islington ,Overground to Whitechapel and East to Bow Road,back one to Mile End and final train through Chancery Lane and more importantly to the Bricklayers,we didn't get any points but had a great day and a couple of fine ales.
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Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 3

Post by roblo97 »

I started the morning in Plumstead after an all-nighter at work and on the way to Spoons, I asked which table everyone was at so I could order breakfast. I had two large bags on me and I was still in the Woolwich area at the time and had greatly underestimated how long it would take to prepare and cook a small breakfast and an apple juice. Needless to say, it was nice and cold when I eventually arrived… a full twenty-something minutes after the breakfast!

Once we started and I had eventually started the stopwatch on my phone, requiring 15 seconds to be added onto my time, I followed David and Clive to KXSP and then onwards to Caledonian Road via a double back at Holloway Road. For the run to Caledonian Road and Brondesbury, we were joined by Kev and A2 and it was a decent run down the hill thankfully and we joined Alex, Kat, Tangy and Rhys at the platform having all seen David running the other way.

I bailed at Highbury and Islington with Alex and Kat and it was at this point I realised I had forgotten to do something at Caledonian Road and Brondesbury: tap in at the Oyster reader. After getting some advice from the staff at the station and them realising by my reaction that it was a genuine accident, I tapped in at Highbury and Islington and then went to KXSP. After a quick break, I cracked on as best I could to the Northern Line to Bank.

I then changed to the Central Lie to visit Bow Road with a quick change at Mile End required. I then went down to South Kensington on the District before doubling back to Victoria to tick off Vauxhall. A change to the Northern Line at Stockwell meant Clapham Common could be visited. A simple double back led to a leisurely stroll with Clive to Clapham High Street from Clapham North. David arrived about 2 minutes before the train did and looked knackered. They departed at Wandsworth Road IIRC as I stayed on to Clapham Junction.

From there I got a train to Waterloo before changing to the Jubilee Line to get to London Bridge. I caught a train to Cannon Street NR and then walked to Bank where I got a Central Line train to Chancery Lane and stopped the clock. I got to the pub and told Tangy my route after I had started my pint and then realised that I had forgotten to visit Borough. I let everyone know as I was leaving the bags this time and ran back to Tottenham Court Road and through the Northern Line gate line.

At the bottom of the escalator, I realised I had made an error as the central line would be quicker and ran for that, up an escalator and straight past an armed police officer who I only saw once I’d gone past the buttstock of his machine gun. He went on a westbound train thankfully! I changed at Bank for the Northern Line and eventually finished at Borough. I went back to the pub and many beers were consumed and a two-course dinner of lasagne followed by sticky toffee pudding was eaten in between some cracking darts as well! I even got a double one in from memory as well.
R15 PB: 2:23.23
DLR PB: 2:00:50
Bottle PB: 02:30:30
Tramlink PB: 1:55.37 (Cheers David!)
Triple Crown: 7:00.13
FNC: 18:42:50 (Cheers Andi and Josh!)
Park: 8:29:35
Z1: 02:45:54
2018 Z1 winner!
Parkrun PB: 26 minutes something
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