tubechallenge.com

EastActionWoman wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 16:17

Going Underground wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 14:25

EastActionWoman wrote: ↑31 Dec 2019, 13:39 If Hackney Wick was drawn and I took the rail replacement service from Stratford, would that count as visiting Stratford? Or do we need to leave on a physical train?

What Stratford is the official one that needs visiting / departing from - LU or otherwise?

From Tangy's description above, Stratford is just one station - don't need to go through barriers to get from LU to NR.

But, if you pass through the barriers to catch a rail replacement bus, the bus stops are not part of the station (outside the barriers), so that wouldn't then be a valid departure from the station as you would have left it on foot.

A DLR departure from Stratford would also not be valid as DLR is not part of the Twist.

RJSRdg wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 23:35

EastActionWoman wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 16:17 If Hackney Wick was drawn and I took the rail replacement service from Stratford, would that count as visiting Stratford? Or do we need to leave on a physical train?

But, if you pass through the barriers to catch a rail replacement bus, the bus stops are not part of the station (outside the barriers), so that wouldn't then be a valid departure from the station as you would have left it on foot.

Thanks R.

RJSRdg wrote: A DLR departure from Stratford would also not be valid as DLR is not part of the Twist.

Hadn't even thought about DLR being excluded too - thank you!

RJSRdg wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 23:35

EastActionWoman wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 16:17

Going Underground wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 14:25

EastActionWoman wrote: ↑31 Dec 2019, 13:39 If Hackney Wick was drawn and I took the rail replacement service from Stratford, would that count as visiting Stratford? Or do we need to leave on a physical train?

What Stratford is the official one that needs visiting / departing from - LU or otherwise?

From Tangy's description above, Stratford is just one station - don't need to go through barriers to get from LU to NR.

But, if you pass through the barriers to catch a rail replacement bus, the bus stops are not part of the station (outside the barriers), so that wouldn't then be a valid departure from the station as you would have left it on foot.

From discussions with tangy at previous R15s, I understood that buses that are specifically designated as rail replacement services count as trains. Perhaps tangy can confirm.

EastActionWoman wrote: ↑31 Dec 2019, 13:39 If Hackney Wick was drawn and I took the rail replacement service from Stratford, would that count as visiting Stratford? Or do we need to leave on a physical train?

As per rule 2.5 of the Random 15 Championship: "Although the challenge starts at station 1 on the randomly generated list, challengers are NOT required to depart from it straightaway by the network/s included in that particular round. Challengers can choose (if they wish) to run or use another network not included in that particular round to a nearby station and visit station 1 later in the challenge".

A rail replacement bus despite covering for a line closed for engineering work will NOT count as a visit of the station concerned (hence why stations that are closed for engineering works for that particular round are excluded as you cannot visit them by rail). In addition due to the local road layout some rail replacement stops are a few minutes walk from the the actual station concerned. Rail replacement buses are however a valid means of transferring between stations as they run on a fixed timetabled route.

Stratford itself only has one barrier line for all modes so challengers can depart by any of the rail modes included in this challenge (LU, Crossrail or National Rail). The DLR is not specifically included in this round and as per the original quote the Overground is covered by rail replacement buses so a departure from Stratford by these modes will be considered as per rule 2.5 above.

Hope this clarifies your questions.

tangy wrote: ↑05 Jan 2020, 14:14

EastActionWoman wrote: ↑31 Dec 2019, 13:39 If Hackney Wick was drawn and I took the rail replacement service from Stratford, would that count as visiting Stratford? Or do we need to leave on a physical train?

Hope this clarifies your questions.

It does, thanks Tangy!

Parkrun (Raphael) - xcooler123, GU
Spoons (The Moon & Stars, Romford) - xcooler123, GU, roblo97
R15 - xcooler123, EastActionWoman+, GU, roblo97

I might see if I can get to Victoria Dock but if not, I'll drop the laptop bag at Liverpool Street and then head up to Romford!

Parkrun (Raphael) - xcooler123, GU, A2
Spoons (The Moon & Stars, Romford) - xcooler123, GU, roblo97, A2
R15 - xcooler123, EastActionWoman+, GU, roblo97, A2

...although having added myself to the list it is worth saying that the office has been plague ridden this week and I'm not feeling particularly well so might skip some or all of it in reality.

Will be on rail replacement from Stratford to Hackney Wick for Sullivan's so may see some of you guys

Parkrun (Raphael) - xcooler123, GU, A2

Spoons (The Moon & Stars, Romford) - xcooler123, GU, roblo97, A2

R15 - xcooler123, EastActionWoman+, GU, roblo97, A2, hopeful traveller

Should be an interesting day.

Valentines parkrun for me. See you at Stratford!

Apologies for the language, but BOLLOCKS!!

EastActionWoman wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020, 13:23 Apologies for the language, but BOLLOCKS!!

That was my reaction to getting off a stop too early at Gospel Oak today - doh!

My route was very similar to the winners, only changing at Paddington rather than Edgware Road. But having to wait for the next train at Gospel Oak meant I was 40 minutes behind them instead of 10 (factoring in the fact they can run faster than me ). Now going to check if I really would have made the earlier connection at Cannon Street ...

Having strained my Achilles making a tight change of trains at Swansea 10 days ago, I was in two minds whether or not to take part today but eventually decided to, with a firm resolution that I would only walk and not run. That resolution lasted about as long as it took to get the envelope open....

From Stratford, I along with many of the other competitors, ran to the Central line and headed to Bethnal Green (LU). There, we were faced with a choice of running to either Bethnal Green (NR) or Cambridge Heath, I chose the latter as there didn't seem to be much difference in distance and as Cambridge Heath was one station further along the line, there was a chance of catching a train there I may have missed at BGNR. Andrew Chilcraft was running the same way, I tried to run after him but decided I wasn't fit enough and walked the rest of the way, though we still ended up catching the same train at CH (sometimes it pays not to run!). Up to Hackney Downs(!), and through the link to Hackney Central (again I walked, and made the next train, despite lagging behind Andrew C, David E and Rob L, who had got off the same train as Andrew and I having done the BGNR run). Also at Central were Kev and A2 who had caught a bus from Bethnal Green LU, and Jenny (not sure how she got there).

We all headed west along the NLL towards Hampstead Heath although Jenny and one other got off earlier. From HH, David and Andrew C ran to Belsize Park. I realised I wasn't in any fit state to keep up with them, and joined a group of 'walking wounded' including Kev, A2 and Rob. (We contemplated cutting through the hospital but thought we might wind up getting mistaken for patients and taken into treatment!). I managed to pull out a small lead on the rest of the group by BP, but a short wait for a lift gave everyone chance to catch up.

Down to Camden Town, up to Tufnell Park, where we all doubled back. At Kentish Town, Rob and I bailed for Thameslink - Kev, A2 and Rich G carried on down the Bank branch. A two minute wait for the Thameslink wasn't bad, but there was also a slight delay at St Pancras. Rob and I got off at City Thameslink and walked to St Paul's, where we went along one stop to Bank. At Bank, we were rejoined by Jenny for the short walk to Cannon Street (NR) - Jenny having advised that there was no train for 15 minutes, there was no need to run. Rob and I sat too far back in the train, meaning we had to head along the platform at London Bridge to get down on the concourse, where we saw Jenny and Rich G in the distance. A brief sprint allowed us to overtake Rich G, but again to no avail as we all wound up on the same train down to Stockwell. Back up the Vic to Victoria, where I changed to the District, whilst to my surprise, Jenny and Rob carried on. I just missed an Ealing train, the next was a Wimbledon, the one after that showed on the DMI as a Circle but turned up as a Richmond! As I departed Victoria, I realised why Rob and Jenny had carried on up the Vic, but too late for me now!

Over to Stamford Brook, where I met Rich G again, along with Andrew C and David who had already finished(!). Back to Hammersmith, over the road to the other Hammersmith and up through Shepherd's Bush Market to Paddington (H&C), where I strode out quickly through the taxi rank and round the side of the main line station to Paddington (D&C), realising that there were fewer staps and likely fewer crowds that way. Rich G went through the main line station and I didn't see him again until the Brickies.

From Paddington, I had a 3 minute wait for a train down to Bayswater, and a 2 minute wait for a train back. Then walked round to the Bakerloo platforms (and another just missed train) to knock off Marylebone and Baker Street to finish with a time of 3:36:58.

Hopes were high when I got to the Brickies as only Andrew C and David were there before me, however a bunched field meant I was only good enough for 10th, but only five minutes behind 4th place. Had I been fit enough to do a couple more runs (and thus not miss the two trains I just missed), I may have been up there.

If anyone left a smartphone in the Bricklayers, Tangy has it in his person