New York Challenge

New York? Sydney? Bognor Regis? We're spoilt for choice ...
G Force
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New York Challenge

Post by G Force »

Here is a website with info about a challenge attempt on the NYC subway. http://blog.myspace.com/subwaychallenge
G Force
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Post by G Force »

...and another webpage with info about an attempt in the 60s
http://www.gricer.com/anysrc/anysrc.html
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editorsfoot
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Post by editorsfoot »

There is a video report on the front page of the BBC news website about an attempt, I don't know how they got on?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs ... 280650.stm
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Post by G Force »

I'm not too sure. Apparently there is some debate about the rules. It may been the case that they passed through many stations on expresses rather than on local trains.

Another article here:-
http://www.nypost.com/subway/subwayraces0.htm

Where's Geoff?
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Post by geofftech »

Oh I'm here ... :-)

And I've collated ALL the links (some new ones) that I've got about this on my new page here:

http://www.geofftech.co.uk/tubechallenge/newyork/
Last edited by Anonymous on 12 Oct 2006, 22:30, edited 1 time in total.
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jonny
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Post by jonny »

I saw him first
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hwolge
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Post by hwolge »

Having spent the weekend in Manhattan my immediate reactions are:
* There is a total lack of charm in the NY subway...
* The non-stopping of trains seems to be a bit hard to grasp. It appeared more or less random at times.
* I would not feel very safe in the middle of the night in the subway.
* Doubling back is often impossible without leaving the station. Many stations are completely separate depending on direction.

Bottom line is that I'm not very attracted to the idea of beating Geoff to a new record for this system. Best of luck to you Geoff! And I truly mean it!
:) Three times Zone 1 Challenge winner :)
:) Official record holder in the 2008 Guinness Book of Records, pg 199 :)
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The Raven
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Post by The Raven »

My parents recently returned from a holiday in New York and said the subway was:

1) About 10'C hotter than outside
2) They got lost almost instantly
3) Very different to the LU
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moley
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Post by moley »

The Raven wrote:My parents recently returned from a holiday in New York and said the subway was:

1) About 10'C hotter than outside
2) They got lost almost instantly
3) Very different to the LU
You could write a book about the differences between the NY Subway and the London Underground however in reallity, the differences mainly stem from one being in the US and one being in the UK - they would not fit in the otherway around.

Accessible stations is an unheard word on the NYC and largely so are escalators. The Subway is very grey concrete and Industrial whereas the LU is very 'pretty', white and Victorian by design.

I can't think of one LU station underground where you cannot get to and from each platform via a subway or booking hall. In NYC there are many stations which (effectively) are two seperate station - with entrances on the opposite sides of the road. Once entered there is no connection to the other platform.

Getting lost is easy - and so it is on the LU if you are new to it. The really trick in NYC is remembering which way the trains go - yes the opposite direction to in the UK - but when you are racing to get a train at a platform it's easy to forget and then before you know it you've gone in the wrong direction.

The concept of 'fast trains' is something that we are not used to in the UK - the best paraellel that I can draw is the line between Hammersmith and Acton Town where the Picadilly is fast and District is slow. However in NYC, they are the same colour and distinguished by the numbers on the trains. Oh yeah - and there is very little PIS.

Finally a word about the heat - when I was in NYC last December I never notcied the heat difference, I would actually stick my neck out and disagree with the statement you posted.

I could go on.........
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PFW
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Post by PFW »

moley wrote:The concept of 'fast trains' is something that we are not used to in the UK - the best paraellel that I can draw is the line between Hammersmith and Acton Town where the Picadilly is fast and District is slow.
There is also the Fast Amersham service which is very similar in concept to the NYC system, and the idea was apparently also mooted in the 1930's with a Fast Northern Line service...

http://underground-history.co.uk/shelters.php
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hwolge
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Post by hwolge »

According to a Swedish News Agency the New York Subway record has been broken:

"26 year old Green och 24 year old Badaczewski claim a time of 24h02m."

That's all info I've got at this time.
:) Three times Zone 1 Challenge winner :)
:) Official record holder in the 2008 Guinness Book of Records, pg 199 :)
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Post by geofftech »

Hakan: "Not very attracted"? Wusses! All of you! :-D

it is quite different, but has its own charm i think. i'm sure once you ride it enough you'd get used to the fast services, and not forgetting which way the trains go!

I still have a vague plan to do it one day. Watch this space (or something, as Neil would say)
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Post by tubeguru »

Yeah, just watch it.
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regoarrarr
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Post by regoarrarr »

So I thought I had read somewhere that someone was going to do the NYC subway in October.

Did that happen?
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moley
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Post by moley »

regoarrarr wrote:So I thought I had read somewhere that someone was going to do the NYC subway in October.

Did that happen?
Very long story but my 100% reliable sources tell me it did not happen..... but it might, one day.
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