GWR Site is reporting a new World Record time ...

[The Orange One]

Welcome to the forum!! Congratulations on your new world record. That being said, I have a few questions...

- How did you avoid Oyster Maximum Journey Timeouts? I'm a fan of Oyster, but I don't do challenges on it because the Maximum Journey times always come and bite me in the back just when they are least needed!
- Why is it a requirement to provide journey history? On paper travelcards, the chosen ticketing for almost all known challenge attempts, there is of course no such thing, so this would mean a radical shift in the challenge logistics.

As for myself, I have next to no chance of getting the proper record. Even if I broke the record, I'd simply not have the proof required to back up my claims.

[Tube.b]

Firstly Well done.
I am also confused how u did this all on oyster though...

[tractakid]

Fascinating to hear about the Oyster requirement. I understand that the journey history would provide a conclusive proof, but I feel it is yet another reason why I will never make a claim to Guinness. The impracticality of it adds a ridiculous complication for those of us without staff passes.

I am more than happy to attempt to beat the fastest tube challenge time, but it'll never be a GWR as I don't feel they are an appropriate authority to govern the challenge.

So as with all my previous times, you'll just have to trust that the times I claim are genuine.

[greatkingrat]

Even if you do have an Oyster record it is hardly conclusive proof. You can easily go several hours without leaving the network so it doesn't show what you have done in the interim.

[Nigel]

Congratulations to tufnellpark and your fellow record holder.

I'm very puzzled about the Oyster history being a Guinness requirement. I'm still registered with Guinness from my previous attempts, and I can log on and view their guidelines and their check-list for setting this record. It makes no mention of Oyster history. (I can't provide the link as it only works if you are logged on and registered for this record attempt.)

tufnellpark: how did Guinness communicate the Oyster requirement to you? It seems strange if Guinness are telling some challengers one thing, but others something else about what is required - but consistency has never been Guinness's strong point.

[Nigel]

(I can't provide the link as it only works if you are logged on and registered for this record attempt.)

However it does let me download a pdf document (dated with today's date). No mention of Oyster in that either. (If anyone is interested in seeing it, I can let you have a link to it on my Google drive.)

[RJSRdg]

I'd be interested in seeing it - whilst I doubt the FNC attempt I intend to make this year will be a record time, if there's an outside chance I might gain time through a later-running train (a late running Hainault-Woodford train could gain me 20 minutes by Epping!) I wouldn't want to beat the time and then find I couldn't claim the record!

[palkanetoijala31]

Would obviously like to know what happened here though ... i bet you would dont tell him though!

[tufnellpark]

No 6 of the GWR rules sent with the guidelines states "You must use an Oyster card for this journey. Please submit the journey history" which we did. We used the PAYG with daily cap, which is currently £20. I guess it is a case of the Guinness rules catching up with technology but there are additional evidence requirements, so Guinness are not relying on Oyster records alone. As part of our planning, we decided to check out and back in at many stations where we were changing trains and where it was convenient, to avoid exceeding maximum journey times which are 90-150 mins. This we did successfully and it didn't delay us one bit. Must say I found Guinness admin friendly, very helpful and efficient. They have an auditing job to do and I reckon they do it pretty well and fairly.

[palkanetoijala31]

Must say I found Guinness admin friendly, very helpful and efficient. They have an auditing job to do and I reckon they do it pretty well and fairly.

I strongly disagree with that point as it took over 3 times of resending evidence to stuff we had already proven in the original evidence we provided last time. Also i might note to the new world record holders be prepared to wait 7 years to get into the book

[nozzacook]

I need to re register for attempt in case there are any other rule changes we are not aware of.

[The Orange One]

Oyster PAYG? You, sir, are crazy.

I can see the OSIs just fouling you up, again and again. The Guinness verification rules are just ridiculous. Firstly that whole master stopwatch stuff - which REQUIRES you to have a backup team of friends who are willing to spend time on the underground, something that I just don't have in my life. Secondly the witness statement thing, which means you actually have to interact with people on public transport. And now this?

You shouldn't be able to demand that your potential record holders use Oyster. But then, you shouldn't be able to demand your potential record holders have enough social skills to have friends willing to be in Chesham at 5am; or that they break the first law of London commuting at least once per hour (never speak to people on the tube).

But congratulations anyway! Even if I now have to touch in on a bus between Leytonstone and Leytonstone High Road to break an OSI. And between Northwick Park and Kenton, of course. I think I shall go the tractakid route. I am disgusted with Guinness, even if it is just the latest step towards technologicalisation.

[palkanetoijala31]

ask iain last time he got charged over £50 on oyster even though he proved he left the system several times within the time limit and has a cap on his card .

Where i have no doubt in the validity of this attempt i have said that 16h 20m was beatable and clearly is even 16h 14m can be beaten i think and quite easily, but i will not be attempting it with an OYSTER CARD or a NEWSPAPER and if GUINNESS demand such things i think this is absolutely ********

[Nigel]

No 6 of the GWR rules sent with the guidelines states "You must use an Oyster card for this journey. Please submit the journey history" which we did.

However it does let me download a pdf document (dated with today's date). No mention of Oyster in that either.

So it would appear that Guinness are currently giving different rules to different challengers at the moment. My already low opinion of Guinness as arbiters of this record has sunk even further.

Anyway use of Oyster is a red herring. It proves very little (other than that you out on part of the network on the given day). For example, on my last attempt I would not have had chance to touch in & out (without missing a train) on many of the critical out & backs - namely, Watford, Sloane Square, Brixton, Upminister and Stanmore. Also, I wouldn't have been able to either at Earls Court to show that I had done Olympia on the District, not Overground or National Rail.

[tufnellpark]

I am surprised at the reaction to using Oyster PAYG and think it perfectly reasonable for Guinness to ask for use of the latest technology as PART of the evidence needed for a WR. To answer a few of your points. Oyster journey history is available online. To avoid OSI just touch out/in at nearby interchange stations. It only takes 10 secs. Kenton/Northwick Park OSI was mentioned. Simply touch out/in at Preston Road or Harrow & Wealdstone, where you are changing trains, obviously checking you have enough time before your train departs. At Epping the gates are right on the platform, so touch out/in is easy. But if you are rushing to catch a train from the other platform, just touch out/in at Woodford instead. To avoid exceeding maximum journey times, plan to touch out/in where you can ie where you are passing the gates at interchanges. So Moorgate is a good possibility, Brixton is not. We touched out/in 34 times during the day and the longest section between touches was 01:45. You do get some funny looks from gate staff though!