1st FNC advice pls

[jambogogs]

Hi all. I’m hoping to do my 1st FNC later this year (Covid permitting) using the labyrinth challenge route. Won’t get anywhere near a record time but it’s more for personal satisfaction of completion. As I’m based in Edinburgh it’s a bit difficult to do trial runs so any advice would be gratefully appreciated. I’ll be in London for a day on 31st Aug and will be timing connections between stations on foot/bus. I already know the basics. Food, water, spare empty bottle, Imodium etc. Thanks all.

[trains 500]

door positions

[Lunaticonthegrass]

Kensington Olympia gets just 9 trains a day - 7 early morning and 2 mid-evening. The labyrinth route way done before changes to the timetable (it used to have a half-hourly service throughout the day), so the route would need some tweeking to be possible. Use the working timetables (WTTs) to plan this bit.

[RJSRdg]

I did come up with an "improved Labyrinth" a few years ago which got round that problem but I think I introduced another issue somewhere else if memory serves (or the timetable changed!).

There are still (AFAIK) about 20 stations closed at the moment so a FNC can't be done until they reopen.

Good luck attempting one whilst wearing a mask! (I have a route I've put together during lockdown but I suspect by the time the mask rule is relaxed, the Battersea extension will have opened and I'll need to come up with a new one!)

[jambogogs]

Thanks for the advice so far folks. I knew about Ken O, thought about doing it on a Saturday when there’s a regular service. As far as the closed stations goes, as far as I know trains are still running through (except T4). With that in mind it won’t be a proper FNC but a good starting place for when things get back to normal.

[stepneygreen05]

Most stations have reopened , or will have reopened by September. Its only a matter of time before T4 reopens aswell

[Lunaticonthegrass]

...thought about doing it on a Saturday when there’s a regular service.

Good luck finding a Saturday without engineering works!

[al]

Most stations have reopened , or will have reopened by September. Its only a matter of time before T4 reopens aswell

The T4 closure is not driven by lack of LU staff, the whole terminal is closed due to no flights. I can't see it reopening any time soon. I think Battersea will be open before T4 is.

[stepneygreen05]

Well that's the end of the FNC for quite a while then

[jambogogs]

...thought about doing it on a Saturday when there’s a regular service.

Good luck finding a Saturday without engineering works!

There’s a couple of weekends in October/November without engineering works on the tube, just overground/TfL rail

[ANDY_JS]

Good luck to jambogogs on his TC attempt later this year.

Quick question: does anyone know how you can tell which train is going to go first when you're at either Cockfosters or Edgware? On about 3 occasions I've tried to work it out and couldn't see how to do so. I had to guess and got it wrong once. At some stations there's an arrow to tell you which train is going first but there doesn't seem to be at these two stations. Does the timetable help maybe?

[Iain]

Even at stations with arrows, the trains don't always follow them! Timetables can easily get out of synch so that's not reliable either.

I think Cockfosters has DMIs as you move towards the platforms and I vaguely recall some sort of display upstairs at Edgware, but I'm not 100% on that. The only suggestion I can give is to get what info is available (so scout out indicators, use apps, watch where people are going etc) and always stay alert to switch trains if needs be. Someone as back up to hold doors is useful too just in case

[RJSRdg]

There's an easy way of knowing at any terminus...

.... it's the one you're not on!

[ANDY_JS]

Once again apologies for potentially going off topic but I didn't want to start a new thread.

I think I've just had one of those Eureka moments as far as the Tube Challenge is concerned.

All this time I've assumed that there are two northern-bound Northern Line platforms at Euston — one going via Mornington Crescent to Camden Town and the other bypassing it — but today I think it's dawned on me that in fact there's only one. I hope this is correct. If so, it makes one of my Tube Challenge routes a little easier than I had previously imagined.

[Steeevooo]

There are two sets of Northern Line platforms at Euston and they are not next to each other either! The Charing Cross branch stops at Mornington Crescent en route to Camden Town whereas the Bank branch take a different route and travels non stop. You will need to visit Mornington Crescent on the challenge.