Right then, full write-up time.
I had a long and lonely day yesterday, with some train issues and some issues with myself, but overall a reasonable success.
My original plan was to start on the 09:57 eastbound out of Upton Park, except my train from Birmingham arrived at 09:16, not giving me much time to get to the start. So I decided to start exactly half an hour later instead, knowing that the timetables would still work for my schedule.
The barriers were open at Upton, which was very handy for starting the challenge. I looked down the line and waited to see the train approaching, then darted outside to start the stopwatch and take the first photo before running back inside. I could have started about 5, maybe even 10 seconds later but that would have been cutting it very fine.
Up to Elm, then headed to Newbury. I decided on a straight line approach for which route to take, so took the 252 to Romford, Crossrail to Seven Kings then ran the last bit. I'd allowed quite a bit of time for the bus, which wasn't needed and I ran to the platform at Romford as a train was pulling in. Already 8 minutes up on schedule! Got a little lost trying to find the way into Newbury but don't think I missed a train.
Busy train westbound. Pulling into Stratford I saw another Crossrail train just across the platform to the right - just what I wanted. I was then very thrown when the doors on the left side of the train I was on opened, causing me to jump out and start worrying about where the underpass was. Then the lightbulb went and the doors on the right side of the train I had just been on opened as well. Ran back through the Central line train and onto the Crossrail train and headed into town.
The middle of town was busy but by no means impossible to get around. From Crossrail at Bond Street I took the Jubilee to Green, Piccadilly to Hyde Corner then ran back past Green and onto St. James'. The only time it got really busy was getting down to the Piccadilly platforms at Green, which caused me to miss a train but there was another right behind. In fact, when I got to Hyde Corner there were still people on the escalator from the previous train. I panicked at first but then saw than everyone (bar a 2 year old) was standing in a neat line on the right hand side. So a good run up the escalator and out. A moment to get my bearings outside then headed for Green for the outside photo and then through St. James' Park to the station of the same name. The park was busy, especially on the bridge over the pond, but I managed to stay at pace for this section.
One minute wait for a Richmond train, so it would be a change at Earl's Court to get down to Wimbledon. 12 minute wait here, and so most of the gain on my schedule vanished. Then 4 minute turnaround at Wimbledon.
Back at EC, the westbound departure board showed the following
5mins - Richmond
10 mins - Richmond
15mins - Ealing Broadway
Not ideal. Made it to Ravenscourt fine and then enjoyed the well heated waiting rooms. The next came down to being 2 minutes away... and then stayed there for ages. I contemplated how to play the next section. Original plan had been to exit at Chiswick then run to Acton Town for a Piccadilly line train, but I could also exit at Gunnersbury then enter at Chiswick. The first train coming was still to Richmond, with an EB train 2 minutes behind and another just 1 minute behind that. No way could I get to Gunnersbury and make either of those and I had no idea what - if anything - was coming after that. So I played it safe and stuck with my first plan.
The Richmond train turned up after a 5 minute wait, with the station manager coming over the tanoy to apologise for the delay. I got the impression even he didn't know what was going on. I let the Richmond one go and waited for the Broadway train. After that one left, the next train which appeared on the board was 6 minutes away, bound for Ealing Broadway. Dammit, that would have been great if I'd have known! Perfect timing for a run from Gunnersbury. Ah well.
Exited at Chiswick and got the photo then started running to Acton Town. As I started on the run I heard a second train head west out of the station. You idiot! Why did you not think to just go in and out of the station? I had thrown away a perfect Chiswick. I was temped to go back to the station to catch the train that was coming in 3 minutes but decided to punish my stupidity by running onwards.
Now about 5 minutes behind schedule (how did I not lose more time??) Made good time to Acton town and made my best connection of the day, straight onto a Piccadilly train. I thought that there were a surprisingly large number of people with suitcases on the train. The train pulled away and the driver then annouced that it was a train to Heathrow Terminals 2, 3 and 5. FML. I completely forgot about an entire branch of the network. So it was a folly down to South Ealing and doubleback, which was fairly swift but still set me back another 10 minutes.
Getting on the right train out of Acton Town this time, I made it to Royal with 10 minutes until I needed to be at Hangar Lane. As I exited I saw toilets just inside the gateline so went back through the barriers straightaway and used the spare time productively. My ticket didn't like this as it didn't let me back out again and I had to get help.
At this point I went against convention. Rather than taking a Central line train to Holland (Park, not the country), I caught a 112 to Stonebridge. The bus turned up on time but was absolutely packed. Only a single decker, which surprised me. (Tangy, is this normal for this route?) The bus to almost twice as long as planned to make the journey to Stonebridge due to roadworks and the whole experience was the low-point of the challenge for me.
But, having finally reached Stonebridge some 20 minute down on schedule, I got straight onto a train waiting in the platform and was soon happily trundling along again. Ran between Queen's and Kilburn to save time. Made a good connection to the Wimbleware to Paddington. Spotted a mouse on the platform at NHG which kept me entertained until the train arrived. Straight into a lift at Holland and then only a minute of so for a 31 to turn up bound for Westbourne. Good run from GPS to Regeant's. Coming out of the lift I heard a train approaching and made a mad dash, just making it. Then down to Oxford Circus and a very busy train up to Finsbury.
I ended up coming out of the back entrance at Finsbury, which really threw me. Whilst trying to find the bus stop someone came up to me asking for money. At least I had the genuine excuse that I didn't have time to help. Eventually found the bus stop, which turns out to be some way from the station. Ideally I wanted a 4, but I have recently developed the motto "take the first bus that comes". This turned out to be a 29, so there ended up being a run from Camden Road to Tufnell. Despite this not being the plan I made 5 minutes back on the schedule here.
Passing through the barriers at Tufnell I saw that the next High Barnet train was one minute away. One lift had just closed its doors and the other was at platform level, so it was a run down the 110 (TBC) steps and I made the train with time to spare. Then a relaxing trundle up to Woodside and back. Another good lift at Belsize, which I had all to myself. Then another unconventional move as I ran to Finchley Road. The final run on the day and I pushed to get a train which would keep me 15 minutes behind schedule. Some issues crossing the road itself but got to the platform as the train I wanted pulled in.
At Wembley I had the the choice of taking the photo before or after I went to Cannons. As the first train in the Jubilee platform was not in service (terminator) the display board was flashing STAND BACK and I had no idea when the next train was. I decided to risk it, so exited for the photo and got back to the platform as a northbound Jubilee locked its doors for departure. Fourtunately there was another train 1 minute behind, and I enjoyed the (relatively) empty train up to Cannons.
Coming off the platform at Cannons I took the sharp turn at the top of the stairs too quickly and fell on my arse, also hurting my left hand in the process. That was fine. The worst bit is that I could hear a train coming into the southbound platform and I knew there was no way I was going to make it. Walking wounded, I got the outside photo and then walked back up the stairs to find ANOTHER train coming in behind the one I just missed. And I enjoyed have the carriage all to myself back down to Wembley.
There had been reports earlier in the day of severe delays on the Met. These had gone but it was still being erratic. 4 minute wait for an Uxbridge train to Northwick, and I enjoyed not having to run and out of the station here as I knew the next train was 5 minutes behind. Then another Uxbridge train turned up, so I took that to HOTH just to get further down the line. Then after another 5 minutes a Chesham train turned up.
My original plan had me down for a time of 7:33. Some 25 minutes behind schedule, I knew I was coming in close to the 8 hour mark. Would I do it in less? Yes, I managed to finish at Moor in 7:57:23.
Final Route: Upton
Elm
(bus) Romford
(X-rail) Seven Kings
(run) Newbury
Stratford
(X-rail)
Bond Street
Green
Hyde Corner
(run via Green) St. James'
EC
Wimbledon (Park)
EC
Ravenscourt
Chiswick
(run) Acton Town
South Ealing
Acton Town
Royal
(run) Hangar Lane Roundabout
(bus) Stonebridge
Queen's
(run) Kilburn
Paddington
NHG
Holland
(bus) Westbourne
GPS
(run) Regent's
Oxford Circus
Finsbury
(bus/run) Tufnell
Woodside
Camden Town
Belsize
(run) Finchley Road
Wembley
Cannons
Wembley
Northwick
HOTH
Moor
Whilst waiting for the train back into town I had the unexpected treat of seeing an old D stock train in the opposite platform, now being used as a Rail Adhesion Train. Long journey back to Baker Street and the pub where I waited in vain for anyone else to turn up. At least I could slip into the crowd and half pay attention to the England v France Quarter Final.
How did everyone else get on?