Sheffield Supertram

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Adham
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Sheffield Supertram

Post by Adham »

I did this last year in a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 2 seconds.

So I hold the fastest published time.

Unless anyone else has done it.
Last edited by Adham on 09 Mar 2022, 01:10, edited 1 time in total.
Mitchell&BrownLook
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by Mitchell&BrownLook »

Hello there Tube Challengers!

As two sixth formers in a Sheffield school, we were talking with a friend as to what would be a cool World Record to have to your name, when the Brown half of this double act told the Mitchell half about Tube Challenge-ing which he had managed to stumble across from The London Underground song on YouTube. (The original is actually at http://www.backingblair.co.uk/london_underground so we’ll credit that, as it’s truly fantastic and all Challengers ought to be aware of it, if they aren’t already.)

From the video Mr Brown saw another video about Soup Dragon’s 2007 Tube Challenge in aid of Children in Need, by which time we were both totally hooked on the concept so we headed across to this fantastic website.

We said that to have a go at the GWR would be great fun and started researching it in more detail, only to discover that there was in fact a record right on our doorstep, and that we would need a lot of time and effort to break the GWR, especially as we had no local knowledge! We researched the Supertram and found that Adham Fisher’s record could be beaten, with the GWR rules being used.

So, on Monday the 22nd of December 2008, we are going to have a go at this record, but more importantly raise lots of money for a worthy charity as we are going to follow in Soup Dragon’s footsteps (or is it paws?) by collecting for Pudsey.

Sorry Adham, but we couldn’t let a non Sheffielder have the only Sheffield Tube Challenge record, so we thought we would break the bad news to you before it happens!
palkanetoijala31

Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by palkanetoijala31 »

Good luck with that is there a site that we can see what the challenge looks like.
Mitchell&BrownLook
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by Mitchell&BrownLook »

Firstly it's great to have the current world record holder taking an interest in our attempt.

Here are two maps: the first of which is a tube style map http://www.supertram.com/uploads/RouteMap.pdf
and the second a map with the network in relation to the surrounding area. http://www.supertram.com/uploads/SheffieldAreaMap.pdf

I’m afraid they are both PDF files, but that’s all that the Stagecoach Supertram website can offer. If somebody would like an alternative I’ll try and find them as they are needed.
palkanetoijala31

Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by palkanetoijala31 »

Well good luck with it seems relative simple but has enough variation to make it interesting i personally start at Halfway are u allowed to leave the system and run to other places or not :?: for Tube Challengers i compare it to a Dlr or a tramlink.
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Yorkie
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by Yorkie »

Having been born in Sheffield and lived there in two separate stints I think I ought to give this challenge a try next time I live there. I tried planning it once. There are obvious 5 minute runs at the two short branches, but I still haven't worked out how to get from Meadowhall to Middlewood quickly. I seem to remember that there's a bus, but it's slower than taking the tram into town and out again. Being someone who can't run for more than about three minutes, this might be my challenge...
What would I know? - I'm from Yorkshire for starters...
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jamesthegill
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by jamesthegill »

Simple. Start at Halfway. Blue line to Gleadless Townend. Purple line to Herdings Park, back in to town on the same line to Meadowhall. Train to Sheffield station. Blue line to Malin Bridge, run to Hillsborough Park, Yellow line to Middlewood.
Holder of the slowest recorded 274 attempt: 4 months, 1 day, 9 hours, 17 minutes, 32 seconds.
palkanetoijala31

Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by palkanetoijala31 »

Mitchell&BrownLook wrote:Hello there Tube Challengers!

As two sixth formers in a Sheffield school, we were talking with a friend as to what would be a cool World Record to have to your name, when the Brown half of this double act told the Mitchell half about Tube Challenge-ing which he had managed to stumble across from The London Underground song on YouTube. (The original is actually at http://www.backingblair.co.uk/london_underground so we’ll credit that, as it’s truly fantastic and all Challengers ought to be aware of it, if they aren’t already.)

From the video Mr Brown saw another video about Soup Dragon’s 2007 Tube Challenge in aid of Children in Need, by which time we were both totally hooked on the concept so we headed across to this fantastic website.

We said that to have a go at the GWR would be great fun and started researching it in more detail, only to discover that there was in fact a record right on our doorstep, and that we would need a lot of time and effort to break the GWR, especially as we had no local knowledge! We researched the Supertram and found that Adham Fisher’s record could be beaten, with the GWR rules being used.

So, on Monday the 22nd of December 2008, we are going to have a go at this record, but more importantly raise lots of money for a worthy charity as we are going to follow in Soup Dragon’s footsteps (or is it paws?) by collecting for Pudsey.

Sorry Adham, but we couldn’t let a non Sheffielder have the only Sheffield Tube Challenge record, so we thought we would break the bad news to you before it happens!
So what did happen on Dec 22nd and how much did u raise. :?:
Mitchell&BrownLook
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by Mitchell&BrownLook »

Hello there one and all!

As you may have noticed, we have not posted on this website in some time, and had left the last of our news a little open ended. However this was intentional, as we hadn't really got any proper news and we know Mr Tube Guru doesn't like posts of little consequence. Being new to the game we didn't want to upset the head honcho of this website before we have even properly been inducted. So, Mr Guru and others will be pleased to know that we do now have some news, good and bad (from our point of view anyhow).

Firstly, the bad news.
The attempt on Monday the 22nd of December had to be abandoned as Mr Mitchell was unwell, which he was up until Wednesday the 24th of December. The importance of this last date I hear you cry! It is Christmas Eve and it signals that the Sheffield Supertram no longer operates "normal public service" as the GWR rules put it. Stagecoach, the operators of the Supertram had decided, in their wisdom, that every following weekday of our Christmas break from sixth form was also to be an abnormal timetable, so this effectively meant that the attempt was off for the whole holidays and therefore off until the next break from school, the February half term. We could have done it with the abnormal timetable, but being perfectionists we didn't want to as it wouldn't have been as quick, but anyhow it wouldn't have been "normal public service."

So to this holiday, and the good news.

Today we had our first attempt at any tube challenge, and how well it went. After an altercation involving Mr Brown missing a tram that got him to the start of the challenge because it left 2 minutes and 27 seconds early, which is unheard of for the Sheffield Supertram and needless to say had Mr Mitchell sweating as to whether Mr Brown was going to make the start on time, we were all eventually gathered. Everything went swimmingly on the first two connections, with us even having a nice conductor who saved us on a fare on the first. (With our student discount cards it may only be 40 pence, but that's not the point, Yorkshire-men aren't seen as tight for no reason you know! When you add to the mix that we are students you may see our joke now!)

The next connection was a short run, but despite overtly short steps in depth (which we hadn't accounted for, I'm sure some of you do) we were on board just in time. Then came the "possible biggest negative of the day", when we fell into the elephant trap of not knowing the rules well enough. We had planned to do a section by bus but as Mr Mitchell pointed out, the rules clearly do state that "To `visit' a station, you must arrive and/or depart by a Supertram." (Slight bit of tampering there!)

So, a quick change of plan and a new option was chosen, which in the end worked just as well as planned thanks to a badly parked car which was blocking the tram tracks, which we would both say was our highlight of the day, as it let us catch that very tram. You may scorn or laugh at this feeble sounding highpoint, but to a person who has never attempted the GWR, nor knows little of The London Underground and its' geography (yet), this seems little different to
The highlights were the crossing at North Harrow, I'm not sure what everyone else thought but it was a work of art watching the lights change as we left the station.
(This being from Bambography's attempt.) Although he may be new to this like us, I can imagine that you all felt sympathy here, so our badly parked car was the equivalent of the North Harrow traffic lights for you.

As you probably guessed from our earlier post, we were pretty confident of breaking the record and had privately described a sub 2 hour time as very good, and a sub 1 hour 45 minute time as highly unlikely and unrealistic. We had also said that as long as we broke the current record of 2 hours 15 minutes and 2 seconds, we would like to come to the zone 1 challenge, TubeFest '09.


So with a time of 1 hour 43 minutes and 48 seconds, we would hereby like to join the competition, upon which we look forward to soundly getting thumped by an opposition of seasoned tube challenge professionals, unless any of them would be willing enough to have us weedy specimens as part of their team!

Hopefully we will attempt another challenge before then, probably in the Easter holidays, so if you want to wait till then to let us into your team then feel free, otherwise reply below or PM us.

P.S. We've just realised that we haven't answered palkanetoijala31's question aboutthe total amount raised. Well, we are hoping that now we have completed the challenge, we wil be able to raise more money, so we promise to get back to you with a final total. Also a note to jamesthegill: we didn't use your route, so you can try that if you like.
mps247
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by mps247 »

Congratulations Messers Mitchell and Brown! That is a bloody fast time! From memory, Meadowhall to Hillsborough is about half-an-hour on the tram for anybody who has never been to Sheffield and would like some perspective.

Also, running between stops can't have been easy - the city is built on seven hills! Although where the tram passes the ground is relatively flat, but it may not be quicker to follow the tram tracks. I still remember encoutering a road in Sheffield that was so steep, it had a handrail!

You would have also had the changing of the crew at Castle Square, which can take far too long sometimes. Also, did the purple route give you any trouble? I lived in Sheffield for three-and-a-half years, and I saw a purple route tram a total of 5 times... perhaps eight times... definitely less than 20. They are rarer than diamonds.
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tubeguru
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by tubeguru »

I don't mind all posts of no consequence. This post, for example has nothing to do with Sheffield supertrams so is completely inconsequential. :)
One thing only do I know, and that is that I know nothing - Socrates.

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Wanstead
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by Wanstead »

I'm sure 5 minutes can be shaved off this time. :)
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Wanstead
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by Wanstead »

It would appear that getting a decent overall time relies on good luck with timings around Fitzalan Square (you can just alight here, cross the tracks, and pick up a tram going the other way).

Also, the earliest possible weekday run would surely increase the likelihood of trams making good time or even arriving early, before road traffic has a chance to pick up and congest the routes.

Trains or buses from Meadowhall back to the city centre are 5-10 minutes quicker than the tram. However, this again relies on a quick connection to be made, and the trams turn round in less than two minutes so if the train/bus is late you also miss your fall-back tram back into town.
Full Network - Attempts: 1 | Completions: 1 (17h28m57s on 14/09/09)
Mitchell&BrownLook
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by Mitchell&BrownLook »

Would we presume from that last post that you've had an attempt or a recce at the route then? If so, I'm sure we wouldn't be alone in knowing how you got on. Some interesting formulations of a route you have there and while we'd agree with all of your last point, we'd say not to worry as much about the rest of your thoughts as you perhaps are doing.

Also, a nice website you have there Mr Wanstead.
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Wanstead
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Re: Sheffield Supertram

Post by Wanstead »

Mitchell&BrownLook wrote:Would we presume from that last post that you've had an attempt or a recce at the route then? If so, I'm sure we wouldn't be alone in knowing how you got on. Some interesting formulations of a route you have there and while we'd agree with all of your last point, we'd say not to worry as much about the rest of your thoughts as you perhaps are doing.
I've just been planning off the timetables and local knowledge at the moment. Time for a practice run methinks.
Mitchell&BrownLook wrote:Also, a nice website you have there Mr Wanstead.
Oh that old thing. I really must update it.
Full Network - Attempts: 1 | Completions: 1 (17h28m57s on 14/09/09)
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