The Real Man's Alphabet Challenge

[tpfkar]

Had this idea the other day...when doing the Alphabet challenge, why should you only have to visit one station beginning with each letter?

How about doing them all...in order? So that's Acton Town to Woodside Park. You've been down to Aldgate, out to Amersham, in to Angel, then Archway, Arnos Grove etc. before you've even cleared A!

How long do you think it would take?

[hwolge]

I don't think it's a great challenge since it all but removes the route planning part of it. A slightly more interesting version would be to take all As first (regardless of individual order), followed by all Bs and so on...

However, you asked how long it would take. I'd say the average travel time between any two random stations would be around 1 hour. Quite a few stations are both geographically and alphabetically "related", shrinking the average time. My guess is between 150 and 210 hours in all. Considering the network is open roughly 19 hours a day, my guess would be around 8-11 days. It's truly a major undertaking...

When I get the spare time I'll make a much more exact estimate!

[tubeguru]

And yet one I feel compelled to do ...

[hwolge]

You could of course start the challenge NOW! and make it more of a Plate Spotting thing (truly something for you Tubeguru).
* Start marking off the station in the index of a tube map in order.
* Post your progress here
* And let's see who first gets to Woodside Park

Good luck!

[hwolge]

A couple of clarifications:

Hammersmith (District and Piccadilly) should be done before Hammersmith (H&C)

Paddington (Bakerloo, Circle and District) should be done before Paddington (H&C)

Edgware Road (Bakerloo) should be done before Edgware (Circle and District)

Shepherd's Bush (Central) should be done before Shepherd's Bush (H&C)

And apparently (according to the Tube Map)
Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 should be done before Heathrow Terminal 4

Right?

[hwolge]

Think about it...

Do you think ANYBODY has EVER done this, intentionally or not and regardless of time span? I doubt it.

[tubeguru]

You could of course start the challenge NOW! and make it more of a Plate Spotting thing

Plate spotting? I know there are some weird hobbies out there but ...

Do you think ANYBODY has EVER done this (intentionally or unintentionally and regardless of time span? I doubt it.

I doubt it too, but now you've set everyone's mind in motion ... this will take days to complete because not everyone has the time to go backwards and forwards between them all.

Since you've been devoting some time to this, could you post up a list of the stations in strict order for us?

[gasman]

As luck would have it, I have one right here... insert Shoreditch according to taste.

Acton Town
Aldgate
Aldgate East
Alperton
Amersham
Angel
Archway
Arnos Grove
Arsenal
Baker Street
Balham
Bank
Barbican
Barking
Barkingside
Barons Court
Bayswater
Becontree
Belsize Park
Bermondsey
Bethnal Green
Blackfriars
Blackhorse Road
Bond Street
Borough
Boston Manor
Bounds Green
Bow Road
Brent Cross
Brixton
Bormley-by-Bow
Buckhurst Hill
Burnt Oak
Caledonian Road
Camden Town
Canada Water
Canary Wharf
Canning Town
Cannon Street
Canons Park
Chalfont & Latimer
Chalk Farm
Chancery Lane
Charing Cross
Chesham
Chigwell
Chiswick Park
Chorleywood
Clapham Common
Clapham North
Clapham South
Cockfosters
Colindale
Colliers Wood
Covent Garden
Croxley
Dagenham East
Dagenham Heathway
Debden
Dollis Hill
Ealing Broadway
Ealing Common
Earl's Court
East Acton
East Finchley
East Ham
East Putney
Eastcote
Edgware
Edgware Road (Bakerloo Line)
Edgware Road (Circle Line)
Elephant & Castle
Elm Park
Embankment
Epping
Euston
Euston Square
Fairlop
Farringdon
Finchley Central
Finchley Road
Finsbury Park
Fulham Broadway
Gants Hill
Gloucester Road
Golders Green
Goldhawk Road
Goodge Street
Grange Hill
Great Portland Street
Green Park
Greenford
Gunnersbury
Hainault
Hammersmith (District and Piccadilly lines)
Hammersmith (Hammersmith & City line)
Hampstead
Hanger Lane
Harlesden
Harrow & Wealdstone
Harrow-on-the-Hill
Hatton Cross
Heathrow Terminal 4
Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3
Hendon Central
High Barnet
High Street Kensington
Highbury & Islington
Highgate
Hillingdon
Holborn
Holland Park
Holloway Road
Hornchurch
Hounslow Central
Hounslow East
Hounslow West
Hyde Park Corner
Ickenham
Kennington
Kensal Green
Kensingston Olympia
Kentish Town
Kenton
Kew Gardens
Kilburn
Kilburn Park
King's Cross St. Pancras
Kingsbury
Knightsbridge
Ladbroke Grove
Lambeth North
Lancaster Gate
Latimer Road
Leicester Square
Leyton
Leytonstone
Liverpool Street
London Bridge
Loughton
Maida Vale
Manor House
Mansion House
Marble Arch
Marleybone
Mile End
Mill Hill East
Monument
Moor Park
Moorgate
Morden
Mornington Crescent
Neasden
New Cross
New Cross Gate
Newbury Park
North Acton
North Ealing
North Greenwich
North Harrow
North Wembley
Northfields
Northolt
Northwick Park
Northwood
Northwood Hills
Notting Hill Gate
Oakwood
Old Street
Osterley
Oval
Oxford Circus
Paddington (Bakerloo, Circle and District Lines)
Paddington (Hammersmith & City Line)
Park Royal
Parsons Green
Perivale
Piccadilly Circus
Pimlico
Pinner
Plaistow
Preston Road
Putney Bridge
Queens Park
Queensbury
Queensway
Ravenscourt Park
Rayners Lane
Redbridge
Regents Park
Richmond
Ricksmansworth
Roding Valley
Rotherhithe
Royal Oak
Ruislip
Ruislip Gardens
Ruislip Manor
Russell Square
Seven Sisters
Shadwell
Shepherd's Bush (Central Line)
Shepherd's Bush (Hammersmith & City Line)
Sloane Square
Snaresbrook
South Ealing
South Harrow
South Kensington
South Kenton
South Ruislip
South Wimbledon
South Woodford
Southfields
Southgate
Southwark
St. James's Park
St. John's Wood
St. Paul's
Stamford Brook
Stanmore
Stepney Green
Stockwell
Stonebridge Park
Stratford
Sudbury Hill
Sudbury Town
Surrey Quays
Swiss Cottage
Temple
Theydon Bois
Tooting Bec
Tooting Broadway
Totteridge & Whetstone
Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Hale
Tower Hill
Tufnell Park
Turnham Green
Turnpike Lane
Upminster
Upminster Bridge
Upney
Upton Park
Uxbridge
Vauxhall
Victoria
Walthamstow Central
Wanstead
Wapping
Warren Street
Warwick Avenue
Waterloo
Watford
Wembley Central
Wembley Park
West Acton
West Brompton
West Finchley
West Ham
West Hampstead
West Harrow
West Kensington
West Ruislip
Westbourne Park
Westminster
White City
Whitechapel
Willesden Green
Willesden Junction
Wimbledon
Wimbledon Park
Wood Green
Woodford
Woodside Park

[tubeguru]

Upton Park -> Uxbridge -> Vauxhall.

Ouch.

[hwolge]

As far as I can tell this is the (Tube Map + Paddington/Hammersmith fix) official order. Please note the problems with the "Saint"- stations, "Queen"-stations as well as Heathrows and Harrows.

1 Acton Town
2 Aldgate
3 Aldgate East
4 Alperton
5 Amersham
6 Angel
7 Archway
8 Arnos Grove
9 Arsenal
10 Baker Street
11 Balham
12 Bank
13 Barbican
14 Barking
15 Barkingside
16 Barons Court
17 Bayswater
18 Becontree
19 Belsize Park
20 Bermondsey
21 Bethnal Green
22 Blackfriars
23 Blackhorse Road
24 Bond Street
25 Borough
26 Boston Manor
27 Bounds Green
28 Bow Road
29 Brent Cross
30 Brixton
31 Bromley-by-Bow
32 Buckhurst Hill
33 Burnt Oak
34 Caledonian Road
35 Camden Town
36 Canada Water
37 Canary Wharf
38 Canning Town
39 Cannon Street
40 Canons Park
41 Chalfont & Latimer
42 Chalk Farm
43 Chancery Lane
44 Charing Cross
45 Chesham
46 Chigwell
47 Chiswick Park
48 Chorleywood
49 Clapham Common
50 Clapham North
51 Clapham South
52 Cockfosters
53 Colindale
54 Colliers Wood
55 Covent Garden
56 Croxley
57 Dagenham East
58 Dagenham Heathway
59 Debden
60 Dollis Hill
61 Ealing Broadway
62 Ealing Common
63 Earl´s Court
64 East Acton
65 Eastcote
66 East Finchley
67 East Ham
68 East Putney
69 Edgware
70 Edgware Road (Bakerloo)
71 Edgware Road (Circle Line)
72 Elephant & Castle
73 Elm Park
74 Embankment
75 Epping
76 Euston
77 Euston Square
78 Fairlop
79 Farringdon
80 Finchley Central
81 Finchley Road
82 Finsbury Park
83 Fulham Broadway
84 Gants Hill
85 Gloucester Road
86 Golders Green
87 Goldhawk Road
88 Goodge Street
89 Grange Hill
90 Great Portland Street
91 Greenford
92 Green Park
93 Gunnersbury
94 Hainault
95 Hammersmith (District)
96 Hammersmith (H&C Line)
97 Hampstead
98 Hanger Lane
99 Harlesden
100 Harrow & Wealdstone
101 Harrow-on-the-Hill
102 Hatton Cross
103 Heathrow Terminals 1 2 3
104 Heathrow Terminal 4
105 Hendon Central
106 High Barnet
107 Highbury & Islington
108 Highgate
109 High Street Kensington
110 Hillingdon
111 Holborn
112 Holland Park
113 Holloway Road
114 Hornchurch
115 Hounslow Central
116 Hounslow East
117 Hounslow West
118 Hyde Park Corner
119 Ickenham
120 Kennington
121 Kensal Green
122 Kensington (Olympia)
123 Kentish Town
124 Kenton
125 Kew Gardens
126 Kilburn
127 Kilburn Park
128 Kingsbury
129 King´s Cross St. Pancras
130 Knightsbridge
131 Ladbroke Grove
132 Lambeth North
133 Lancaster Gate
134 Latimer Road
135 Leicester Square
136 Leyton
137 Leytonstone
138 Liverpool Street
139 London Bridge
140 Loughton
141 Maida Vale
142 Manor House
143 Mansion House
144 Marble Arch
145 Marylebone
146 Mile End
147 Mill Hill East
148 Monument
149 Moorgate
150 Moor Park
151 Morden
152 Mornington Crescent
153 Neasden
154 Newbury Park
155 New Cross
156 New Cross Gate
157 North Acton
158 North Ealing
159 Northfields
160 North Greenwich
161 North Harrow
162 Northolt
163 North Wembley
164 Northwick Park
165 Northwood
166 Northwood Hills
167 Notting Hill Gate
168 Oakwood
169 Old Street
170 Osterley
171 Oval
172 Oxford Circus
173 Paddington (Circle/District Line)
174 Paddington (H&C Line)
175 Park Royal
176 Parsons Green
177 Perivale
178 Piccadilly Circus
179 Pimlico
180 Pinner
181 Plaistow
182 Preston Road
183 Putney Bridge
184 Queensbury
185 Queen´s Park
186 Queensway
187 Ravenscourt Park
188 Rayners Lane
189 Redbridge
190 Regent´s Park
191 Richmond
192 Rickmansworth
193 Roding Valley
194 Rotherhithe
195 Royal Oak
196 Ruislip
197 Ruislip Gardens
198 Ruislip Manor
199 Russell Square
200 St. James´s Park
201 St. John´s Wood
202 St. Paul´s
203 Seven Sisters
204 Shadwell
205 Shepherd´s Bush (Central)
206 Shepherd´s Bush (H&C Line)
207 Shoreditch
208 Sloane Square
209 Snaresbrook
210 South Ealing
211 Southfields
212 Southgate
213 South Harrow
214 South Kensington
215 South Kenton
216 South Ruislip
217 Southwark
218 South Wimbledon
219 South Woodford
220 Stamford Brook
221 Stanmore
222 Stepney Green
223 Stockwell
224 Stonebridge Park
225 Stratford
226 Sudbury Hill
227 Sudbury Town
228 Surrey Quays
229 Swiss Cottage
230 Temple
231 Theydon Bois
232 Tooting Bec
233 Tooting Broadway
234 Tottenham Court Road
235 Tottenham Hale
236 Totteridge & Whetstone
237 Tower Hill
238 Tufnell Park
239 Turnham Green
240 Turnpike Lane
241 Upminster
242 Upminster Bridge
243 Upney
244 Upton Park
245 Uxbridge
246 Walthamstow Central
247 Wanstead
248 Wapping
249 Warren Street
250 Warwick Avenue
251 Waterloo
252 Watford
253 Vauxhall
254 Wembley Central
255 Wembley Park
256 West Acton
257 Westbourne Park
258 West Brompton
259 West Finchley
260 West Ham
261 West Hampstead
262 West Harrow
263 West Kensington
264 Westminster
265 West Ruislip
266 Whitechapel
267 White City
268 Victoria
269 Willesden Green
270 Willesden Junction
271 Wimbledon
272 Wimbledon Park
273 Woodford
274 Wood Green
275 Woodside Park

[editorsfoot]

OK so which list is it, I'm not totally sure how Heathrow Terminals 123 can be before Heathrow Terminal 4. Any English teachers about?

[hwolge]

I'd say mine (the latter) since it's based on the Tube Map Index.

As for the Heathrows, I'd say they sort letters before digits ('s' before '4') for some reason...
Or possibly ignoring the plural 's' and '1' before '4' - new to me, but reasonable...

[hwolge]

OK, guys, I've done 1-10 in sequence, but no more...

[gasman]

I don't think I've ever been to Aldgate East, so I'm currently on 2. Go me!

Oh, and I propose that this challenge be named the Wowbagger Challenge.

[hwolge]

This follows GWR rules - so just being on a train stopping at a LU platform at a station counts...