Chronoyster

After (almost) completing my Labyrinth Challenge in 2016, I've been trying to come up with a new "gimmick" for 2017. Inspired by the recent 154th anniversary of the Underground, I've decided I'm going to visit every station in chronological order according to when they first opened, or more accurately when they first saw trains in the service of what we would now recognise as the Underground.

I know what you thinking, that guy has already done that as a pub crawl (I know, Sam Cullen,
https://innsidetrack.wordpress.com), but what difference should that make? I'm also thinking of expanding it slightly by also including stations that are still open that were once, but are no longer, Underground stations. The former East London Line, which is now part of Overground, for instance.

Having done the Labyrinth Challenge, I can now say that I have either stepped onto or stepped off of (often both) a train at all 270 Underground stations. But often, if the Labyrinth was on the platform or anywhere else inside the ticket barriers, I didn't actually see much of the station. Even if the Labyrinth was in the ticket hall, so I had to exit the barriers and re-enter, I didn't leave the station property, except when I had to walk or catch a bus to the next one. So, this time, I'm going to take my time, leave the station and have a proper look around.

I'm going to buy a new Oyster card, which I will use only for this project, which I will call the "Chronoyster". When I request a journey history, that will be the log of my travels.

So I start with my first 7 stations, by going back to 10 January 1863...

Alphabet challenge

On Saturday, I did the Alphabet Challenge (http://www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubechallenge/alphatop.htm). This involves starting at a station with a name starting with A, then going to one starting with B and so on. There are no stations starting with J, X, Y or Z. They must also be visited in order - if you pass through a C on your way from A to B, it doesn't count and you have to visit that C (or another) after the B.

Start at ALDGATE
Circle to Liverpool Street, dep. 10:01:34, arr. 10:02:55
Central, via BANK & CHANCERY LANE to Bond Street, dep. 10:06:49, arr. 10:18:00
Jubilee to DOLLIS HILL, dep. 10:20:28, arr. 10:36:04
Jubilee to Finchley Road, dep. 10:38:37, arr. 10:45:31
Metropolitan, via EUSTON SQUARE to FARRINGDON, dep. 10:46:21, arr. 11:02:37
Metropolitan, via GREAT PORTLAND STREET & HARROW-ON-THE-HILL to ICKENHAM, dep. 11:03:33, arr. 11:49:43
Metropolitan to KINGS CROSS ST. PANCRAS, dep. 11:52:04, arr. 12:35:27
Piccadilly to LEICESTER SQUARE, dep. 12:38:27, arr. 12:44:32
Northern to Tottenham Court Road, dep. 12:46:28, arr. 12:47:23
Central, via MARBLE ARCH to NOTTING HILL GATE, dep. 12:49:39, arr. 13:00:11
Central to OXFORD CIRCUS, dep. 13:04:27, arr. 13:12:42
Bakerloo, via PADDINGTON to QUEEN'S PARK, dep. 13:14:27, arr. 13:30:44
Bakerloo, via REGENT'S PARK to Oxford Circus, dep. 13:33:14, arr. 13:48:11
Central, via ST. PAUL'S to Bank, dep. 13:50:54, arr. 14:17:11
Transfer to Monument
District, via TOWER HILL to UPTON PARK, dep. 14:22:28, arr. 14:43:49
Special Circle to VICTORIA, dep. 14:45:40, arr. 15:18:43
District to WESTMINSTER, dep. 15:19:49, arr. 15:22:55

Elapsed time = 5:21:21

The big delay was being held behind a broken down train on the eastbound Central line. Oxford Circus to Bank took 26 minutes compared to the 9 minutes in the timetable.

Labyrinth Challenge - 236 to 270

236. Gloucester Road

237. High Street Kensington

238. Bayswater

239. Edgware Road (District / Circle / Hammersmith & City)

240. Paddington (Circle / Hammersmith & City)

241. Royal Oak

242. Westbourne Park

243. Ladbroke Grove

244. Latimer Road

245. Wood Lane

246. Shepherd's Bush Market

247. Goldhawk Road

248. Hammersmith (Circle / Hammersmith & City)

249. Hammersmith (District / Piccadilly)

250. Barons Court

251. West Kensington

252. Ravenscourt Park

253. Stamford Brook

254. Turnham Green

255. Gunnersbury

256. Kew Gardens

257. Richmond

258. Chiswick Park

259. Acton Town

260. South Ealing

261. Northfields

262. Boston Manor

263. Osterley

264. Hounslow East

265. Hounslow Central

266. Hounslow West

267. Hatton Cross

268. Heathrow Terminal 4

269. Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 & 3

270. Heathrow Terminal 5

Restart (at South Kensington) : 08:20:41, Monday 31 October 2016
Finish : 13:02:25
Elapsed time : 4 hr 41 min 44 sec
Total challenge time : 39 hr 36 min 23 sec

Distance travelled on the Undersground : 47.64 km
Total Underground challenge distance : 407.23 km

Labyrinth Challenge - 202 to 235

202. Farringdon

203. Barbican has been removed during station improvement
204. Moorgate has been removed during station improvement
205. Old Street

206. Angel

207. Kentish Town

208. Tufnell Park

209. Archway

210. Highgate

211. East Finchley

212. Finchley Central

213. Mill Hill East

214. West Finchley

215. Woodside Park

216. Totteridge & Whetstone

217. High Barnet

218. Cockfosters

219. Oakwood

220. Southgate

221. Arnos Grove

222. Bounds Green

223. Wood Green

224. Turnpike Lane

225. Manor House

226. Arsenal

227. Holloway Road

228. Caledonian Road

229. Russell Square

230. Covent Garden

231. Leicester Square

232. Green Park

233. Hyde Park Corner

234. Knightsbridge

235. South Kensington

Restart (at Euston Square) : 08:56:49, Monday 24 October 2016
Finish : 14:05:52
Elapsed time : 5 hr 9 min 3 sec
Total challenge time so far : 34 hr 54 min 39 sec

Distance travelled on the Underground : 50.06 km
Total challenge Underground distance so far : 359.59 km