Can I get further than this?

[EM2]

As a charity challenge, sometime next year, I'm travelling as far as I can by train in 24 hours.
By leaving Plymouth on the 00:20 sleeper, I can at the moment get to York at 00:08 by going:
Plymouth-Paddington-Euston Square-Euston-Manchester Picc-Sheffield-St. Pancras-King's Cross-Edinburgh-Glasgow-Manchester-York, which according to the National Timetable is 1559.5 miles.

I've factored in about two hours of slack, just in case...But does anyone know of any way of getting more miles in?
I know of course that there'll be timetable improvements after Dec, but I'm thinking I might just factor those gains into the slack.

 

[First class]

My rail user group did Penzance-Wick, and was quite easy using a sleeper. FSR even allowed us to ask for donations in the lounge car, but apparently it is quite rare for a TOC to permit that.

I personally, in your case, would go: (monday-friday only).

There is a Plymouth-Wick journey via London that takes 22 hours 57 mins to complete

1600 Plymouth Arr London Pad 1924
tube to Euston
2115 London Eus Arr Inverness 0830 Sleeper- reservations compulsory...
1039 Inverness Arr Wick 1457

(you can actually return the same day too by staying on that Wick service and following the route back).

You will find that will longer than your current journey plan.

 

[rail-britain]

In terms of miles, I would have thought a few return trips between London Kings Cross and Doncaster or York would be possible within 24 hours

In terms of getting as far as possible, without recrossing the same route, then a complete outward from London Kings Cross to Glasgow, then return to London Euston would probably be your best bet

Sadly travelling between Penzance and Wick is no longer possible in the same day, although you can still do the journey within 24 hours

 

[EM2]

Thanks for that.
I must admit, my original post wasn't very clear
It's total number of miles I'm after, and I've restricted myself to not travelling over the same route twice. I'll check that idea from Penzance to Wick though

 

[First class]

Good luck. If using National Rail Enquries, online, make sure you use advance journey options and route via London otherwise you will get a bit stuck!

 

[222001]

As a charity challenge, sometime next year, I'm travelling as far as I can by train in 24 hours.

It's strange that I was thinking of doing something like that for charity the other day!

 

[djw1981]

Thanks for that.
I must admit, my original post wasn't very clear
It's total number of miles I'm after, and I've restricted myself to not travelling over the same route twice. I'll check that idea from Penzance to Wick though

Ah the no doubling back / repeating will be an issue, as we did find it help build miles - see http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17153

 

[rail-britain]

As a charity challenge, sometime next year, I'm travelling as far as I can by train in 24 hours

I did one for National Express a few years ago
National Express supplied all the tickets (standby), the challenge was to visit every destination they had
Myself and a colleague from Stagecoach (who at the time had many contracts with National Express) completed it within 7 days
I would suggest you contact the relevant TOCs and ask if they would be willing to participate

 

[Techniquest]

When you say you visited all of their destinations, does that mean the big places like Leeds, York, Inverness, Aberdeen and that kind of thing, or did you include all the other little places like Wakefield, Retford, Newark, Carrbridge, Carnoustie and Goodness knows how many others?

Always fancied doing something like this, along the lines of travelling over all of FGW's routes on FGW trains only or this 24 hours thing. Never really gotten around to doing it though.

I reckon a good route to try and do in 24 hours would be Fishguard Harbour > Swansea > Newport > Manchester > Glasgow > Inverness > Aberdeen > Edinburgh > Peterborough > Norwich > London > Bristol or something like that. Not timed it or owt, but would be very much a circular tour of some of the best bits of the UK if nowt else!

 

[rail-britain]

When you say you visited all of their destinations, does that mean the big places like Leeds, York, Inverness, Aberdeen and that kind of thing, or did you include all the other little places like Wakefield, Retford, Newark, Carrbridge, Carnoustie and Goodness knows how many others?

It was just the destinations or interchange points, as per the trade timetable

Example
London Victoria to Aberdeen
This then included Glasgow Buchanan, Perth, Dundee, and Aberdeen
Thanks to my contacts at Stagecoach at the time we could then travel on their service to get to Inverness, saving us having to travel all the way back to Perth to get to Inverness
Stagecoach also arranged for us to use Coachlink (as it was then) to get between all the London airports, which at the time were ticket shared

 

[Techniquest]

Ah right, fair play then. Out of interest, how did you prove you had been to the various places?

 

[djw1981]

It was just the destinations or interchange points, as per the trade timetable

Example
London Victoria to Aberdeen
This then included Glasgow Buchanan, Perth, Dundee, and Aberdeen
Thanks to my contacts at Stagecoach at the time we could then travel on their service to get to Inverness, saving us having to travel all the way back to Perth to get to Inverness
Stagecoach also arranged for us to use Coachlink (as it was then) to get between all the London airports, which at the time were ticket shared

Was this the NX buses then? As IIRC you're too young to have worked trains in Glasgow Buchanan St Station

 

[rail-britain]

Ah right, fair play then. Out of interest, how did you prove you had been to the various places?

This was done by the driver taking the ticket copies, we also signed the drivers log sheet, and again at the receiving Bus Station or depot
These were then all matched up the following month as they were received back at Edgbaston
We spent about 3 days doing that
From memory two went missing, but we were able to check and confirm these missing ticket returns as we had completed either side of the journey

Was this the NX buses then? As IIRC you're too young to have worked trains in Glasgow Buchanan St Station

Yes, National Express, whilst I was working at Stagecoach Scotland
It was about 1992 and I was aged 20 at the time
Ended up with photos in both the staff NX and Stagecoach newsletters, raising about £6K for Malawi Trust and Cancer Research
Last time I checked, there were no trains at Buchanan Street Station!

 

[djw1981]

This was my point.. I was thinking that you were too young to have attempted it back in 1960's, when NX was still National Bus Company... and steam still ploughed into what is now Buchanan House and Caledonian Uni.

 

[laseandre]

Ah, not standard gauge.

 

[djw1981]

Ummm I don't get you.....

 

[laseandre]

4 foot gauge Subway trains.

 

[djw1981]

No........ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchanan_Street_railway_station

 

[laseandre]

I know, I've heard of it. I just wanted to see if I could confuse you. Obviously not.

 

[Gizmogle]

Hmmm...in terms of distance, Penzance to Wick is your best bet.

But for miles, I'd suggest something like travelling up and down the mainlines.
Something like Plymouth - London - Edinburgh - London - Sheffield - London - Cardiff - London

That kinda thing. Just using as many different mainlines as you can without going back over.

 

[glynn80]

I looked at not just using UK rail (although using this as the majority of travel) but also European Rail services. Looking on your blog my main target was beating the 2842.5 km (1776 miles) world record, set in 1992 it seems (http://www.search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20080921x1.html). This led me to the following route:

(21.15) Bourg- St.Maurice- London St Pancras (07.16): 907 miles

(08.00) London Kings Cross- Edinburgh Waverley (12:30): 390-14

(12.45) Edinburgh Waverley- Glasgow Queen Steet (13.36): 47-21

(14.10) Glasgow Central- Lancaster (16.09)
(16.29) Lancaster- London Euston (19.25): 401-32

(20.25) London St Pancras- Kettering (21.15): 72-01
OR
(20.00) London Paddington- Chippenham (21.15): 93-71

1838 miles (approx)

My main trouble with mileages was Bourg St.Maurice to London St Pancras, I have no idea which route this train takes through France on the night train and even guessing which route it took I had only approximate mileages from a Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. Does anyone know where you can get accurate European rail mileages? The others are all accurate from the NRT. Also the time from Bourg St. Maurice is UK time (train leaves 22.15 French time).

 

[Techniquest]

Accurate? From the NRT? Riiiiiiiiight...

The NRT mileages are far from correct, you're better off using CORE for UK mileages. Or using Quail maps, the most accurate miles and chains you'll get.

 

[glynn80]

Accurate? From the NRT? Riiiiiiiiight...

The NRT mileages are far from correct, you're better off using CORE for UK mileages. Or using Quail maps, the most accurate miles and chains you'll get.

Hmm I wonder where CORE got his rail mileage data..... NRT PERHAPS!!!?

 

[Techniquest]

Then how did he get the chains?!

 

[glynn80]

I looked at not just using UK rail (although using this as the majority of travel) but also European Rail services. Looking on your blog my main target was beating the 2842.5 km (1776 miles) world record, set in 1992 it seems (http://www.search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20080921x1.html). This led me to the following route:

(21.15) Bourg- St.Maurice- London St Pancras (07.16): 907 miles

(08.00) London Kings Cross- Edinburgh Waverley (12:30): 390-14

(12.45) Edinburgh Waverley- Glasgow Queen Steet (13.36): 47-21

(14.10) Glasgow Central- Lancaster (16.09)
(16.29) Lancaster- London Euston (19.25): 401-32

(20.25) London St Pancras- Kettering (21.15): 72-01
OR
(20.00) London Paddington- Chippenham (21.15): 93-71

1838 miles (approx)

My main trouble with mileages was Bourg St.Maurice to London St Pancras, I have no idea which route this train takes through France on the night train and even guessing which route it took I had only approximate mileages from a Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. Does anyone know where you can get accurate European rail mileages? The others are all accurate from the NRT. Also the time from Bourg St. Maurice is UK time (train leaves 22.15 French time).

Looking a bit more carefully and being pointed in the direction of some French mileages I've made a better guess of the route of the Ski Train to Bourg St Maurice:

London St Pancras- Ashford International (90km)
Ashford International- Calais Frethun (75.22km)
Calais Frethun- Bifurcation de Fretin Ouest (113.2km)
Bifurcation de Fretin Ouest- Bifurcation de Vemars (186.2km)
Bifurcation de Vemars- Bifurcation de Moisenay (68.9km)
Bifurcation de Moisenay- Bif. Raccordement Sud (402.0km)
Bif. Raccordement Sud- Chambéry - Challes les Eaux (84.4km)
Chambéry - Challes les Eaux- St-Pierre d'Albigny (24.7km)
St-Pierre d'Albigny- Bourg St-Maurice (80.2km)

1124.82 km
698.930744 miles
698-74 miles and chains


Meaning the following for overall mileage for the trip
(21.15) Bourg- St.Maurice- London St Pancras (07.16): 698-74

(08.00) London Kings Cross- Edinburgh Waverley (12:30): 390-14

(12.45) Edinburgh Waverley- Glasgow Queen Steet (13.36): 47-21

(14.10) Glasgow Central- Lancaster (16.09)
(16.29) Lancaster- London Euston (19.25): 401-32

(20.25) London St Pancras- Kettering (21.15): 72-01
OR
(20.00) London Paddington- Chippenham (21.15): 93-71

1631-52 miles&chains
1631.65 miles
2 625.88614 kilometers


Thus not enough to beat the world record but still over the 1500+ miles you were hoping for.

 

[EM2]

Yeah, I guessed I could get a lot closer if I went under the water...
And you don't really have a lot of slack to make up any late running