Gentlemen,
Thank you so much for the most excellent and very useful information.
Some of the fare & journey calculations seem to have changed perhaps
for the better or worse ? Expanding on what Mizter T said about
changing at Willesden J and touching out and then in again. Well, in
the past I have touched out and then back in again in quick
succession, at several different stations and this has not registered
on my card, e.g. last year I travelled from Camden Road - Stratford
( via LO) , touched out at Stratford for less than 5 minutes, met a
friend, touched in again and we both continued on to Mile End.
Inspection of my Oyster usage showed that I was charged for Camden
Road - Mile End journey, with no reference to Stratford. Hence, on
Saturday's journey I thought perhaps such quick touching out and back
in to try to force a z2-6 cap ( at both Willesden J and Stratford)
would not count as a journey. I have read other examples where
passengers have quickly got out of a station to pick up some dry
cleaning or shopping, touched back in again within a space of 0-15
mins and not been charged for this break of journey nor has this break
been registered /noted on their Oyster usage. On Saturday my
assumptions of past experiences were wrong. Touching out and back in
at Stratford ( I was outside Stratford for less than 2 mins) did now
register as a journey as would have doing the same at WJ.
Consequently, I was charged a separate Stratford - Camden Rd fare,
which on last years experience I may have not been charged. Also last
year Willesden Junction - Stratford was priced as a via Z1 fare. I
think there was a lot of debate over this and other NLL/WLL//LO
oyster pricing of fares in another forum. ( courtesy of Yorkie(?) )
Mizter T. I caught the 12.17 from SB to WJ and had a 2 min wait at
WJ for the 12.29 train to Stratford. I think I may have been cutting
it short if I attempted touching out and then back in again !
Just as a footnote. Just after Xmas I was wrongly charged for a South
Ruislip - Clapham Junction ( via Central line and changing at
Shepherd's Bush onto LO to CJ). I was charged double the fare but was
recently reimbursed. Customer services staff explained to me that
there had been some gating problems at Shepherd's Bush ( LO ) which
have now been resolved.

thanks in advance
:-)