The Railroad Used to Run Here?! #2 Traditional Geocache

This cache has been archived.

Wis Kid: No response from owner. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.

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Hidden : 6/23/2014
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

The bike trail runs along the old rail roadbed, but stand at GZ and look to your North and you'll see something very old that still stands as proof that another train track also CROSSED the bike trail tracks here as well!
You will be able to safely find the cache hanging off part of the object, about knee high.

My "The Railroad Used to Run HERE?!" series of geocaches comes from my fascination with discovering relics of old railroad activity, especially in areas you wouldn't normally recognize them as such.

Look at the backyard to the South.  Can you see the curve of the old rail roadbed in their backyard grass?  Isn't that cool?! (I wonder if the people who live there ever think about the railroad when they mow their lawn...)
Can you visualize how the tracks continued from the South heading North?

Look at the bottom of this Description page for a detailed old map of the railroad tracks that ran though Port Washington. What amazes me is that they crossed here and ran Northeast RIGHT DOWNTOWN PORT WASHINGTON! Right along what is the South sidewalk of HWY 33 today! And they continued up to the marina as you can see on the map. I would love to see photos or find evidence of those tracks but I haven't managed to find anything yet. (But if you have anything, please send it to me.)

Bonus Waypoint: There is still a visible raised railroad track roadbed pointing right to downtown you can visit at N 43 23.221 W 87 52.309. It is exactly where the old railroad map below shows the tracks heading into downtown.
Footnote: This is actually the location of my ill-fated cache "The Railroad Used to Run HERE?! #1", but I couldn't get an acceptable location approved for a cache anywhere near it.

After this cache, follow the path of the tracks about 1/4 mi South where my GC56XXN "The Railroad Used to Run HERE?! #3 Wooden Trestles" cache is located.

Please reattach the cache the same way you found it.

Parking

Parking is available close by in a gravel parking lot to the East, just past the public restrooms and fish cleaning station.

SAFETY WARNING:; The cache is at bike trail elevation - THERE IS NO NEED TO GO DOWN NEAR THE RIVER LEVEL.  This cache is near the top of a steep stone wall with NO FENCE.  Be mindful of the edge so you don't fall off!  Not a good cache for kids to run loose on.

Click for Full Size Map!

History of This Railroad
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company was an interurban railroad operating from 1890 until the 1950's, with primarily passenger traffic on streetcars (sort of like a large trolley), although it also carried some freight including its own switching operations at the Port Washington and Lakeside power plants.  The new "Coal Dock Park" immediately North of the power plant today, is where a small railroad yard used to serve the power plant.  Electric locomotives continued operating at the power plants until the early 1970s.

 

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Hfr gur byq envyebnq znc vzntr ba gur Qrfpevcgvba cntr gb thvqr lbh jurer gur genva genpxf hfrq gb pebff gur evire. Gur pnpur vf xarr-uvtu, unatvat ba n ohfu, uvqvat oruvaq n guvpx fbyvq fgehpgher.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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