Golden Spike National Historic Site cache Virtual Cache
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Golden Spike National Historic Site cache
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Permission was granted for a virtual cache at this site with the understanding that the only souvenirs removed from this site would be the ones purchased in the gift shop, so let’s make sure we leave a good impression.
The park is open seven days a week from dawn to dusk, but the visitor center’s schedule changes throughout the year. During the summer season, the visitor center is open seven days a week from 9 am until 5:30 pm. The 2002 summer season extends from May 1 through October 20. For the 2002-2003 winter season, the visitor center will be open Wednesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning October 21. The visitor center will also be closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s day. The 2003 summer season will begin on May 1 and extend through the middle of October.
The locomotive season has ended for 2002. The Jupiter will make a 2002 winter appearance on December 27, 28, and 29 during the winter film festival. During the winter season, rangers give engine house tours on the weekends. The fee at this historical site is $7.00 from May 1 thru mid-September when the locomotives are on display. The remainder of the year, the fee is $5.00.
The best time to visit is when the locomotives perform steam demonstrations especially since one of the questions to be answered concerns the locomotives. There is plenty to see whenever the site is open, however, and you can find the answers to the questions in the museum or during an engine house tour.
To get credit for this site you will need to answer the following questions. Send me an e-mail with your answers. Do not post your answers even if they are encrypted. Don't wait for my confirmation to log this cache because I travel on my job and will not be able to access these notes except every other weekend. You will need to visit the park during its hours of operation and pay the entrance fee in order to obtain answers to these questions.
1. When you enter the park you will receive a park pass. What is this
pass a replica of?
2. What are the numbers of the two locomotives? (The name is not
sufficient)
3. Everyone knows that there was a golden spike driven, but there were
actually several spikes. How many spikes were "driven" and what
were they made of?
4. On what date was the completion of the transcontinental railroad
celebrated with the spike driving ceremony?
Now for some trivia. In the picture of the celebration you will see at
least one bottle being displayed. In order not to corrupt our youth,
anything relating to drinking was deleted from the picture in the school
books.
The driving of the spike was scheduled for two days prior to the actual
event. The reason that it was not held on time was because Union Pacific Railroad officials were held for ransom by irate employees who had
not been paid.
The original locomotives that were scheduled to appear at the celebration
were not able to make it. The locomotives that were used were pressed into
service at the last minute. Look at the locomotives that were used and
imagine what the ones that had been planned for this celebration must have
looked like.
The spikes were not driven. Holes were bored into the ties so that they
would not be damaged. The story is that the celebration had started
several days before the official celebration, so there is a question as to
whether anyone could have hit the spikes anyway.
Congress had voted incentives to the railroads for each mile of track that
was laid so when the CP and UP railroads finally came together in Utah they
continued laying track parallel to each other until Congress determined a
location for the two railroads to meet.
Take some time, look around and have a good time.
Additional Hints
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