In my several years of seeking containers in the woods, I have come across many active railroad tracks. I'm sure many of you have too... But, we all need to be exceptionally wary of the dangerous (and unstoppable) vehicle that can arrive much quicker than you think! According to the Federal Railroad Administration (part of the US Dept of Transportation), between 1981-2016, the United States experienced 154,540 train collisions, which have led to 59,515 injuries and 16,605 deaths. That's an AVERAGE OF 475 DEATHS PER YEAR!!!
From my research on Douglas Jenkins, I found that he was just 19-years young when he died while jogging along the railroad tracks on August 4, 1999. Apparently, he was wearing headphones during his late afternoon run - and became further distracted by a commuter rail that passed by just before he was struck by a single-car freight train that was heading in the other direction. He must have thought the danger had passed with the first train - only to be hit by the second train immediately afterward. The accident was reported to have happened directly below this Howe Street bridge, which is likely why this spot was chosen for the memorial stone.
This hide is not intended to be difficult. It is a simple, traditional magnetic hide located as close as allowable to Doug's memorial. Due to geocaching placement rules, I could not place this within 150 feet of the bridge, the tracks or, consequently, the memorial. So, it is located just a short walk down the pavement. Please remember to bring your own writing tool.
I hope to meet you all out on the trails one day... So, please be careful out there - and "Stay Off The Tracks!!!"
Congratulations to ktom413 for the EXTREMELY quick FTF! She must have taken the train to get there!