GC18BA2 Sunset Railway #1 (Traditional Cache) in California, United States created by 795 pair

This cache has been archived.

Marko Ramius: The cache owner is not responding to issues with this geocache, so I must regretfully archive it.

Please note that if geocaches are archived by a reviewer or Geocaching HQ for lack of maintenance, they are not eligible for unarchival.

Thank you for your understanding.

Marko Ramius
Volunteer Cache Reviewer

GC18BA2 ▼

A cache by 795 pair Message this owner

Hidden : 1/1/2008

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

This series of caches is dedicated to the Sunset Railway and to those who worked it. The Sunset line was instrumental in developing the oil industry in western Kern County.

This cache location was chosen because of it being situated at the bottom of the “V” of the railway. The cache is NOT on top of the old abandoned automobile bridge, but from up there you get a great view of the line coming down from Bakersfield and turning back north to Taft. BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU WALK OVER THE BRIDGE AS THERE ARE OPEN SECTIONS. This cache is a micro with a log only, bring a pen. If all you want is the cache then that’s it, have fun. If you are interested in a brief description of the Sunset line, then read on…

The Sunset Railway was built in the late 19th century primarily for petroleum transportation for the booming oilfields of western Kern County. The railway was owned and operated jointly by Southern Pacific Railroad and Santa Fe Railroad until they ceased operations in the area in 1996. Sunset Railway was then taken over by San Joaquin Valley Railroad.

The Sunset line begins at Gosford Station (Gosford Rd. and Pacheco Rd) and heads south towards Maricopa. The line then turns northwest and travels through Taft and then west to Fellows. The line ran through Gardner Field, a WWII U.S. Army Air Base.

The Sunset line currently ends at “Levee Station”, near Southlake Road where it is still used today. The line south of that has been abandoned and removed. Although the rails and ties have been removed, the old line is still easy to spot in the flatlands near Maricopa. A bike path is now in place where the line once ran through the industrial section of Taft. The bike/jogging path is a 1.25-mile paved trail and was built as part of the Rails to Trails program. Spotting the old line west of Taft is a little trickier. Most of the cuts through the hills have been converted to oilfield access roads or pipeline rights-of-way. Using Google satellite imagery you can still see where most of the line once ran.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Fnl ab gb penpx, hayrff lbh ner ybbxvat sbe n pnpur.

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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Sunset Railway #1 Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

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