[CRSV]#2 [RCL]#2 Melb to Adelaide, Gheringhap Loop Traditional Cache
Hidden : 1/28/2008
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Team_Ninja's 9th cache is located at Gheringhap Loop, a crossing loop used by trains travelling between Melbourne and Adelaide. It is the second cache in this series. It is also the second cache in the 'Closed Railway Stations of Victoria' series.

A short history of Victoria's railways: In the Victoria the broad gauge (which is the current guage for most of the railways in Victoria) dominated for more than 100 years before the standard gauge was built into Melbourne completing the connection to Sydney. Adelaide's standard gauge connection to Melbourne waited until the mid-90's to eventuate. Once re-gauging began it was completed quickly. The line was re-gauged across Victoria in quick time via Geelong, Ararat and the old border terminal of Dimboola. After months of preparation rail traffic stopped for only two weeks while the rail was re-laid.

Gheringhap Loop is the third crossing loop (now the third after the closure of Tottenham Loop just outside the city on July 08) on the railway from Melbourne. It is adjacent to the current broad guage line to Ballarat. At the other end of the loop the line becomes dual guage (1 track, 2 guages). Just past the end of the loop where the cache is located the standard guage line goes to the laft to Ararat and the broad guage line goes to the right to Ballarat. Trains pass here about every 2-3 hours. The loop is where the single track to Adelaide splits into 2 tracks for a distance of about 1.5 kms. 1 train will pull into the loop, another train will pass or overtake, then it will leave. The best day to see trains would be a Thursday, in the morning.
The cache is also the second in the series 'Closed Railway Stations of Victoria'. Gheringhap Station opened in 1913 and closed to passenger service around 1990. The line was converted to standard guage in 1995 however the station remained and standard guage trains had a 30km/h speed restriction around the station. The station building was demolished around 2002 and the line re-aligned over the former site of the station. Not much remains of the former station now.

A goods train passes the site of the former station.

***CACHE INFORMATION - PLEASE READ BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS CACHE***
The cache is hidden beside some tennis courts, so please be wary of muggles when retrieving and replacing the cache. Keep an eye on the Geokids as the railway line nearby is still used quite a lot. Please stay away from the tracks.
If you have a camera bring it along when you find this cache and if a train goes past get a picture of it and post it on here.
For those who didn't get to see a train at the loop, there is a video here which shows SP2 steel train at Gheringhap Loop:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=2bVdObbpg48&feature=channel_page

Have fun!!!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Haqre n ohfu

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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