The Mystery Train to Nowhereville Traditional Cache
Cacheoholic: Another one archived due to apathy resulting from randomly placed meaningless number boosting caches.
The Mystery Train to Nowhereville
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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50 cal. Ammo box hidden near an interesting area on State Game Lands 273. This is one cache in a series of LAGI (Labor day Anti Guardrail Initiative) caches.
I’ve had the Ferrier Run cache in this area for years but just across Yellow Creek there is a piece of Indiana County history almost missing from the books. You can access this area by walking on water as I did to cross Yellow Creek (if the water is low). This cache is one in a series to raise adventurous caching awareness. I’ll tell you like I told you before. There are no nearby guardrails to hug at this cache, so if you’re looking for a relationship with a guardrail or a lamppost this cache isn’t for you. I have left an un-activated geocoin for FTF.
The 1871 Beers Atlas shows the Homer Cherry Tree and Susquehanna Railroad running from Homer City up the Yellow Creek valley to Pine Flats, catching the South Branch of Two Lick Creek then the Cush Cushion Creek and terminating at Cherry Tree. The only problem is this railroad doesn’t exist on the 1900 USGS map. Could the conspirators be correct that the railroad was removed and regraded exactly to the original topography? Why would there be a railroad here in 1871? Coal was barely discovered in Indiana County in 1871. After many hours of internet research almost nothing was found. A quick trip to the Indiana Historical Society yielded the story. Ground was broken for the projected railroad January 31, 1871 at an estimated cost of $13,070 per mile. The anticipated railroad was included on the 1871 Beers Atlas but only a few miles were graded before the railroad was caned due to financial problems.
I initially planed on placing this cache near some impressive structures near N40 34.968 W79 05.827. You will find a concrete bridge that a railroad crossed over a road dated 1915. Also, just less than a hundred feet away you will find a 7’ concrete tunnel running under a road and the railroad also dated 1915. If you look around, you’ll find some old building foundations. I spent several hours exploring this area. The road used to cross Yellow Creek on a covered bridge. The road extended up the valley towards the cache. I fell in love with this location and besides, the initial area would have been too easy.
Oh, what about the 1915 railroad you ask? Seems there were two coal patch town in this valley. One was the Beaver Run min owned by the Appalachian Coal Co. and the other was the MECIO mine. The railroad was built and used to haul coal out of these mines. The railroad grade extends about another .33 miles upstream where it just abruptly ends.
Special thanks to westernPaBilly for divulging this location to me.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pbirerq jvgu ebpxf arkg gb gerr.
Treasures
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