Sidetracked - Thurstaston Traditional Cache
This cache has been locked, but it is available for viewing.
Sidetracked - Thurstaston
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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Thurstaston Railway Station really has been sidetracked – it closed
over half a century ago!
On October 1st 1866, a joint venture between the Great Western
Railway and London and North Western Railway opened a single track
branch line from its main line at Hooton going as far up the Wirral
as Parkgate. Twenty years later on April 19, 1886 saw the opening
of the extended line as far as West Kirby, with Thurstaston Station
being one of the new stops. It was a busy station taking passengers
down for connections at Hooton, as well as to the nearby town of
West Kirby.
During the Second World War heavy anti-aircraft emplacements were
built adjacent to the station and the line used to transport
munitions. Passenger numbers dropped after the war and the station
closed in 1st February 1954, although the line itself remained open
to passengers for another two years. On 25th February 1957, this
location was the site of a train crash, when two early morning
trains collided head-on. Thankfully there were no fatalities. The
line continued to be used for freight movements and driver training
on new DMU units until its complete closure on 7th May 1962. For
more information on this station, including photographs, tickets
and timetables, see
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/t/thurstaston/index.shtml.
A decade later the tracks were removed and the line was converted
into Britain’s first country park (
Wirral Country Park ). The station buildings
have all disappeared, but the platforms still exist, although
the one on the Hooton side is quite overgrown.
The cache is s short distance up the line towards West Kirby just
beyond the end of the platforms. Please look all around for muggles
as this is a very popular walking area and they can appear from
either direction. Afterwards, ensure the cache is totally covered
so as not to be seen by passers-by.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Urnq urvtug va vil, ol pbeare bs gur oevpxf ba oevqtr, bar sbbg sebz pbapergr cbfg