Sidetracked at Collingham Traditional Cache
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Sidetracked at Collingham
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A cache located near the small village railway station in Collingham
A nano cache located just outside the railway station in Collingham. The station can be busy at train times and some stealth may be required.
History of the line
The Midland Railway opened its line between Nottingham and Lincoln on Tuesday 4th August 1846. Royal assent had been given in June 1845, and by the following month, the route had been staked out. The engineers were Robert Stephenson and Frederick Swanwick.
The first train along the whole line was reported by the Nottingham Journal to have happened on Wednesday 1st July, but the first passenger train, albeit a special, was run on 3rd August when a 20 carriage train pulled by two engines travelled over the line, starting at Derby. Passengers included the Mayors of Derby and Nottingham, George Hudson (the famous York railway pioneer) and other directors of the Midland Railway. At Nottingham, gates blocking the Lincoln line were thrown open, and the train progressed, to the music of the band of the 4th Dragoon Guards. On arrival at Lincoln, (which newspaper reports of the time suggested was in just over 2 hours, meaning that the train would have travelled at over 60mph, which seems unlikely!) church bells throughout the city were rung, and shops were closed for an official holiday.
First services consisted of four trains each way on weekdays, and two on Sundays, but Bradshaw's January 1847 timetable shows six trains each way, with three on Sundays.
Royal Mail was carried over the line almost immediately, with a stop at Collingham being added in October 1848.
It is also known that there was a considerable fruit and vegetable trade carried on via sidings in Collingham Station Yard although it seems likely that this dried up early in the 1900s.
Over the last few years, services through Collingham were operated by Central Trains and were gradually run down, leading to a fall in passenger numbers, with only seven trains per weekday in 2005. However, Central Trains were forced to reconsider after they were heavily criticised at a public meeting in the village. In the Summer 2006 timetable there were 13 trains each weekday, and after East Midlands Trains took over, this increased to 19 a day, with annual usage has increased to over 30,000 a year, having been down to 22,000 in 2005.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
orgjrra guvegl naq fvkgl
Treasures
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