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Last Pole Standing Traditional Cache

Hidden : 11/18/2010
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

This cache is along the rails to trails located in Victoria, Virginia.

Victoria was the halfway point between Roanoke and Norfolk for the Virginian Railroad where the steam engines had to be switched and serviced before continuing to eastern and western points. After the merger with the Norfolk and Western in 1959 the tracks and other associated facilities were removed.

Recently groups of citizens have voluntarily worked to develop the railroad park, including walking trails, which is part of the Southside Virginia Tobacco Heritage Trail system, along the route of the tracks. The trail is limited to non-motorized traffic (not including handicap equipment) and is for use by pedestrians, hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders. Imagine, as you walk along the trail, what it must have been like 50 years ago when coal trains were being moved along the rails.

This is an original telephone pole left from the days when the railroad was built around 1907. There are no “live” electrical connections here now. Communication on the railroad was very important to an efficient operation. Telephone and telegraph, as well as, signals along the tracks were used. Imagine long lines of train cars in the adjacent areas waiting to be taken east to the coal piers and west to the coal mines. Steam engines had to stop here to be serviced and filled with water for steam and coal to fire the boilers.

The posted coordinates are an average of 500 waypoints and should get you to the correct area of the cache. Please bring your own pen, replace the cache as found, and only search for this one during daylight hours.

No spoilers in the logs or gallery please.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gurer fubhyq or rabhtu vasbezngvba ba gur pnpur cntr gb znxr lbh fhpprffshy vs lbh sbphf ba gur pbeerpg jbeqf.

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)