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Watson's Crossing Halt Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

nrturneruk: Clearly this cache has gone missing and unfortunately I don't have the time to look after it. I'm archiving it.

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Hidden : 2/26/2012
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

You are looking for a small plastic box, large enough to hold some swaps, hidden away at the site of an old railway station.

This is the third cache that I've placed, and the first that isn't one of those sneaky nanos, since the larger ones are more fun in my opinion. Plus, I've even provided a pen, as I'm always forgetful and frequently forget to bring a pen with me when I go Geocaching myself. Doh!

When replacing the cache, make sure it isn't easily visible, to avoid it being muggled. Inside the cache is a gamecard for an unrelated game - please don't remove it.

A bit of history: It's maybe hard to believe, but in the early part of the 20th Century, there was a small railway station here, called Watson's Crossing Halt. It was a short-lived station, opening in 1907 but closing in the 1929, along with the rest of the stations on this railway line.

The railway line was known as the Rishworth Branch - it left the main line (now the Caldervale Line) by Sowerby Bridge station, and followed the Ryburn Valley up to Rishworth. It was double-tracked, with the intention of it becoming a main line - a tunnel under Blackstone Edge to Littleborough was proposed, which would have provided a quicker alternative to the current line via Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, but this was never built.

The line was first opened as far as Ripponden in 1878, and onwards to Rishworth three years later in 1881. However, the line struggled to compete with trams and in 1907 a railmotor - an integrated steam engine and passenger carriage, and pre-cursor to the multiple units that regularly run through Calderdale nowadays - was introduced. This also saw a new halt here on Watson Mill Lane. It was barely a station - there weren't even any raised platforms. Instead, the railmotor had some retractable steps to allow passengers to board from ground level.

Alas, the whole line closed to passengers in 1929, just after the 1923 grouping that saw the myriad of railway companies grouped into 4 big companies. And in 1958, all goods traffic ceased and the line was closed by British Railways.

You can join the trackbed to the west of here and walk along it all the way to Rishworth, but the section towards Sowerby Bridge was mostly in a tunnel, called Scarr Head Tunnel, which has been bricked up and the portals are now on private land.

The cache itself is located close to where the station once stood. More information about the station is available here and here.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Oruvaq gur qel fgbar jnyy, arne gur ebnq fvtaf. Lbh pna ernpu vg sebz gur ebnq.

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)