This is a two stage cache at Heritage Village around the current home of the McBrides (RR spelling, also known as McBride) Depot, formerly on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. Park in the Montcalm Community College lot. The cache is a 2-cup lock-n-lock.
"Photo courtesy of Michigan Railroad History (RRHX), Alan Loftis collection."
Pere Marquette McBrides, Michigan Depot, now at Heritage Village in Sidney, courtesy of RRHX.
Heritage Village at Montcalm Community College:
Heritage Village is available year around during daylight hours for outdoor viewing. The annual Heritage Celebration is held the first Thursday through Saturday each August. There is plenty to see. Please enjoy your visit.
The depot was moved from its original site at McBrides, near GC4B583, about eight miles north-north-east of Heritage Village.
Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad:
The rail line through McBrides was originally incorporated and built as the Ionia, Stanton and Northern Railroad. It was added to the Detriot, Lansing and Lake Michigan Railroad in late 1872. In 1876, the Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad was created to bring the DL&LM out of bankruptcy. The line reached McBrides in 1877-8 and continued north and west. The DL&N, and other lines were reorganized as the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western in 1897. In 1899-1900, the DGR&W, along with other lines, were reorganized by the Pere Marquette Railroad. In 1947, the PM became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The line operated until CSX shut it down between Greenville and Edmore to Elwell in 1988.
Cache:
To claim the smiley for this cache, gather the information necessary to create the coordinates to the final stage. The data you need is posted near or on the depot.
Coordinates to the final location are: N 43 AB.CDE W 085 FG.HIJ
- A = Last digit on the mile post.
- B = Last digit of the year the depot was moved to its current location.
- C = Third digit of the street address of the depot at its original location.
- D = Number of driver wheels on the locomotive (hint: type)
- E = Number of freight cars between the engine/tender and the caboose.
- F = Last digit of the last year the locomotive was run in service.
- G = Last digit of the population of McBrides.
- H = Last digit of the year the locomotive was built.
- I = Sum of the last two digits of the year the caboose was believed to have been built.
- J = Number of the letter in the alphabet of the second letter in the original location of the water tower.
North checksum: A+B+C+D+E = 12
West checksum: F+G+H+I+J = 20
Please be careful to not damage the hide. In its original condition, you will not need to move anything to retrieve the container.
Bonus Questions (all have been answered):
In keeping with the fact that this cache is on the grounds of Montcalm Community College, here is a bonus quiz for extra credit. Answers to the bonus questions are not posted in Heritage Village or in this text, however one question can be answered using evidence at the village if you know what to look for. Wrong answers for the bonus questions have no effect on your logging the find. To answer one or more bonus questions, send an email, beginning with "SWS - McBrides Bonus Questions" via my profile page on Geocaching.com, with your answer(s). Please do not post your answers to the bonus questions in your log or you will spoil the fun. The first person to get each bonus individual question correct will be recognized in the list below.
- Specifically within the town, where did the water tower (the tower, not the tank) come from (describe the location, such as the nearest street intersection or nearby physical features or buildings)?
TJC510 and DirtBikeGranny: The tower was constructed from the top portion of the old wooden water tower for the Village of Sheridan that stood at the corner of Lake Street and Veterans Lane on the northeast side of Pearl Lake.
- What key component(s) is/are the locomotive missing that would prevent it from being moved under its own power if it were successfully fired up?
TJC510 and DirtBikeGranny: The drive rods that connected the drive wheels with the steam cylinders have been removed. Steam pushed the pistons back and forth in the cylinders on the sides of the locomotive. The rods turned the drive wheels. Valve gear moved the steam inlet back and forth so steam could push the pistons in both directions.
- What was the starting point (name used by the railroad) of the branch line that went through McBrides when it was built in 1872?
TJC510 and DirtBikeGranny: This branch started at a point known as both Haynor and Stanton Junction northeast of Ionia, northwest of the intersection of Haynor Rd and Dildine Road.
- What was the business objective (where was the target termination point) for the Stanton Line (IS&N) when it was incorporated into the DL&N?.
There were a couple of incorrect guesses. The original objective was to reach the small settlement of Chippewa on the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad. Chippewa was located about two miles east of M-66 and one mile south of US-10 in southeastern Osceola County.
- Where did this particular branch line actually terminate when it was completed ( ~1880)?
TJC510 and DirtBikeGranny: The line actually terminated in Big Rapids on the east bank of the Muskegon River. When the Pere Marquette Railroad was formed, it was joined with the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad branch from Berry Junction, just north of Muskegon, to Big Rapids.
- When the railroad came to McBrides, what other area community was most affected and how (according to legend).
grizz-rider: Westville. The villages of Westville and McBrides were both trying to attract the railroad to build through their community. When McBrides was chosen, Westville started a long decline. Today, it is nothing more than a collection of homes and a roofing business. Westville was on M-66 at Coral Road, 4 1/2 miles north of Stanton.
- Where was the original location of Mile Post 241 , including the railroad?
grizz-rider: The milepost marker was on the Pennsylvania Railroad, formerly the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad , between Comstock Park (MP 239.4) and Belmont (MP 243.7). The mileposts indicated distance north of Richmond, Indiana.
Sources:
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