Toll Houses Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache is a kind of companion cache to bikerbuddy's cache, Milestones (GC5ENE1), which starts in Parramatta. Bikerbuddy and I hid the original Milestones and this cache under a joint account, L_V_K. But with Milestones needing to be replaced and relisted, we decided to acknowledge our ownership of them, and list one under each account.
The sign which is the first waypoint for Milestones mentions five toll houses that once stood between Parramatta and Penrith in the nineteenth century. None of those toll house have survived to the current day. The only two nineteenth century tollhouses which have survived exist in Windsor, the beginning of this cache, and in Mt Victoria.
The purpose of this cache is to take you to see these two historic toll houses.
The toll house in Windsor has a sign to explain some of the history of the toll house. As of May 2016, the sign has been removed from the site. To enable this cache to remain active, I have uploaded a photo of the sign. You will need to get some information from this photo. The toll house still needs to be visited, there are other questions which cannot be answered from the sign.
The Windsor toll house is not the original toll house, despite its age. The original premises collapsed during a flood, and it was later rebuilt on sandstone foundations. The three sided bay window in front was designed to observe the road from both directions. Early charges for a four-wheeled carriage with two horses, was four shillings.
The Mt Victoria toll house is the original. Coaches were charged according to how well sprung they were. A heavy coach without springs travelled free because it was believed that it helped to crush the stones and smooth the road. Lighter coaches with springs were charged one shilling and six pence. A cynical modern mind might also suppose that well-sprung coaches were owned by richer travellers.
The Mt Victoria tollhouse is of special significance. It is the second oldest building in the Blue Mountains. Only Woodford Academy is older.
TO FIND THIS CACHE
The cache is located at S 33 AB.HIN, S150 G.CDP
The coordinates for this cache will take you to the sign at the Windsor Tollhouse. The sign tells us that this toll house was first erected in 18AB.
AB=
Road tolls were collected at South Creek on the Windsor Road from 1802 – 188C
C=
Conservation works were carried out in 199D
D=
Count the number of metal air grills around the toll house, both high and low. This number = E
E=
Count the number of windows in the toll house. This number = F
G=E+F
AT THE MT VICTORIA TOLL HOUSE
There is a metal plaque above the door of the toll house. The last line of the plaque contains two dates. The second date is 18HI
HI=
There is also a sandstone plaque above the metal plaque. It has a date upon it, JKLM
N=L-J
P=K/L
I hope you enjoy the cache. Good luck!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)