Alfred A Hart 174 Railroad below Cisco Mystery Cache
Hidden : 2/16/2014
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
4 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

Historic location above Interstate 80

Cache is not at the above coordinates.

Solve the clues below to get the correct ones.

California wasn't Alfred A Hart's home state, but he spent many years here photographing the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. In 1863 he became their official photographer. As different sections were being worked on, he documented the progress. Hart was allowed to stop the train at spots along the way that he thought would make a good picture. His normal equipment included a portable darkroom in a wagon, which was loaded on a flat car. Because wet-plate photography required preparing the glass plates just before using them, and processing them immediately afterward, the trains might be stopped for an hour or more for each photograph. Getting the right exposure was always difficult, since it depended on how the chemicals were mixed and the temperature. After exposing them, Hart would take the plates into his portable darkroom and develop them. By this method, he could tell whether they were good, or needed to be shot again. July in California can be quite hot, and sitting in a blacked-out wagon wasn't always pleasant. Chemicals often had to be prepared several times a day, after they went bad in the heat. Cameras of his day were heavy, bulky, fragile and difficult to use, but Hart managed to climb on top of the trains, or up a cliff to get the shot he wanted. Construction crews would sometimes be included in the photos, but would have to remain motionless for up to a minute while the picture was taken. Eventually, the tracks were laid all the way to Donner Summit, and Hart was there each mile of the way. In 1867, the 1659 foot long Summit Tunnel was completed, and trains could then continue into Nevada and points east.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



Attributes

No attributes available

Advertising with Us