Walker Electric Truck (Canterbury) Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

justmeg: I don't really want to archive this cache as I love puzzle (yep I'm biased, its MINE lol) but the cache keeps disappearing even though I had permission from the landowner for the placement. I think it's their visitors who are moving it but as it keeps going I'm archiving. Thanks to the previous finders.

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Hidden : 4/26/2014
Difficulty:
4.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Only go to the listed co-ordinates if you like truck spotting. To find the cache please solve the puzzle below.

Walker Electric Truck
Christchurch is lucky to have one of the most prized examples of motoring heritage in New Zealand, the Walker half-ton electric truck which was owned by the Christchurch Electricity Network Company.
The custodian, a systems engineer, says the truck was imported in 1918 and that “it comes out for the Veteran Car Club of New Zealand’s annual display of historic pre-1919 vehicles held in Worcester Boulevard. Some 50 veteran vehicles are on display but the Walker truck always seems to attract a lot of attention. Sometimes it comes out for the Sustainability Expo too.

Manufactured in Chicago in 1918, the half-ton truck was engineered to reach a top speed of 14mph (22kph) and had an “optimistic” range of 40 miles(65km). The range would have varied depending on load and road conditions.

Being electric, the truck had a bank of batteries that sat in the middle of the truck halfway between the front and rear axles. The motor was located in the differential and the drive gears were in the wheels. Driving was a cinch, the wheel plus lever plus lever combination made pedals use necessary for braking when you wanted to stop. Such simple controls: a large steering wheel, with the driver positioned high over the front wheels; two brake pedals either side of the steering wheel; and a lever speed control. Reverse is engaged by another foot lever. Oh to have that simplicity today, although the direct steering of this vehicle makes driving it hard work, even though it sits on solid rubber tyres and has a leaf-spring suspension.

With no gears, no clutch and simple stop go operation, electric vehicles were popular with companies such as Beaths, grocery companies Tucks, Kincaids, Frank A. Cook and Wardells, as well as dairy companies, bakers and butchers.
The Christchurch fleet of electric vehicles were charged up overnight at the Christchurch City Council’s Municipal Electricity Department garage on Manchester Street, and numbered around 200 vehicles at their peak (according to article in the Christchurch Star from 1976). A picture with that article showed 50 electric vehicles gathered at the Bealey Ave Harper Ave intersection.

Today the truck has had parts refurbished and has a collection of detailed technical drawings of the parts that were made and refurbished. It also has some of the original documentation about the care of the batteries and the risks in working with electricity.
The custodian says the truck will be staying in Canterbury, that "it will never be sold". Hopefully you can catch it at the next veteran car club display!

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The cache is at
S43 (VD + E). SLH-RDV
E172 (VD +E)+W. PAE


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Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Svaq gur chmmyr Fbyir gur chmmyr Fhofgvghgr gur yrggre inyhrf gb svaq gur pb-beqvangrf

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)


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