From the 1890s to around 1940, special trains took raw silk from the Vancouver docks to silk mills in New York and New Jersey. A trainload of silk was worth as much as 2.5 million dollars, so these trains carried armed guards. To discourage train robbers, silk trains traveled at very high speeds and rarely stopped at public stations. The less time a trip took, the lower the insurance cost. Another reason for speed was that the silk cocoons had to be kept from spoiling. When a silk train was en-route, it was the dispatcher's job to know where the train was at all times in order to clear the track of any other trains. Silk trains had the right of way over all others, including passenger trains. The coming of the Second World War, the invention of nylon (a silk substitute), and cheaper transportation through the Panama Canal all brought about the end of silk trains. (Source: https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/trains/kids/021007-4030-e.html)
York Region Geocachers Club, in association with Kortright Centre for Conservation, hosts the annual YRGC Weekend Geofest each Spring to introduce the general public to our game along with social and interactive opportunities for veteran geocachers. Included in those opportunities we teamed up to present the Geofest Express where all geocache varieties are available for the finding.
We have expanded out of the park to bring you a series of caches from Bolton to the northern edge of Kortright and on surrounding trails. Based on Canadian railways and passenger trains, the Geofest Express geocaches are made up of both `Park and Grabs` and an additional hiking section. No tickets are required on this historic journey. Get on the track to Geofest! ALL ABOARD!
More information on the Geofest Express and YRGC Weekend Geofest found at York Region Geocachers Club
Congratulations to teamtoronto on FTF!