The Train:
In 1886, the predecessor to the Great Northern Railway, the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba, reached Minot, North Dakota. The city was named for Henry D. Minot, a railroad associate of James J. Hill. The city seemingly materialized from thin air on the prairies, as if by magic, and thus the city's namesake, the Magic City, was coined.
Amtrak Empire Builder at Tagus, North Dakota; photo by author.
Trainmen of the day, when the train reached Minot (then the end of track), would call out: "Minot, this is Minot, North Dakota, prepare to meet your doom!" Hill had a nickname called "Empire Builder," because he built the empire of the north, later called the Great Northern Railway. The GN in later years featured a crack passenger train by the same name. It featured the finest luxury that could be had on the streamliner in its day. It was one of a few passenger trains to feature a full-length "Great Dome" lounge car as well as standard dome cars from which to enjoy the incomparable scenery. It made its maiden run in 1929, and ran under its original name under Great Northern (until 1970), Burlington Northern (until 1971), and currently Amtrak.
Amtrak Empire Builder at Two Medicine, Montana; photo by author.
Today, riders on Amtrak's Empire Builder can savor the same incredible scenery that riders 60 or more years ago would enjoy, from high-level Superliner cars.
Amtrak Empire Builder at Gassman Coulee, west of Minot, North Dakota; photo by author.
The cache:
The cache is easy to access from brief train stops, but due to Groundspeak rules, the final is a short distance away, off of railroad property.
To find this cache, go to the icon's coordinates and count the upper number of windows there are in the south side of the station. Count only the windows directly under the gables (second level). There is no need to go on the north side of the station. Calculate the final from the number of windows = (A).
The cache is listed at terrain 1, as it is handicap accessible, but wheelchair riders may find the road between the station and the final is rough.
No photos are necessary, but are welcome! Please feel free to share photos from along the route as well!
The final can be found at: N 48° 14.(A + 061) W 101° 18. (A+ 049)
Happy hunting!
Again, there is no need to approach railroad tracks to find this cache. Please use the public railroad crossing to pass from the station to the final.
Note for Amtrak travelers: The timetable stop here is usually at least 20 minutes. Please check the current timetable for the most up-to-date arrival/departure information. Typical stops are around 20 minutes in length, but can be longer. The current Empire Builder information can be found here:
https://www.amtrak.com/empire-builder-train