About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website.
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The Station
Mansfield is a former railway station in Mansfield, Victoria. The former station building now serves tourists to the community as a visitor centre.
The station is of a traditional timber design, and features many original fixtures including pressed metal interior walls, original doors and timber panelling and a full length signal bay window. Original light fittings are also in place inside the station building.
Additional structures on site include a large goods shed, bearing a warning notice "DANGER - UNSTABLE STRUCTURE - DO NOT ENTER". A crane is also located in what was the goods yard on the Mansfield goods platform. The station is the terminus of the former Tallarook - Yea - Mansfield Line.
The Mansfield train service ran its last service in 1978, with a Walker Rail Motor on stretches of track that in parts had 15 mph speed restrictions due to lack of track maintenance by the then state government owned Victorian Railways. Goods and freight services continued on the line until six months later, when they were also discontinued.
The rail was dismantled ten years later, and part of the former rail reserve has been used in road and highway re-alignments. The whole of the line from Tallarook to Mansfield has been developed into the Great Victorian Rail Trail, a crushed gravel walking, bicycle and equestrian path. There is no anticipated return of rail services to Mansfield.
The Geocache
At the Water Tower (initial coordinates) find:
A = How many verticle posts hold the water tower in the air?
At the Rail Trail Notes Board (WP2) find:
B = 184B: Runs/large leases, merino wool, sheep. Alexandra and Mansfield districts settled.
C = "you arrive at Bonnie Doon and the C87m bridge over the lake."
D = "historic Cheviot Tunnel. Built in 189D to cut through the gap,"
E = The first train arrived at 2pm Tuesday 6th October 1891, it was E5 minutes late.
F = Kanumbra Station was at an elevation of 26Fm.
The final prize can be found at:
S37 03.BCD E146° 05.BEF
Checksums: S25, E25
The Mansfield Heritage Museum are aware of this geocache placement and are only too happy to share their knowledge of the past and present wonders of this area. The museum is free to visit (donations gratefully accepted) and is generally open from 10 am to 3 pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The grounds are open all hours.