SideTracked - Southease
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. More Information can be found here
The cache, a camo-taped preform tube, is hidden on the South Downs Way near this unmanned station in the beautiful Ouse valley. It was hidden in recognition of a previous cache at this location, Red Ranger's GC5JR8P SideTracked - Southease which was hidden on 1/1/2015 and archived on 17/7/23 after some 233 finds and 7 FPs.
To find the cache, clicking on the top image above will take you to a jigsaw, completion of which will reveal the north part of the final coordinates (latitude) together with a helpful hint. Then, successful completion of the multi below will reveal the east part (longitude).
Step 1 (published coordinates): after parking your cachemobile adjacent to the station, head over the footbridge to where you will be standing in front of the station clock. The name of the make of clock includes the name and image of a bird whose name has A letters.
Step 2: now look around you for the footbridge number B80, which is shown on several plates on or near the footbridge. This also show STS (the Engineer's Line Reference for this branch line) and the distance from London Bridge station in miles and chains.
Step 3: pass back over the footbridge, this time noting that it has C large concrete floor sections.
Step 4: after descending the steps, turn right onto the platform where on your right besides the steps you will find a post with a No Smoking sign and below this a green sign giving the 6-digit contact number for a vital support service. The last digit of this = D
Step 5: head back past the foot of the steps and on to a small shelter housing the ticket machine on which you will note a 4-digit ID number, the first digit of which = E
Step 6: finally head out of the gate, where just to the left beneath the barrier instruction sign, there is a faded yellow pole. On this - and on the similar pole opposite - is a padlock with the number RKB 2F1 on its base.
The easterly coordinates (sum of digits = 12) for the cache location are:
E 0 1.(A+D)(B-C)(E-F-1)
Southease railway station (station code SEE) is located 800m east of Southease village and surrounded by agricultural land. The South Downs Way crosses the line here. There was a racecourse between the railway line and the River Ouse from the late 1920s to the early 1940s.
It is on the Seaford branch line (line code STS) of the East Coastway Line, at 53 miles 40 chains (86.1 km) distance measured from London Bridge via Redhill. This rural line was constructed in 1864 primarily to serve the port of Newhaven and the town of Seaford. It runs from Southerham junction (with the Eastbourne - London Victoria line) near Lewes to Seaford via Southease, Newhaven Town, Newhaven Harbour, and Bishopstone.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway opened the station on 1 September 1906 as Southease and Rodmell Halt, to serve two villages in the Ouse Valley - Southease and the slightly larger Rodmell over a mile away. It was renamed Southease on 12 May 1980.
The station has two platforms, each with a PERTIS machine. A self-service ticket machine was also installed in 2016. There is a level crossing immediately north of the station leading to Itford Farm and the A26 road. The crossing is user-controlled with barriers raised or lowered by road users. There is a pedestrian gate for walkers and cyclists and a footbridge over the line.
All Southease services are operated by Southern using Class 377 EMUs and typical off-peak service is 1 train per hour (tph) in each direction - to Brighton via Lewes and to Seaford. Connections with other services are made by changing at Lewes.
For rail enthusiasts: see short videos here (April 2023), here (June evening at the station), here (steam train passing through), here and here [Southease station featured at 14:23-19:30] (Seaford branch line), and here (fascinating drivers view of Seaford to Brighton with moving annotated map & commentary).
