Illinois Central--Freight Train: Hopper Car Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Woodlandnomad: Thanks to all the cachers who have found the caches in this series. I have enjoyed reading your logs. I hope the series has met at least partially its goal of giving families a fun outing and an introduction to caching for new cachers. I had hopes of being able to get new containers this spring, but alas Covid-19 has thwarted my attempts to get supplies (it is amazing to see so many bare shelves) and a full life has given stiff competition for the time to complete this task.

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Hidden : 4/18/2011
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:


This series was created to celebrate my thousandth find and to say thank-you to the many cachers who have placed the caches that have given me such enjoyment. This series is especially inspired by imcgisme’s Beefies series and brainandbraun’ Whimsical Tales series with some help from rcflyer2242’s caches. The series is also designed with beginning cachers and especially kids in mind. All hides should be very easy and I hope that the cache containers help make it fun for kids of all ages. Families with small children and folks with complaining joints should note that the terrain for the passenger train series is straight forward and should not present much trouble. However, the terrain for the freight train series is varied. The railroad embankment near the beginning of the train is high and fairly steep, especially for the tender and tank car. These numbers should be pretty easy to guess, so it is possible to find the mystery train without climbing to these caches. Occasionally it might not be obvious where to find the log on the container. In these cases a hint will guide you. On the outside of each cache container is a series of numbers. Be sure to record the ones digit as you will need it to find the final: Mystery Train--At the Station. For example, if the number on the outside of the cache container reads 123, you would need to record the number 3.

The Badger State Trail runs on the former bed of the Freeport to Madison line of the Illinois Central. The line was originally constructed for the CM&N Railroad running from Freeport Illinois to Madison Wisconsin. It was completed in 1888 with the first train making the run on February 1, 1888. The final run was made in 1991. As part of the state of Wisconsin's Rails to Trails program, the Badger State Trail opened in 2007 with the final paved section from Purcell Road north to Madison opening in 2010. Click here for more information on the Badger State Trail.



The Hopper Car

The hopper car differs from the gondola in having angled sides and drop doors in the bottom of the car. Both of these features are designed to aid in the discharge of materials out of the bottom of the car. Hoppers come as uncovered and covered cars. Covered hoppers in turn can be divided according to method of discharge. Most covered hoppers rely on gravity to pull the material down through the drop doors. However, fine powders such as flour and cement tend to compact during transport. These materials are carried in pressurized hoppers in which compressed air is used to force these materials to discharge the car. Portable external pneumatic shakers can also be attached to the car to aid in the discharge of materials. Covered hoppers are used to carry materials such as flour and cement which cannot get wet during transport. An amazing diversity of materials are transported by covered hoppers: various grains and flours, fertilizers, salts and minerals, cement, sand and gravel, and plastic pellets to name only a few.

The Train Cars are on the track from approximately March 15 to November 15.
They are replaced by bison tubes for the winter.


The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to Steven Johnston, Badger State Trail Manager of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/hiding

(click to visit our website)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gbc pragre

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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