SideTracked - Heaton Chapel Traditional Geocache

This cache is part of the SideTracked series. These are Cache and Dashes for public transport users, which can be found at or near train stations, ex-train stations or near miniature railways.

Heaton Chapel station is about 5 miles (7 km) south of Manchester Piccadilly towards Stockport on the West Coast Main line. It was opened in 1852 and renamed from Heaton Chapel & Heaton Moor to Heaton Chapel in 1974.

The northbound trains go to Manchester Piccadilly whilst the southbound trains go to Stockport and then continue to Alderley Edge, Buxton, Crewe or Hazel Grove.

The station has two platforms and in 2011/12 had an annual estimated passenger usage of 610,000.

There is an active Friends Group who have acquired and planted flower beds, provide a library, painted the station arranged for a Father Christmas and decorated the booking hall. Further details can be found at Friends of Heaton Chapel Station

The Queen and Prince Philip boarded the Royal Train at Heaton Chapel station on the 14th November 2013. (Link). I like to think they came to get this cache ;-)

Hopefully this is one of a few caches I will be able to place around the Heatons. There may be a clue to a Heatons bonus cache here (not yet placed)

The cache is a magnetic key safe near the station. There is easy parking nearby but the road is often full of parked cars used by commuters.

Congratulations to Walker-Clan on FTF. Saw their log before I got the notification! (again!)