REALLY SideTracked - Blanefield Printworks Sidings Traditional Geocache
REALLY SideTracked - Blanefield Printworks Sidings
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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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
About Blanefield Printworks Sidings
Blanefield Station had quite extensive goods facilities on the north side of the line. This included an end loading facility, goods shed and a hand crane of unknown capacity. At the east end of the goods yard a loop line was built which entered a private siding. This was opened on the 13th February 1877 and led into the Blanefield Printworks.The Printwork owners , the Coubroughs, paid for this. They had been very active members of the Blane Valley Railway Company , which was formed to promote the line ,and were no doubt keen to make use of the benefits that a rail link would provide for them in terms of transporting goods etc. An additional siding was laid during July 1899 and at the same time a transfer siding was installed. As the printworks had closed in November 1898 it can only be presumed that these sidings were erected to assist in the demolition of the Printworks , which was not completed until 1910. The closure of the Printworks in 1898 would have had an effect on the amount of freight carried by the railway and possibly the number of passengers. The population of the parish had fallen by almost 50% after the closure of the printworks and this in turn no doubt affected passenger numbers Competition from buses in terms of cheaper and faster travel further added to the decline in passenger travel. In response to this in the 1930's trains began to terminate at Blanefield and the remaining passengers for stations beyond transferring to the Sentinel Steam car.
Thanks to www.strathblanefield.org.uk for the info.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre fznyy ebpx cvyr oruvaq gur jnyy