REALLY SideTracked – Dolgoch
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 the Railway
The Talyllyn Railway was opened in 1865, primarily to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, where it was transferred onto the main line railway. The quarries never produced large profits, and in 1910 the line and quarries were sold to the local MP, Mr (later Sir) Henry Haydn Jones, who, despite them making a loss, kept the quarries and railway open for the benefit of the local community. By the time of Haydn Jones' death in 1950, the quarries had closed and it seemed certain that the railway would follow the same fate, as it had been deprived of investment for most of its life. However, a group of railway enthusiasts stepped in, and in 1951 the Talyllyn became the first railway in the world to be run by volunteers. The railway and locomotives were fully restored, and are still operating today.
About the Station
Dolgoch station opened in 1867 as a spot for passengers to visit the spectacular waterfalls nearby. It is a place where trains take on water – there are actually three watering points here, all fed from a stream further up the hillside. The original water tank is situated on a slate tower and water is fed into locomotives by a primitive wooden channel. It is rarely used now, as the platform was extended after preservation to allow longer trains. A second tank, mounted on a steel frame, was built at the end of the extended platform, and this is the one used by most trains. In recent years, another watering point has been built at the Tywyn end of the platform to allow down trains to take on water if necessary.
West of the station, the railway is carried over the Dolgoch ravine by an impressive three-arch brick viaduct, and it is around the viaduct that this virtual cache is set.
Logging the Cache
To log this cache, go to the listed coordinates where there is a footbridge over the stream, and answer the following questions:-
- Near the bridge, there is a poem written in English and Welsh by pupils of a local school. What instructions are given in the last line of the English translation (four words)?
- Also next to the bridge is a plaque with a phone number and fax number. What are the last four digits of the phone number?
- Optional - in your log, state what wildlife (if any) you see or hear on your visit to Dolgoch today.
- Optional - take a photograph of yourself or your GPS, with the station or viaduct in the background, and attach it to the log. Please do not post photos that give away the answers to either of the first two questions, or they will be deleted.
- Optional - if you can take a photo of a train nearby, please post that as well!
Do not put the answers to questions 1 and 2 in your log! Answers can be sent to me by message (preferred) or email. If emailing, please tick the box to let me see your email address so that I can reply to you easily. You may log your find before sending me the answers, but I reserve the right to delete your log if I do not get satisfactory answers within a couple of weeks (this is to prevent armchair logging).
Please note - it is difficult to get a data signal here. If you attempt to send your answers by message, the app may not do so and your answers may be lost, therefore I recommend waiting till you have a strong signal or Wi-Fi before sending. I will always respond to your answers, usually within 24 hours, so if you do not get a response from me you may need to send your answers again.
Accessibility
This cache is fully accessible from the car-park (parking charges apply). There is a direct path from the station towards the car-park, however this is down some steps. Step-free access from the station is via the footbridge over the railway towards the falls, though this goes down a steep slope and may not be suitable for wheelchair users. For full details, see the railway's accessibility page.
Hall of Fame
| Joint FTF: |
Commonsiders & martin.fd |
| TTF: |
Delta68 |
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.