TRAIN TRACKing LbNA #17813
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 2, 2005 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Union |
| County: | McHenry |
| State: | Illinois |
| Boxes: | 5 |
| Planted by: | tRAYn  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Quercus Alba (3) |
| Last found: | Sep 7, 2009 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Sep 2, 2005 |
TRAIN TRACKing
Placed by: tRAYn and Skywatcher, carved by Domedreamer
Number of boxes: Six. Note that #6& 7 have been temporarily removed until more secure locations are devised.
Seasonal, April through October, Open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission fee charged to enter grounds on all days that trains are running; admission includes rides on all scheduled trains operating on the day of your visit. We suggest that you contact the Illinois Railway Museum web-site, www.irm.org for a schedule of open days, operations and admission rates. The Web-site also includes driving instructions from all points on the compass.
CLUES
Difficulty: Easy, family friendly, flat terrain
Do not be intimidated by your first glance at the museum. It is BIG, befitting an organization that has been collecting, restoring and operating train equipment for over 50 years. It is the largest railroad museum in the country with over 400 pieces of railroad equipment. Don’t be concerned that the hunt for letterboxes will require walking on tracks or climbing in or on equipment. Placement of letterbox sites at the museum took the museum’s safety rules into consideration and we suggest that you familiarize yourself with these rules as you begin your quest, They are displayed prominently at the entrance to the museum. Also available at the admission booth is a map showing the museum’s campus.
The clues refer to letterbox numbers to facilitate the ideal order of placing them in your logbook. The stamps in the boxes arranged in this order create an appropriate remembrance of the museum.
1. MERCURY
One of the prize items in the museum’s collection is the Nebraska Zephyr, located in Barn Nine when it is not in service on the museum’s 5 mile main line or in dinner train service. The Zephyr is notable as one of the earliest examples of American lightweight streamliners. All of the cars are named after Greek goddesses, so it is fitting that our first clue leads us to another Greek god, reported to be Mercury. After entering the museum, continue straight ahead past the 1851 depot. At the east end of the depot, turn right on the walkway which leads to the large barns which house many of the museum’s pieces. After crossing a single track (the trolley loop), Barn 3 on your left recently added a large sign which once graced the corporate headquarters of the Union Pacific Railroad. Look for the large stone head of Mercury who appears to be gazing transfixed at this sign. Continuing past Mercury, cross the three tracks leading into Barn 4. Turn onto the lawn and follow the curvature of the last track until you get to the groves of trees behind Mercury, the first letter box will be found between the 1st and 2nd Spruce trees. Look under the lowest branches for a box suspended from one of them
2. CAST IN STONE, removed temporarily
As noted already, the Museum’s collection encompasses more than just trains. As you continued south, on your left, you saw “Signal Alley”, a collection of signals that continues to grow. After getting the first stamp, return to the main sidewalk and continue walking south. Looking to your right, you will see a Chicago Rapid Transit station rescued from the Douglas Park Line. After passing the diner, you will notice on the right a low brick wall decorated with masonry letters spelling out “Minneapolis, St. Paul & Saulte St. Marie” (Soo Line) and on the left a shorter one spelling out “ Chicago City Railway Company” one of the corporate predecessors to the CTA. You will find a micro-letterbox at the middle of the base of the backside of this shorter wall under a rock.
3. A BRIDGE THAT ISN’T CALLED A BRIDGE.Destroyed, must be recreated
One characteristic of a museum is the need to acquire artifacts when they become available, regardless of the ability to use or restore an item when it is first acquired. Our next letterbox will be found near an example of this. One of the most essential pieces of any engine servicing facility in the steam era was the turntable. These were used when it was necessary to turn an engine around (thus avoiding a significant amount of space and track to do it another way) or to access the servicing area with many stalls for engines, commonly referred to as the round house. As you continue south on the main roadway, you will see what appears to be a bridge structure that was associated with Harvard stored on the ground waiting its turn to be restored and put into use. On the south side of this turntable, you will see a builder’s plate indicating, in fact, that this turntable was built by a bridge building company. Facing the plate, look to the large piece of a utility pole supporting the turntable under the second panel to the right. Find this letter box under the edge of the turntable by this support and stamp your book before the tables turn.
4. SPRINGFIELD IN UNION
All of the trolley stops on the trolley line are either restored or recreated passenger shelters from area trolley and railroad companies. On your way to the bridge that isn’t called a bridge, you passed a “Safety Island” that was a Chicago solution to standing in the middle of a street to catch the next trolley. Others are from the Northwestern Railroad and the Chicago and West Towns Railway, a transit company that once served several of the west suburban villages in Chicagoland. Looking south from the letterbox by the turntable, you will see another example of a shelter, this one from Springfield Avenue in the city of Rockford. Apparently one would possibly wait for a longer time for a car on this line, because they saw fit to include a place to sit inside the shelter. Visit the shelter and try out the bench. Reach under to find this letterbox waiting for you on a shelf under the bench.
5. RERAILER ON THE TRAILER
Your search for the next letterbox will now take you away from the roadway you were on. Look for the long yellow Union Pacific diesel locomotive that is due east of your location at Springfield Avenue. The U.P. had a penchant for larger and larger locomotives to combat the mountains that were part of its routes. This engine was one of those attempts to harness more power in one engine with one train crew. Walk towards the front on this engine on the gravel roadway. Go past the front of this engine and the powerful face of the snow blower next to it and turn left after the steam engine on the third track. Look for engine 3039 in the line of engines on this third track. Most steam engines carried their fuel and water in a separate car or trailer semi-permanently attached to it. This trailer was universally referred to as a tender. This letterbox is secreted in a large metal appliance carried on the frame of the tender, referred to as a rerailer. You will find it on the frame immediately above the center of the rear set of wheels. To reduce its weight, the casting has a cavity on the underside. Reach into the cavity on the back of the rerailer to get this letterbox.
6. A STORE WAITING FOR A HOME-temporarily removed
Besides moving rail equipment to the museum campus, the museum has experience moving buildings also. The first of these was the main depot, moved from the town of Marengo, the second is the two story interchange tower. A roadside diner is built into the museum’s restaurant, and an old gas station is waiting its turn and will be incorporated into the museum’s planned Main Street. Another artifact waiting for placement is the Schroeder Store, a yellow frame building situated in the parking lot. The Museum also owns and uses two other historic structures in the area. The first bank building in Union now houses the museum’s collection of Pullman Car Company blueprints. The other, in the town of Marengo, had housed the town’s library and after acquisition by the museum continues to be used as a reference library for the museum’s collection of railroad documents, books, and other publications. Until the Schroeder store is moved, not likely in the near future, the second to last letterbox in the collection can be located on the west wall of the structure near the north end. The box is located sandwiched between a cinder block and the base of the store. There may be a pallet propped against the wallover the cinder block.
7. FITTING CONCLUSION- Temporarily removed
We hope that your visit to the Museum was enjoyable. However, if you placed your stamps in the order indicated above, something might appear to be missing. The last letterbox is on the western end of the parking lot. On the fence to the right of the exit gate are signs advertising other local attractions. Look for a rock at the base of one of the fence posts along this part of the fence. Your final letterbox and the completion of your museum stampventure should remind you of the world you just left.
Before you set out, please read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.
Placed by: tRAYn and Skywatcher, carved by Domedreamer
Number of boxes: Six. Note that #6& 7 have been temporarily removed until more secure locations are devised.
Seasonal, April through October, Open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission fee charged to enter grounds on all days that trains are running; admission includes rides on all scheduled trains operating on the day of your visit. We suggest that you contact the Illinois Railway Museum web-site, www.irm.org for a schedule of open days, operations and admission rates. The Web-site also includes driving instructions from all points on the compass.
CLUES
Difficulty: Easy, family friendly, flat terrain
Do not be intimidated by your first glance at the museum. It is BIG, befitting an organization that has been collecting, restoring and operating train equipment for over 50 years. It is the largest railroad museum in the country with over 400 pieces of railroad equipment. Don’t be concerned that the hunt for letterboxes will require walking on tracks or climbing in or on equipment. Placement of letterbox sites at the museum took the museum’s safety rules into consideration and we suggest that you familiarize yourself with these rules as you begin your quest, They are displayed prominently at the entrance to the museum. Also available at the admission booth is a map showing the museum’s campus.
The clues refer to letterbox numbers to facilitate the ideal order of placing them in your logbook. The stamps in the boxes arranged in this order create an appropriate remembrance of the museum.
1. MERCURY
One of the prize items in the museum’s collection is the Nebraska Zephyr, located in Barn Nine when it is not in service on the museum’s 5 mile main line or in dinner train service. The Zephyr is notable as one of the earliest examples of American lightweight streamliners. All of the cars are named after Greek goddesses, so it is fitting that our first clue leads us to another Greek god, reported to be Mercury. After entering the museum, continue straight ahead past the 1851 depot. At the east end of the depot, turn right on the walkway which leads to the large barns which house many of the museum’s pieces. After crossing a single track (the trolley loop), Barn 3 on your left recently added a large sign which once graced the corporate headquarters of the Union Pacific Railroad. Look for the large stone head of Mercury who appears to be gazing transfixed at this sign. Continuing past Mercury, cross the three tracks leading into Barn 4. Turn onto the lawn and follow the curvature of the last track until you get to the groves of trees behind Mercury, the first letter box will be found between the 1st and 2nd Spruce trees. Look under the lowest branches for a box suspended from one of them
2. CAST IN STONE, removed temporarily
As noted already, the Museum’s collection encompasses more than just trains. As you continued south, on your left, you saw “Signal Alley”, a collection of signals that continues to grow. After getting the first stamp, return to the main sidewalk and continue walking south. Looking to your right, you will see a Chicago Rapid Transit station rescued from the Douglas Park Line. After passing the diner, you will notice on the right a low brick wall decorated with masonry letters spelling out “Minneapolis, St. Paul & Saulte St. Marie” (Soo Line) and on the left a shorter one spelling out “ Chicago City Railway Company” one of the corporate predecessors to the CTA. You will find a micro-letterbox at the middle of the base of the backside of this shorter wall under a rock.
3. A BRIDGE THAT ISN’T CALLED A BRIDGE.Destroyed, must be recreated
One characteristic of a museum is the need to acquire artifacts when they become available, regardless of the ability to use or restore an item when it is first acquired. Our next letterbox will be found near an example of this. One of the most essential pieces of any engine servicing facility in the steam era was the turntable. These were used when it was necessary to turn an engine around (thus avoiding a significant amount of space and track to do it another way) or to access the servicing area with many stalls for engines, commonly referred to as the round house. As you continue south on the main roadway, you will see what appears to be a bridge structure that was associated with Harvard stored on the ground waiting its turn to be restored and put into use. On the south side of this turntable, you will see a builder’s plate indicating, in fact, that this turntable was built by a bridge building company. Facing the plate, look to the large piece of a utility pole supporting the turntable under the second panel to the right. Find this letter box under the edge of the turntable by this support and stamp your book before the tables turn.
4. SPRINGFIELD IN UNION
All of the trolley stops on the trolley line are either restored or recreated passenger shelters from area trolley and railroad companies. On your way to the bridge that isn’t called a bridge, you passed a “Safety Island” that was a Chicago solution to standing in the middle of a street to catch the next trolley. Others are from the Northwestern Railroad and the Chicago and West Towns Railway, a transit company that once served several of the west suburban villages in Chicagoland. Looking south from the letterbox by the turntable, you will see another example of a shelter, this one from Springfield Avenue in the city of Rockford. Apparently one would possibly wait for a longer time for a car on this line, because they saw fit to include a place to sit inside the shelter. Visit the shelter and try out the bench. Reach under to find this letterbox waiting for you on a shelf under the bench.
5. RERAILER ON THE TRAILER
Your search for the next letterbox will now take you away from the roadway you were on. Look for the long yellow Union Pacific diesel locomotive that is due east of your location at Springfield Avenue. The U.P. had a penchant for larger and larger locomotives to combat the mountains that were part of its routes. This engine was one of those attempts to harness more power in one engine with one train crew. Walk towards the front on this engine on the gravel roadway. Go past the front of this engine and the powerful face of the snow blower next to it and turn left after the steam engine on the third track. Look for engine 3039 in the line of engines on this third track. Most steam engines carried their fuel and water in a separate car or trailer semi-permanently attached to it. This trailer was universally referred to as a tender. This letterbox is secreted in a large metal appliance carried on the frame of the tender, referred to as a rerailer. You will find it on the frame immediately above the center of the rear set of wheels. To reduce its weight, the casting has a cavity on the underside. Reach into the cavity on the back of the rerailer to get this letterbox.
6. A STORE WAITING FOR A HOME-temporarily removed
Besides moving rail equipment to the museum campus, the museum has experience moving buildings also. The first of these was the main depot, moved from the town of Marengo, the second is the two story interchange tower. A roadside diner is built into the museum’s restaurant, and an old gas station is waiting its turn and will be incorporated into the museum’s planned Main Street. Another artifact waiting for placement is the Schroeder Store, a yellow frame building situated in the parking lot. The Museum also owns and uses two other historic structures in the area. The first bank building in Union now houses the museum’s collection of Pullman Car Company blueprints. The other, in the town of Marengo, had housed the town’s library and after acquisition by the museum continues to be used as a reference library for the museum’s collection of railroad documents, books, and other publications. Until the Schroeder store is moved, not likely in the near future, the second to last letterbox in the collection can be located on the west wall of the structure near the north end. The box is located sandwiched between a cinder block and the base of the store. There may be a pallet propped against the wallover the cinder block.
7. FITTING CONCLUSION- Temporarily removed
We hope that your visit to the Museum was enjoyable. However, if you placed your stamps in the order indicated above, something might appear to be missing. The last letterbox is on the western end of the parking lot. On the fence to the right of the exit gate are signs advertising other local attractions. Look for a rock at the base of one of the fence posts along this part of the fence. Your final letterbox and the completion of your museum stampventure should remind you of the world you just left.
Before you set out, please read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.