IncitatusMaximus

Also, in absense of any evidence to the contrary, here are some other common measurements I've seen referenced on datasheets: Track laid prior to 1940ish is usually 33ft long. Track laid after that is usually 39ft long. In any case, they're always in even yard increments. Industry standard for CWT (continuously welded track) is 1,320ft., though I've seen 1,000ft (BART) and 1,440ft occasionally. UPRR standard is 18 crossties per 33ft of track, or 22" center-to-center.

OK, I have a question that's opposite to the good old "I've found a brass disc thingy but it's not on geocaching.com." Whip out your favorite topo program, whatever that is, and take a quick journey with me to the wild west. Yankee Jims is a good place to start (N39.039712 W120.883011). On the topo is printed BM 2575 with an X. So far, when I've seen these printed on the topo, they correspond with an entry in the NGS database. This one doesn't. Nor does BM 1749 to the northwest, nor does BM 969 at the gauging station to the west of this one. OK, now I'm intrigued. I've always loved this area. I think wild west mining appeals to the kid in me. I'd love to see the historical datasheets for these marks. Maybe there's an interesting story or something in there. The first question, to rule out the "it's still stuck in a filing cabinet" answer, is are the BM's on topos always present (provided they aren't destroyed) in the NGS database? Or do they use other sources too? And if the answer is "yeah, it's probably still stuck in a filing cabinet," is there any way to research this outside of what's online? Thoughts / opinions / rants / raves? OH, P.S., slightly non-benchmark related, but check out what's at N39.019036 W120.919663. I've been told it's actually still there too, but I haven't figured out what it's for or how you get to it yet. Edit: Corrected coordinates for initial BM.

If you check 12.72.020(B ), it says: The code in question is 12.72.060(I). So it's definitely a misdemeanor. You can find the whole thing online here. I actually asked a good friend of mine who's a city police officer, and he said, if faced with a citizen complaint, he'd most likely write the citation, release the person, and let the city attorney sort out the rest. Since the law's on the books, they're supposed to enforce it. Of course, they're not *actively* out patrolling the playgrounds, but if good lady citizen called in a complaint of someone lurking around a playground ... it kind of forces the issue. He added that he wouldn't want to take the chance that the person really *was* up to no good, and his failure to enforce it caused harm to come to a child. So he'd err on the side of caution, which seems reasonable from a police officer's point of view (not to be confused with a taxpaying citizen's view, who is being prohibited from using something I'm forced to pay for, but that's a whole different thread LOL). I agree that it's really sad we even have to think about laws like that. But, they exist, and I'd personally rather skip a cache than spend $3k in attorney's fees, and probably still lose the case anyway (since *any* reason to be there is prohibited). On a brighter note, this ordinance only applies in the City of Sacramento. I checked the codes of neighboring cities and counties, and they don't have any such thing on the books (yet).

I'm not sure how the laws in your jurisdiction work, but where I live, in Sacramento, CA, the city has seen fit to pass an ordinance that you *could* be cited for in this instance. Sacramento City Code, Title 12, Chapter 12.72 ("Parks, Park Buildings, and Recreational Areas"), paragraph 12.72.060(I) ("Park Use Regulations") states: And, for the record: Thanks to a couple of fabulous examples of humanity, going into a children's playground without a child (especially an adult male geocacher, doing "suspicious things") could definitely earn you a trip to the police station, at the very least. It's a misdemeanor here, not just a ticket and a slap on the hand. It ranks up with discharging a firearm in a park, possession of alcohol, and loitiering in the park between midnight and 5 a.m. -- the only other park offenses not considered "infractions." Doesn't that frost you? I don't know if other places have similar laws, but they very well might. Wow, post number 2. I'm out of control.

A dolphin is a type of buoy supported by pilings. You'd find it in the ocean, most likely. See this page for more info.