Florida East Coast Railway
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Length | 351 miles (565 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Florida East Coast Railway (
.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Flagler. He originally visited Florida with his first wife, Mary; they sought assistance with the health issues she faced. A key strategist who worked closely with John D. Rockefeller building the Standard Oil Trust, Flagler noted both great potential and a lack of services during his stay at St. Augustine. He subsequently began what amounted to his second career, developing resorts, industries, and communities all along Florida's shores abutting the Atlantic Ocean.
The FEC is possibly best known for
During the Great Depression, control was purchased by heirs of the
Today, the company's primary rail revenues come from its
The FEC was historically a
History
Henry Flagler: developing Florida's east coast
The Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) was developed by
Flagler's non-Standard Oil interests went in a different direction, however, when in 1878, on the advice of his physician, he traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, for the winter with his first wife, Mary, who was quite ill. Two years after she died in 1881, he married Mary's former caregiver, Ida Alice Shourds. After their wedding, the couple traveled to St. Augustine, Florida, in 1883. Flagler found the city charming, but the hotel facilities and transportation systems inadequate. He recognized Florida's potential to attract out-of-state visitors. Though Flagler remained on the Board of Directors of Standard Oil, he gave up his day-to-day involvement in the firm in order to pursue his Florida interests.
When Flagler returned to Florida, in 1885 he began building a grand St. Augustine hotel, the
The Ponce de Leon Hotel opened on January 10, 1888. By April of that year, Flagler acquired a second hotel in St. Augustine, the Casa Monica Hotel, which he renamed Cordova. He then built a third hotel, the Hotel Alcazar, which opened in 1898.[4]: 49 With the success of his three St. Augustine hotels, Flagler incorporated the Jacksonville Bridge Company to build a bridge across the St. Johns River and connect the JStA&HR to the rest of Jacksonville's railroads. Passengers needed to ferried across the St. Johns River in Jacksonville to access the line at the time, which was a time-consuming process. Construction began in 1889 and the bridge opened on January 5, 1890, allowing a direct connection for private railcars and Pullman coaches to reach St. Augustine.[5]
By 1888, Flagler was interested in expanding his network beyond St. Augustine. He acquired three additional railroads that year to expand further south. He acquired the St. Johns Railway, which ran from St. Augustine west to the St. Johns River at Tocoi Landing.[6] The St. Johns Railway first opened in 1858 and Flagler purchased the line from New York millionaire William Astor. Flagler also acquired another railroad from Astor, the St. Augustine and Palatka Railway which ran from Tocoi Junction (about halfway between St. Augustine and Tocoi Landing) on the St. Johns Railway and ran southwest to East Palatka. Finally, Flagler acquired the St. Johns and Halifax River Railroad which opened in the early 1880s from East Palatka southeast to Ormond Beach and Daytona. It was extended west into Palatka after the completion of a bridge over the St. Johns River in 1888. In addition to expanding the network, the acquired railroads gave Flagler two additional accesses to the St. Johns River at Tocoi Landing and East Palatka, as well as additional connections to other railroads in Palatka. Continuing to develop hotel facilities to entice northern tourists to visit Florida, Flagler bought and expanded the Ormond Hotel in Ormond Beach.[2]: 66
Flagler created the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway Company in 1892 as a holding company for his railroad network.[4]: 27
Expanding further south
Beginning in 1892, when landowners south of Daytona petitioned him to extend the railroad 80 miles (130 km) south, Flagler began laying new railroad tracks; no longer did he follow his traditional practice of purchasing existing railroads and merging them into his growing rail system. Under Florida's generous land-grant laws passed in 1893, 8,000 acres (3,237 ha) could be claimed from the state for every mile (1.6 km) built. Flagler would eventually claim in excess of two million acres (809,371 ha; 8,094 km2) for building his railroad, and land development and trading would become one of his most profitable endeavors. Flagler obtained a charter from the state of Florida authorizing him to build a railroad along the
The railroad reached
Palm Beach was to be the terminus of the Flagler railroad, but during 1894 and 1895, severe freezes hit all of Central Florida, whereas the Miami area remained unaffected, causing Flagler to rethink his original decision not to move the railroad south of Palm Beach. The fable that Julia Tuttle, one of two main landowners in the Miami area along with the Brickell family, sent orange blossoms to Flagler to prove to him that Miami, unlike the rest of the state, was unaffected by the frost, is untrue. The truth is that she wired him to advise him that "the region around the shores of Biscayne Bay is untouched by the freezes." He sent his two lieutenants, James E. Ingraham and Joseph R. Parrott—now famous in Florida history—to investigate; they brought boxes of truck (produce) and citrus back to Flagler, who then wired Tuttle, asking, "Madam, what is it that you propose?" To convince Flagler to continue the railroad to Miami, both Tuttle and William Brickell offered half of their holdings north and south of the Miami River to him. Tuttle added 50 acres (200,000 m2) for shops and yards if Flagler would extend his railroad to the shores of Biscayne Bay and build one of his great hotels. An agreement was made and contracts were signed. On September 7, 1895, the name of Flagler's system was officially changed from the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway Company to the Florida East Coast Railway Company and incorporated.[7] The Florida East Coast Railway reached Fort Lauderdale on March 3, 1896. On April 15, 1896, track reached Biscayne Bay, the site of present-day downtown Miami. At the time, it was a small settlement of less than 50 inhabitants. When the town incorporated, on July 28, 1896, its citizens wanted to honor the man responsible for the city's development by naming it Flagler. He declined the honor, persuading them to retain its old Indian name, "Miami." The area was actually previously known as Fort Dallas after the fort built there in 1836 during the Second Seminole War. To further develop the area surrounding the Miami railroad station, Flagler dredged a channel, built streets and The Royal Palm Hotel, instituted the first water and power systems, and financed the town's first newspaper, the Metropolis.
In 1903, Flagler extended the main line an additional 12 miles from Downtown Miami southwest to access much of the unsettled lowlands near Cutler Ridge which he felt could generate agricultural traffic. This proved successful and the following year, the line was extended to Homestead.[4]: 57 [2]: 69–70
Labor issues
Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, the fledgling rail empire extensively employed convict labor from largely African-American convicts. While most Southern states employed a form of
According to historian Joe Knetsch, reformers and muckrakers exaggerated charges of peonage regarding construction of the Florida East Coast Railway in 1893 to 1909. Flager and his lawyers defeated all legal challenges and neither the company or its employees were ever convicted in court. However, there were many reports of harsh working conditions and forced indebtedness to the company, and malfeasance by labor agents who hired men for the railway. Knetsch concludes that "Flagler in fact provided health care for his employees and was a far better employer than the press alleged."[9]
Key West extension
Once the railroad reached Homestead in 1904, Flagler then sought perhaps his greatest challenge: the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city of almost 20,000 inhabitants located 128 miles (206 km) beyond the end of the Florida peninsula. He became particularly interested in linking Key West to the mainland after the construction of the Panama Canal was announced by the United States in 1905. As the closest deep-water port in the United States to the canal, Key West was positioned to take advantage of significant new trade with the west that would be enabled by the opening of the canal – this, in addition to the city's existing involvement with Cuban and Latin American trade. Key West was a major coaling station for ship traffic between South America and New York. Flagler thought it would be profitable for coal to be brought by railroad to Key West for coaling those ships. Though, by the time the extension was finished, the range of ships had been extended to such a degree that they no longer stopped in Key West for coal.
The construction of the Overseas Railroad required many engineering innovations as well as vast amounts of labor and monetary resources. Many considered the Key West extension a folly as it was one of the most daring infrastructure ever built exclusively with private funds. At one time during construction, four thousand men were employed. During the seven years of construction, three
The Key West extension cost of $50 million and the lives of hundreds of workmen. Workers toiled under conditions sufficiently cruel and harsh that the US Justice Department prosecuted the FECR under a federal slave-kidnapping law.
Despite the hardships, the final link of the Florida East Coast Railway to Trumbo Point in Key West was completed in 1912. The first train, a construction engineers' train, arrived in Key West on January 21, 1912. The next day, which is considered the first day of service on the new route, a proud Henry Flagler rode the first passenger train into Key West, marking the completion of the railroad's oversea connection to Key West and the linkage by railway of the entire east coast of Florida. The completed extension was widely known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".[12] Upon his arrival in Key West, Flagler stated "Now I can die in peace" with pride in his achievement. Flagler died 16 months later in May 1913.[13]
FEC through the years
Effect of the Florida land boom and Great Depression
The Florida East Coast Railway benefitted greatly from the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which led to increased traffic. By 1923, the FEC was running five daily passenger trains roundtrip between Jacksonville and Miami. Two of these trains, the Havana Special and the Key West Express continued to Key West. The following year, the number of passenger trains between Jacksonville and Miami increased to eight with two continuing to Key West. In response to the land boom, the FEC made investments to their network to increase capacity. Within the decade, FEC built Bowden Yard in Jacksonville and the Miller Shops in St. Augustine.[2]: 144 In 1923, the FEC built the Miami Belt Line, a freight route that ran from Little River through Hialeah that reconnected with the main line in Larkin (near Kendall), bypassing downtown Miami. A yard was also built in Hialeah.[4]: 100 In 1925, the Moultrie Cutoff was built to shorten the distance between St. Augustine and Bunnell (just north of Ormond Beach) on the main line by bypassing its turn towards Palatka.[4]: 101 The main line was also expanded to double track from Jacksonville to Miami in 1926, along with the installation of automatic block signaling.[14][15] Many of the bridges were rebuilt when the main line was expanded to double track, including the original bridge over the St. Johns River in Jacksonville which was replaced by the current Strauss Trunnion Bascule Bridge. By the end of 1926, the number of passenger trains from Jacksonville to Miami increased to 12, with some continuing to Key West.[2]: 143–144
Due to the prosperity of
The
Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
The Key West extension was heavily damaged and partially destroyed in the
The Florida East Coast Railway quickly determined that it was financially unable to rebuild the destroyed sections. The roadbed and remaining bridges south of Florida City were then sold to the state of Florida, which built the
Change in ownership
In the early 1960s,
Labor conflict
Having gained total control of the FEC by 1960, Ball sought to make the railroad profitable again by holding down wages and eliminating
Because the strike was by the non-operating unions, a federal judge ordered the railroad to continue observing their work rules, while the railroad was free to change the work rules for the operating unions, who were technically not on strike and thus had no standing in the federal court regarding the strike.
Ball's use of replacement workers to keep the railroad running during the strike led to violence by strikers that included shootings and bombings; a number of freight trains were derailed or blown up.
The strike continued until March 1, 1974, after a court-ordered settlement between the railroad and the unions. According to historian Burton Altman:[23]
After the settlement, workers were earning at least one dollar an hour less than their counterparts on other railroads. Wages were well below the industry's scale and the work force had been cut in half. When the strike began, 1,600 walked out. In time, 900 went back to work on the company's terms; others found employment elsewhere. Only about 100 stayed out until the end, and many of them could not return to work because they could no longer pass the required physical examinations or were too old to work. The end of the strike also ended their meager benefits that had enabled members to survive.
After Ball's death in 1981, Raymond Wyckoff took the helm of the company on May 30, 1984.
Strike's impacts on passenger service
From the beginning of the strike, the long-distance named passenger trains rerouted over an Atlantic Coast Line Railroad route through the central interior of the peninsula south from Jacksonville to Auburndale, and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad route south from Auburndale completed the trip to West Palm Beach and Miami.[24][25] The strike and the resulting interior rerouting marked the end of long-distance coastal service between Jacksonville and West Palm Beach. Any resumed service later, in 1965, was strictly intrastate trains operated by the FEC.
Passenger service became a political issue in Florida during the early years of the labor strike, which essentially lasted 14 years, from 1963 to 1977. At the insistence of the City of Miami—which had long fought to get rid of the tracks in the downtown section just north of the county courthouse—Miami's wooden-constructed downtown passenger terminal was demolished by November 1963.[26] Although a new station was planned at NE 36th Street and NE 2nd Avenue,[27] it was never built.
Further, while freight trains were operated with non-union and supervisory crews, passenger runs were not reinstated until August 2, 1965, after the City of Miami sued and the Florida courts ruled that the FEC corporate charter required both coach and first class passenger services to be offered. In response, FEC sold "parlor car seating" for first class accommodations in the rear lounge section of a tavern-lounge-observation car. Train service operated daily, except Sunday.[28] This new state-mandated passenger service consisted of a single diesel locomotive and two streamlined passenger cars, which, in addition to the operating crew, were staffed by a passenger service agent and a coach attendant, who were "non-operating". The mini-streamliner operated all of the way across three previously observed crew districts (Jacksonville to New Smyrna Beach to Fort Pierce to Miami). Following the letter of the law, the passenger service was bare bones. The trains carried no baggage, remains, mail or express and honored no inter-line tickets or passes.[4]: 151 The only food service was a box lunch (at Cocoa-Rockledge in 1966). On-board beverage service was limited to soft drinks and coffee. Without a station in Miami, the 1950s-era station in North Miami became the southern terminus. This stripped-down service operated six days a week until it was finally discontinued on July 31, 1968.
FEC in the 21st century
Routing
The Florida East Coast Railway has operated from its relocated headquarters in Jacksonville since it sold the original General Office Building in St. Augustine to Flagler College in late 2006. Its trains run over nearly the same route developed by Henry Flagler, with the addition of the Moultrie Cutoff (St. Augustine to Bunnell), which was built in 1925 to shorten the main line south of St. Augustine.
Leadership
In March 2005, Robert Anestis stepped down as CEO of Florida East Coast Industries after a four-year stint, allowing Adolfo Henriquez to assume that position, with John D. McPherson, a long-time railroad man, continuing as president of the railway itself. By this time, the railroad had long since made peace with its workers.
In late 2007, in a move surprising to many employees and railroad industry observers alike, the FEC was purchased for over US$3 billion (including non-rail assets) by
In May 2010, James Hertwig was named as president and chief executive officer of the company effective July 1, 2010. Hertwig had recently retired from
James Hertwig retired as president and chief executive officer of the company effective December 31, 2017, and was replaced by Nathan Asplund as the railway was purchased by Grupo México and now manages it along with its other transport interests.
Operations
The FEC operations today are dominated by "intermodal" trains and unit rock (limestone) trains. Passenger service was discontinued in 1968 after labor unrest but later resumed (under a different operator) with the introduction of Brightline in 2018.
The company's major income-earning sources are its rock trains, transporting primarily limestone, and intermodal trains. FEC freight trains operate on precise schedules. Trains are not held for missed connections or late loadings. Most of the trains are paired so that they leave simultaneously from their starting points and meet halfway through the run and swap crews, so they are back home at the end of their runs. The FEC pioneered operation with 2 man crews with no crew districts, which they were able to start doing after the 1963 strike. The entire railroad adopted positive train control (PTC) after a fatal 1987 collision caused by a crew not obeying signaling. [citation needed] (PTC is a safety feature long-sought by federal safety officials for all railroads).
FEC has what is called by some a "prime" railroad right-of-way. The heavy weight of the rock trains required very good trackage and bridges. The railroad has mostly 136 pound-per-yard (66 kg/m) continuous-welded rail attached to concrete ties, which sits on a high quality granite roadbed. The entire railroad is controlled by centralized traffic control with constant radio communication. Because the railroad has only minor grades, it takes very little horsepower to pull very long trains at speed. 60 mph (97 km/h) trains are a normal FEC operating standard.
Passenger service
The FEC was already in the freight-only business when
In March 2012 FEC Industries (not FEC Railway) proposed a privately owned and operated service between Miami and Orlando along its route, to be named All Aboard Florida. New high speed trackage would be built between
Rock trains
A lifeblood of the FEC is its transportation of high-grade
Rinker has since been sold and is now part of the multi-national Cemex. Rock train traffic dropped dramatically in 2008 with the elimination of all but one dedicated rock train. Other rock loads are now added onto other regular trains. Up until mid 2017, only one rock train remained, which is called the "unit train" and operates between Miami and City Point. Since then, rock traffic has rebounded, and the railroad has since added a second unit rock train which handles Ft. Pierce bound rock.
Intermodal services
The
Additionally FEC offers "Hurricane Service" offering trucking companies the opportunity of having their trailers piggybacked out of Jacksonville to save the expensive cost of back-hauling empty trailers.
Starting in 2012 the FEC began an aggressive project to reopen direct rail service to the ports of
Other freight
The FEC also hauls normal "manifest" freight to and from points along its right of way. These cars are hauled on whatever train is going that way, so intermodal and rock trains routinely have some manifest cars in their consists.
Additionally, the FEC currently transports Tropicana Products "Juice Train" cars to and from one of the company's processing facilities located on the "K" Line. The Juice Train concept was developed by Tropicana founder Anthony T. Rossi in conjunction with Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (a CSX predecessor) beginning in 1970.
Motive power
The FEC completed its "second generation" dieselization with the purchase[when?] of 49 GP40s and GP40-2s and 11 GP38-2s, ranging in the 400's. Most of these locomotives were extensively rebuilt, with others being retired. In 2002, the FEC acquired 20 ex-UP SD40-2s, which were numbered in the 700s. These ex-UP locomotives remained in their original colors with FEC markings; however, as of 2014 seven of them had been repainted into the "retro" Champion scheme. As of 2015 most of these were leased to CSXT.
In 2006 the FEC leased four SD70M-2's numbered in the 100 series (100-103), in a blue and yellow livery known by fans as the "Classic" or the "Alaskan" schemes. In 2009 when RailAmerica came into the picture, they added four more SD70M-2's (104-107) in the red, pearl, and blue scheme, which was the standard RailAmerica scheme. That brought the total SD70M-2 count to eight.
Seeking further power improvements, in 2009, the FEC leased three CITX SD70M-2's, making the count now of 11 of the big EMD's. These locomotives were numbered 140, 141 and 142; all were blue and white striped units. All of the SD70M-2's served on the railway until the end of 2014, when they were replaced with new power. The fleet GP38-2s were used principally for yard and road switching as well as the occasional local. The others were used as available in road service. Some test runs were made to observe the effect on fuel consumption of dynamic braking and combinations of new and old power.
In 2014 the railway purchased 24
LNG fuel
FEC is the only US railroad actively using
Statistics
In 1925 FEC carried 979 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 261 million passenger miles on (at year-end) 849 miles of road and 1411 miles of track; corresponding numbers for 1970 were 1345, 0, 554 and 1058.[citation needed]
In 2005 FEC owned and operated:[36]
- 351 miles (565 km) of mainline track between Jacksonville and Miami, Florida
- 277 miles (446 km) of branch, switching, and other secondary track
- 158 miles (254 km) of yard track
Flagler Development owned and operated:
- 64 buildings
- 7.4 million rentable square feet
Motive Fleet
Road numbers | Model | Notes |
---|---|---|
100–107, 140–142 | EMD SD70M-2
|
Numbers 104–107 are painted in RailAmerica's red, pearl and blue colors; Numbers 100–103 were sold off to the Vermont Railway and Providence and Worcester. Numbers 140–142 are painted in CITX blue with white stripes. 100–107 were leased from EMD and returned by the end of 2014. 140–142 are leased from CITX and scheduled to be returned by the end of 2014. CSXT leased FEC 104–107 in 2015, but they are now in storage at the FEC New Smyrna Beach Yard. CSXT also leased CITX 140, 141, and 142 but have been returned to the leaser. |
401–410 | EMD GP40 | 402 wrecked, parts traded in for #424. Reportedly, #406 was painted yellow, red & black and numbered 2000. 406 / 2000 along with the 403 left the property in 2013. FEC 2000 and 403 were the last pure GP40's left on the railway. All other GP40's have been scrapped or sent off to various RailAmerica roads. |
411–414, 16–18, 20–22, 24–27, 29–38, 40 and 443 | EMD GP40-2 | 423 reblt to #437; 426 on the cover of country musician Randy Dukes’ album Riding the Rails. 416 repainted into the 1960s "retro blue" in 2013 and a number of others have followed. FEC 434 was the very last GP40-2 ever built by EMD and is still in service on the railway. 412 and 414 have been repainted into a new livery applied by new owner Grupo México. |
415, 419, 428, 439, 441 | EMD GP40-3 | |
444–449 | EMD GP40-3 | Rebuilt GP40s; dynamic brake equipped. Off the property. |
501–511 | EMD GP38-2 | 502 acquired by Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad. 503 and 504 acquired by North Carolina & Virginia Railroad. 501 and 507 have been repainted into "retro blue". 505 and 506 to the South Carolina Central RR. 509 acquired by Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad. |
701–720 | EMD SD40-2 | Ex-Union Pacific; Nos 703, 711, 713, 714, 715, 716 & 720 were overhauled & repainted into a yellow, red and black scheme. These units are painted in what is referred to as the "Champion" scheme that was used on the FEC E-units.[37] Unit 701 was completely destroyed after a derailment on May 9, 2009. All SD40-2 units except for 711 and 715 were being used by CSX as leasers in 2015–2016 and have returned to FEC. |
2000 | EMD GP40 | Originally numbered 406 and was a commemorative unit painted in "champion-esque" yellow, red and black. This unit left the property in 2013. |
Progress Rail 3576 & 3578 | EMD SD40-2 | |
Progress Rail 9917 | EMD SD40-2 | |
800–823 | GE ES44C4[38]
|
Delivered in November–December 2014; painted in the "champion" scheme. |
Awards and recognition
On May 16, 2006, FEC was the recipient of the Gold E. H. Harriman Award for safety in Group C (line-haul railroad companies with fewer than 4 million employee hours per year).[39]
Corporate history
The Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway Company was incorporated under the general incorporation laws of Florida to own and operate a railroad from Jacksonville in Duval county, through the counties of Duval, St. Johns, Putnam, Volusia, Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Dade, Polk and Hillsborough.
The name was changed to the Florida East Coast Railway Company on September 7, 1895.
Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) incorporated in 1983[36] and was made the holding company for the Railway and the Commercial Realty/Flagler Development Company in 1984. The other subsidiaries are Orlando-based carrier, "EPIK Communication" and the logistics firm, "International Transit".[40]
FECI began operating independently of the St. Joe Company on October 9, 2000[36] when St. Joe shareholders were given FECI stock.
On May 8, 2007, Florida East Coast Railway Company's parent, FECI, announced that FECI would be purchased with private equity funds managed by Fortress Investment Group in a transaction valued at $3.5 billion.[41][42] Fortress Investment acquired Florida East Coast Railway from Florida East Coast Industries in March 2008.[42][clarification needed]
On July 7, 2017,
Lines
Main line
At its greatest extent, Florida East Coast Railway's Main Line ran from Jacksonville via Miami to Key West, a distance of over 500 miles.[45] Today, the Main Line continues to run from Jacksonville to Miami.
Prior to 1925, the main line deviated from its current route between St. Augustine and Bunnell. From St. Augustine, it ran southwest to East Palatka on the St. Johns River before turning back southeast to Bunnell. In 1925, the Moultrie Cutoff was built to reroute the main line on to a more direct route from St. Augustine to Bunnell, bypassing the inland swing to East Palatka.[14] The original main line remained in service after the Moultrie Cutoff was complete, but it was downgraded to branch status (Palatka Branch) and is now mostly abandoned. The milepost numbers on the main line still reflect the original route, causing the mileposts to abruptly jump from 67 to 86.4 in Bunnell today.[46]
In 1926, the main line was double-tracked between Jacksonville and Miami in response to the Florida land boom of the 1920s. Bridges were rebuilt and Automatic Block Signals were also installed at the same time.[14]
The Key West Extension was destroyed by the
In 1972, four years after the discontinuation of FEC's passenger services, work began to restore the main line to single track with passing sidings every 10 miles and Centralized traffic control. Also in 1972, FEC abandoned the main line from Miami south to Kendall, which included the demolition of the swing bridge over the Miami River in downtown Miami.[15] The FEC sold the right of way of this abandoned segment to Miami-Dade Transit in 1979, who then built the southern half of Miami's Metrorail on the former right of way. Main line track from Kendall to Florida City remained in service at this time since it could still be accessed through the Little River Branch. By 1989, the remaining main line track from Kendall to Florida City (which had been the southern terminus since the abandonment of the Key West Extension in 1935) was abandoned. Today, the South Miami Dade Busway and South Dade Rail Trail run on the former right of way from Kendall to Florida City.[48]
With the reintroduction of passenger service on the FEC via Brightline in the 2010s, most of the main line has once again been expanded to double track. Double track from Miami to West Palm Beach was completed in late 2017. Double track from West Palm Beach to Titusville has been completed as part of Brightline's second phase.[49] Many bridges have been rebuilt along this segment as part of the project, despite the fact that many of the older bridges still have adequate width from the previous double track.[14]
Kissimmee Valley Line
The Kissimmee Valley Line, also known as the Okeechobee Branch, ran from just south of New Smyrna Beach through the Kissimmee Valley roughly paralleling the main line. Branching off the Main Line at
Construction began at Maytown on February 25, 1911, and was completed to Okeechobee in 1915.[51] The line was extended north from Maytown to Edgewater (just south of New Smyrna Beach) in 1916 to have its own connection to the Main Line.[52][2]: 75
By 1923, the branch was extended from Okeechobee southeast and around the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee to Belle Glade. The Interstate Commerce Commission had authorized the FEC to extend the line as far as Hialeah to connect with the South Florida network, but it was never built south of Belle Glade.[51][4]: 100 The line was instead extended from Belle Glade west to South Bay and Lake Harbor on the south side of the lake at the Miami Canal in 1929. Here, it connected with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's Haines City Branch.[2]: 119
In 1947, the Kissimmee Valley Line was abandoned from Maytown to Marcy since it ended up not generating the agricultural traffic it had hoped to.[2]: 130 At the same time, the remaining line south of Marcy to Lake Harbor was connected to the Main Line at Fort Pierce and is now part of the Lake Harbor Branch.[51]
Lake Harbor Branch
The Lake Harbor Branch (K Branch) runs from
The Lake Harbor Branch was originally built in the 1920s and was southernmost segment of the Kissimmee Valley Line until 1947, when the Glades Cutoff from Marcy to Fort Pierce was built and the rest of the Kissimmee Valley Line to the north was abandoned.
Little River Branch (Miami Belt Line)
The Little River Branch connects to the main line near Little River and heads south west toward Hialeah, where it turns south towards Hialeah Yard and
Built in 1923, the Little River Branch (also known as the Miami Belt Line) was historically a freight bypass around downtown Miami when the FEC main line continued south to Homestead and Florida City. The branch continued south past its current terminus at the airport and reconnected with the main line at Larkin, just north of Kendall. The line was double-tracked north of Hialeah Yard in 1925. When construction of the line was authorized by the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1923, the line from Little River to Hialeah was intended to be part of the extension of the Kissimmee Valley Line with track south to Larkin authorized as a branch line. The southern extension of the Kissimmee Valley Line was never built.[4]: 100–102
The branch was abandoned south of Oleander Junction in 2002.[55] This abandoned segment is currently planned to become the Ludlam Trail linear park.[56]
Palm Beach Branch
The Palm Beach branch was built to serve Flagler's hotels on Palm Beach island. When first built in 1895, the Palm Beach Branch ran from the main line east through West Palm Beach between Banyan Boulevard and Second Street (known then as Althea Street).[57] It crossed the Lake Worth Lagoon and on to Palm Beach Island just south of Flagler's Royal Poinciana Hotel. The branch had passenger stations at both the Royal Poinciana and The Breakers, Flagler's other hotel on Palm Beach Island. The original branch was essentially the end of the FEC before the main line was extended south to Miami in 1896.
In 1902, Flagler's built his estate Whitehall for his wife Mary. Whitehall was across the branch's tracks from the Royal Poinciana Hotel. The estate's proximity to the branch prompted Mary to complain about the noise and smoke coming from trains at Whitehall. In response, Flagler promptly had the branch removed and relocated with a new trestle over Lake Worth Lagoon four blocks north. The branch then connected to the hotels on their north side and the bridge also included a pedestrian walkway for hotel patrons.[4]: 54–55 The branch would remain service until 1935 when it was abandoned, a year after the closure of the Royal Poinciana Hotel.[15]
After its removal, the former trestle became a toll bridge, which was replaced by the Flagler Memorial Bridge in 1938 (which carried State Road A1A until 2017 when a new bridge replaced the 1938 span).[58] Much of the former right of way of this branch is still owned by the Town of Palm Beach.[59]
Palatka Branch
The Palatka Branch (P Branch) ran from Moultrie Junction (just outside of St. Augustine) southwest to East Palatka before turning back southeast and reconnecting with the main line at Bunnell. There was also a spur with a bridge across the St. Johns River into Palatka, where there was a junction with the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway and the Florida Southern Railway (which would both become part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's network).[60]
The Palatka Branch was built by predecessors St. Johns Railway, the St. Augustine and Palatka Railway, and the St. Johns and Halifax River Railroad which all became the Florida East Coast Railway in 1895. The line was the Florida East Coast Railway's main line until the construction of the Moultrie Cutoff in 1925. After the completion of the Moultrie Cutoff between St. Augustine and Bunnell, the original main line though East Palatka remained in service and became the Palatka Branch.
The connection to Palatka and the bridge over the St. Johns River was removed in 1950, and track from East Palatka to Bunnell was abandoned in 1972. In 1983, track was abandoned from East Palatka to Hastings. The rest of the branch from Hastings was later abandoned in 1988 and all rail was removed to a point just west of I-95 near Vermont Heights.[15] In 2001, rail service resumed up to this point and track was rehabilitated when new industries were located there. A daily local serves the eastern end of the line today known as the Wilber Wright Industrial Lead. Some of the right-of-way is now the Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail.[61]
Enterprise Branch
The former Enterprise Branch (E Branch) was built in 1885 by the Atlantic Coast, St. Johns and Indian River Railroad and leased to the
A steam locomotive pulled the first train over the line onto the wharf on the Indian River at Titusville on the afternoon of December 30, 1885, and greatly accelerated the transportation of passengers, produce, seafood, and supplies to and from central Florida. While Titusville thrived thanks to this new transportation connection, Enterprise lost stature as a steamboat port, since Henry Plant's railroad paralleled the St. Johns River and greatly reduced travel times to Jacksonville.
During the winter of 1894–95, a widespread freeze hit twice, decimating the citrus crop and ruining that part of Florida's economy. This allowed Henry Flagler to acquire the line at a discount to piece together what became the Florida East Coast Railway.
The track of the E Branch was removed from Benson Junction to
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection took ownership of the rail bed on December 31, 2007. East Central Regional Rail Trail and the Florida Coast to Coast Trail now run along the former right of way.[62]
In 1963, FEC built a branch from the main line from just north of Titusville east to Cape Canaveral. The branch included a causeway and drawbridge over the Indian River and ran to a point known as Wilson's Corner. The branch was built to serve the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and what would become Kennedy Space Center.
FEC built two yards along the branch: Jay Jay Yard at the junction with the FEC main line, and Wilson Yard at Wilson's Corner. The
In 1984, FEC sold its portion of the branch to the NASA Railroad. The NASA Railroad has since been used to deliver segments of the Solid rocket boosters for the Space Shuttle and the Artemis program.[63]
Ormond Beach Branch
The Ormond Beach Branch was a short branch that ran from the main line in Ormond Beach. It ran east from the main line over the Halifax River to the Ormond Hotel, which opened in 1888. Flagler acquired the Ormond Hotel in 1888 and expanded it to 600 rooms. The Ormond Beach Branch was built by the Ormond Bridge Company as a branch of the St. Johns and Halifax River Railroad (the original builder of the main line from East Palatka to Daytona) in 1887.[64] The branch would also run past The Casements, which would be the winter home of John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and Flagler's former business partner. The Ormond Beach Branch was abandoned in 1932.[15]
Fellsmere Branch
The former Fellsmere Branch ran from the main line at Sebastian west to Fellsmere. It was originally built by the Sebastian & Cincinnatus Railroad in 1896. In 1909, it was run by the Fellsmere Farms Company. In 1924, the line was taken over by the Trans-Florida Central Railroad. It was abandoned in 1952.[65]
Orange City Branch
The former Orange City Branch (also known as the Atlantic and Western Branch) ran from New Smyrna Beach west to Orange City and Blue Spring on the St. Johns River. The branch was built by the Blue Spring, Orange City and Atlantic Railroad. In 1888, it became the Atlantic and Western Railroad. It later became part of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway, which changed its name to the Florida East Coast Railway in 1895. The line was in use until 1930.[66][67]
Tocoi Branch
The railroad from
Flagler Beach Branch
The railroad from Flagler Beach to Dorena, north of Bunnell, was built by the Lehigh Portland Cement Company in 1953. The line connected to the Lehigh Portland Cement Company Plant located near Flagler Beach. The line was abandoned in 1963, after a deadly strike erupted in that year that closed the massive plant. The site of the old plant was where some of the monorail beams were assembled for Walt Disney World Monorail System in the early 1970s. The route is now part of the rails to trails system. The plant has been demolished outside of one smokestack that will become a "lighthouse" for a new development. Some remains of the yard can be found in the woods near the eastern end of the Lehigh Greenway Rail Trail, which runs along the former right of way.[68]
San Mateo Branch
The former San Mateo Branch ran from the main line just southeast of East Palatka south to San Mateo. It was built as a branch of the St. Johns and Halifax River Railroad (who built the original main line from East Palatka to Daytona) in 1892.[2]: 66 The San Mateo Branch was abandoned in 1942.[15]
Mayport Branch
This was originally built by the
Family tree
- Florida East Coast Railway – formed September 13, 1895, as a renaming of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad; still exists
- Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad – formed October 6, 1892, as a renaming of the FC&G; renamed the Florida East Coast Railway September 13, 1895
- Florida Coast and Gulf Railway – formed May 28, 1892; renamed the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad October 6, 1892
- Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway– formed February 28, 1881, as a renaming of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railroad; merged with the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad October 31, 1892
- Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railroad – formed March 1879; renamed the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway February 28, 1881
- St. Augustine and Palatka Railway – formed September 1, 1885; merged with the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad 1893
Historic stations
- Main Line
Milepost | City | Station[45][69][70] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|
0.0 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville | rebuilt in 1919 as Jacksonville Union Terminal junction with:
|
1.3 | South Jacksonville | junction with Mayport Branch | |
5.0 | Bowden Yard | ||
9.3 | Nesbit | ||
12.8 | Greenland | ||
15.2 | Bayard | ||
20.6 | Durbin | ||
24.2 | Woodland | ||
27.3 | Sampson | ||
31.4 | Magnolia Grove | ||
36.7 | St. Augustine | St. Augustine | |
37.0 | Moultrie Junction | north junction with Moultrie Cutoff | |
40.0 | Tocoi Junction
|
junction with Tocoi Branch | |
44.2 | Hurds | ||
47.1 | Elkton | Elkton | |
49.0 | Armstrong | Armstrong | |
53.7 | Hastings | Hastings | |
57.4 | Orange Mills | Orange Mills | |
61.5 | East Palatka | East Palatka | |
Palatka | Palatka | located on a spur across the St. Johns River junction with: | |
62.8 | San Mateo Junction | junction with San Mateo Branch | |
66.6 | Yelvington | Yelvington | |
68.8 | Roy | ||
76.4 | Dinner Island | ||
80.3 | Neoga | ||
82.3 | Espanola | Espanola | |
86.6 | Bunnell | Bunnell | south junction with Moultrie Cutoff |
90.1 | Dupont | Dupont | |
97.6 | Harwood | ||
99.0 | Volusia | Volusia | |
101.4 | Tomoka | ||
104.2 | Ormond | Ormond | |
107.0 | Holly Hill | Holly Hill | |
109.8 | Daytona Beach | Daytona | |
112.5 | South Daytona | Blake | |
114.7 | Port Orange | Port Orange | |
119.3 | Spruce Creek | ||
121.3 | Turnbull Bay | ||
124.6 | New Smyrna Beach | New Smyrna | junction with Atlantic and Western Branch |
127.1 | Edgewater | Hawkes Park | later renamed Edgewater junction with Kissimmee Valley Line |
131.0 | Hucomer | ||
136.4 | Oak Hill | Oak Hill | |
143.2 | Lyrata | ||
143.5 | Scottsmoor | Scottsmoor | |
150.4 | East Mims | ||
151.3 | Titusville | Jay Jay | also known as Cape Canaveral Junction junction with NASA Railroad |
154.4 | Titusville | Titusville | junction with Enterprise Branch |
157.7 | Pritchards | ||
162.6 | Delespine | ||
165.4 | Frontenac | ||
167.7 | Sharpes | ||
169.3 | City Point | ||
173.1 | Cocoa | Cocoa | later replaced by Cocoa-Rockledge station
to be rebuilt nearby by Brightline as the Cocoa station |
174.4 | Rockledge | Rockledge | |
Rockledge Hotels | located on a spur across Indian River | ||
179.4 | Bonaventure | ||
182.7 | Pineda | ||
189.8 | Melbourne | Eau Gallie | |
190.7 | Sarno | ||
194.2 | Melbourne | ||
197.4 | Palm Bay | Tillman | later renamed Palm Bay |
199.9 | Malabar | Malabar | |
203.3 | Grant-Valkaria | Valkaria | |
205.5 | Grant | ||
208.6 | Micco | ||
212.4 | Roseland | ||
214.5 | Sebastian | Sebastian | junction with Fellsmere Branch |
219.3 | Wabasso | ||
221.9 | Quay | ||
225.5 | Gifford | ||
227.8 | Vero Beach | Vero | |
231.1 | Oslo | ||
234.6 | Viking | ||
238.9 | St. Lucie Village | St. Lucie | |
241.5 | Fort Pierce | Fort Pierce | junction with Lake Harbor Branch |
246.4 | White City | ||
247.2 | Eldred | ||
249.0 | Ankona | ||
252.4 | Walton | ||
254.4 | Eden | ||
256.7 | Jensen | Jensen | |
258.8 | Rio | ||
260.5 | Gosling | ||
261.2 | Stuart | Stuart | to be rebuilt nearby by Brightline as the Stuart station |
266.0 | Salerno | ||
266.3 | Aberdeen | ||
268.7 | Fruita | ||
272.2 | Gomez | ||
274.7 | Hobe Sound | moved to a grove on Bridge Road west of Hobe Sound and still extant (Land purchased and developed into the Hobe Sound Polo Club and the old station now serves as the grounds office) | |
277.8 | Likely | ||
283.3 | Jupiter | Jupiter | later moved to 479 Seabrook Road, Tequesta to be used as a house. Now facing demolition.[71] |
290.5 | Palm Beach Gardens | Monet | renamed Palm Beach Gardens |
293.3 | Lake Park | Kelsey City | renamed Lake Park |
295.3 | Riviera Beach | Riviera | |
299.0 | West Palm Beach | West Palm Beach | junction with Palm Beach Branch rebuilt a short distance south of original in 2018 by Brightline as the West Palm Beach station |
300.0 | Palm Beach | Royal Poinciana | located on Palm Beach Branch |
300.1 | Breakers | ||
306.1 | Lake Worth
|
Lake Worth | |
308.3 | Lantana | Lantana | |
309.4 | Hypoluxo | Hypoluxo | |
312.3 | Boynton Beach | Boynton | |
316.9 | Delray Beach | Delray | |
321.3 | Boca Raton | Yamato | |
324.6 | Boca Raton | restored and functioning as a museum
nearby the Brightline Boca Raton station | |
327.0 | Deerfield Beach | Deerfield | |
331.1 | Pompano Beach | Pompano | |
338.3 | Colohatchee | ||
341.2 | Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale | rebuilt nearby in 2018 by Brightline as the Fort Lauderdale station |
343.3 | Port Everglades Junction | junction with Port Everglades Belt Line Railroad[72] | |
345.9 | Dania | Dania | |
350.6 | Hallandale Beach | Hallandale | |
353.4 | Ojus | Ojus | rebuilt nearby in 2022 by Brightline as the Aventura station |
354.7 | North Miami Beach | Fulford | |
357.4 | Arch Creek | ||
359.0 | Biscayne | ||
360.6 | Miami | Little River | north junction with Little River Branch |
361.8 | Lemon City | known today as Little Haiti | |
363.2 | Buena Vista | ||
365.4 | Miami | rebuilt in 2018 as MiamiCentral | |
370.9 | Coconut Grove | ||
373.7 | Larkin | south junction with Little River Branch | |
376.4 | Kendall | ||
378.6 | Benson | ||
379.0 | Keys | ||
380.2 | Rockdale | ||
381.6 | Perrine | located just northwest of Cutler Bay | |
382.5 | Peters | ||
385.8 | Goulds | ||
386.7 | Black Point | ||
387.8 | Princeton | ||
389.3 | Naranja | ||
391.5 | Modello | ||
393.9 | Homestead | Homestead | |
395.6 | Florida City | Florida City | |
Key West Extension | |||
408.3 | Everglade | ||
415.4 | Jewfish | ||
417.1 | Key Largo | ||
424.3 | Rock Harbor | ||
430.8 | Tavernier | ||
434.5 | Islamorada | Plantation | |
438.2 | Quarry | now the location of Theater of the Sea | |
439.9 | Islamorada | ||
442.0 | Matecumbe | ||
445.3 | Indian Key | ||
447.6 | Midway | ||
449.2 | Lower Matecumbe | ||
450.6 | Craig | ||
455.0 | Crescent | ||
457.2 | Long Key | location of Long Key Fishing Camp | |
460.1 | Tom's Harbor | ||
463.9 | Marathon | Grassy | |
470.8 | Vaca | ||
474.2 | Marathon | ||
476.8 | Knights Key Dock | ||
474.2 | Pigeon Key | ||
484.0 | Missouri Key | ||
485.2 | Bahia Honda | ||
488.7 | Spanish Harbor | ||
491.9 | Big Pine Key
|
||
495.0 | Torch Key | ||
495.8 | Ramrod Key | ||
499.9 | Cudjoe Key
|
||
503.0 | Sugarloaf | ||
512.2 | Big Coppitt | ||
514.8 | Boca Chica Key | ||
518.2 | Stock Island | ||
522.0 | Key West
|
Key West | located on Trumbo Point |
- Kissimmee Valley Line
Milepost[73] | City | Station[50] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|
0.0 | Edgewater | Edgewater Junction | junction with Main Line |
9.5 | Creighton | ||
17.6 | Maytown | junction with Enterprise Branch | |
24.0 | Osceola | ||
28.8 | Geneva | ||
35.9 | Chuluota | ||
39.4 | Bithlo | ||
47.1 | Pocataw | ||
51.5 | Wewahotee | ||
Narcoossee[74] | |||
59.1 | Salofka | ||
64.9 | Tohopkee | Mail service terminated 1927 | |
71.2 | Holopaw | ||
79.8 | Illahaw | Mail service terminated 1935 | |
84.7 | Nittaw | Mail service terminated 1935 | |
90.0 | Kenansville[75] | named for Henry Flagler's third wife, Mary Lily Kenan | |
96.1 | Apoxsee | ||
99.1 | Lokosee | ||
106.1 | Yeehaw
|
currently known as Yeehaw Junction | |
112.6 | Osawaw[76] | ||
118.9 | Fort Drum[77] | ||
122.9 | Hilo | currently known as Hilolo | |
127.7 | Efal | ||
131.8 | Opal | ||
139.1 | Okeechobee | Okeechobee | junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Miami Subdivision |
For stations south of Okeechobee, see Lake Harbor Branch |
- Lake Harbor Branch
Milepost | City | Station[78] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|
K 0.0 | Fort Pierce | Fort Pierce | junction with Main Line |
K 14.0 | Cana | ||
K 28.5 | Marcy | junction with:
| |
K 14.0 | Mantola | ||
K 38.2 | Bessemer | ||
K 40.0 | Port Mayaca | ||
K 45.1 | Sand Cut | ||
K 49.7 | Canal Point | ||
K 52.5 | Pelican Lake
|
||
K 55.6 | Cardwell | ||
K 57.6 | Runyon | ||
K 61.6 | Belle Glade | Belle Glade-Chosen | |
K 63.0 | Dahlberg | ||
K 64.5 | South Bay | South Bay | |
K 70.9 | Lake Harbor | junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Haines City Branch |
- Little River Branch
Milepost | City | Station[78] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|
LR 0.0 | Miami
|
Little River | junction with Main Line |
LR 4.6 | Hialeah | Iris | junction with Miami Subdivision (SFRC /CSX)
|
LR 8.5 | Hialeah Yard | ||
LR 11.8 | Oleander | junction with Homestead Subdivision (CSX)
| |
LR 14.7 | Tropical Park | ||
LR 18.0 | Kendall Junction (Larkin) | junction with Main Line |
- Enterprise Branch
Milepost | City | Station[78] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|
E 0.0 | Titusville | Titusville | junction with Main Line |
E 2.1 | LaGrange | ||
E 4.3 | Mims | ||
E 9.4 | Aurantia | ||
E 16.5 | Maytown Junction | junction with Kissimmee Valley Line | |
E 16.8 | Maytown | ||
E 21.2 | Cow Creek | ||
E 23.5 | Farmton | ||
E 29.5 | Osteen | ||
E 36.3 | Enterprise | ||
E 40.1 | Benson Junction | junction with Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway (ACL) |
See also
- Grupo México
- Boca Express Train Museum
- Notable passenger trains operated over FEC rails: (sponsoring railroads and destinations)
- Champion-east coast section (Atlantic Coast Line, New York City)
- Illinois Central, Chicago)
- Louisville & Nashville, Chicago & St. Louis)
- Dixie Flyer (Louisville & Nashville, Chicago & St. Louis)
- Ponce de Leon (Southern Railway, Cincinnati)
- Royal Palm (Southern Railway, Cincinnati)
- South Wind (Louisville & Nashville, Chicago)
References
Citations
- ^ a b "Florida Railroad Strike Is Symbolic of National Test; Company Challenges Established Labor Relations Pattern". The New York Times. February 16, 1964. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Turner, Gregg (2003). A Short History of Florida Railroads. Arcadia Publishing.
- ^ "Florida East Coast Railway". Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 1-55046-358-6.
- ISBN 978-0-9118-6899-9.
- ^ "A Railway of Firsts". The Florida Historical Society. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Keller, Amy (September 1, 2008). "Fla. companies with promise". Florida Trend.
- ^ a b Bowman, Bryan; Forde, Kathy Roberts (May 17, 2018). "How slave labor built the state of Florida – decades after the Civil War". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ Joe Knetsch, "The Peonage Controversy and the Florida East Coast Railway," Tequesta (1999), Vol. 59, pp 5-28.
- ^ "Monthly Weather Review" (PDF). American Meteorological Society. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1906. pp. 479–480. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
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- ^ a b c d Turner, Gregg M. (2005). Florida Railroads in the 1920s. Arcadia Publishing.
- ^ a b c d e f g "FEC Historical Timeline". Florida East Coast Railway Society. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ Hopkins, Alice. "The Development of the Overseas Highway" (PDF). FIU Digital Collections. Florida International University. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ "today".
- ^ Wilkinson, Jerry. "HISTORY of the OVERSEAS HIGHWAY". KEYS HISTOREUM. Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
- ^ "Overseas Highway and Railway Bridges". National Park Service. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ Altman, Burton (1985). ""In the Public Interest?" Ed Ball and the FEC Railway War". Florida Historical Quarterly. 64 (1): 35. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ Altman, Burton (1985). ""In the Public Interest?" Ed Ball and the FEC Railway War". Florida Historical Quarterly. 64 (1): 32. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ Mason, Raymond (February 21, 1999). "A powerful man craved little but gave a lot". Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
- ^ Altman, Burton (1985). ""In the Public Interest?" Ed Ball and the FEC Railway War". Florida Historical Quarterly. 64 (1): 46. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ Atlantic Coast Line Railroad timetable, December 14, 1962, Table 15
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- ^ Howe, Ward Allan (November 3, 1963). "The Florida Run: Railroads Anticipating a Busy Winter – New Schedule Effective Dec. 13" (PDF). The New York Times. p. XX13. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ Einstein, Paul (September 23, 1963). "It's Coming Down This Week!". The Miami News. p. 2A. Retrieved March 29, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Florida East Coast Railway". Official Guide of the Railways. 99 (7). National Railway Publication Company. December 1966.
- ^ "Private equity firm to buy Florida East Coast". South Florida Sun Sentinel. May 10, 2007. pp. 43, 44. Retrieved October 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Wyman, Oliver. "As Trucks Get More Efficient, Railroads' Competitive Edge Is Eroding". Forbes. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ Vantuono, William C. (November 10, 2017). "FEC goes LNG" (PDF). www.railwayage.com – via files.chartindustries.com.
- ^ a b c "Florida East Coast Industries, LLC: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Businessweek.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2010.
- ^ "FEC 143". Rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
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- ^ a b Basch, Mark (July 21, 2008). "FEC rolling along after buyout". Florida Times-Union.
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- ^ a b "FEC Kissimmee Valley Extension Map Kissimmee Valley Line Map". Archived from the original on October 10, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2005.
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Bibliography
- Bramson, Seth H. (2002). Speedway to Sunshine: The Story of the Florida East Coast Railway. Boston: Boston Mills Press. ISBN 1-55046-358-6.
- Standiford, Les (2002). Last Train to Paradise. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-609-60748-0.
- Rand McNally Map – 1917, showing Western Kissimmee Valley Branch
- Biscayne Times: "Waiting for the Train". (Jan. 2009) Archived September 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Florida East Coast Railway December 12, 1957 winter season timetable
- Florida East Coast Railway April 25, 1960 timetable Archived November 20, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
- Florida East Coast Railway Website
- http://www.sethbramsonbooks.com (Includes three books on FEC, many local histories and history of the Plant System)
- Flagler Museum – History of the Florida East Coast Railway
- Florida East Coast Railway Society
- At Issue: The Railroad War - 30-minute news report by National Educational Television on the FEC railroad strike, including interviews with Ed Ball and strike leaders; first aired on March 16, 1964.
- Winchester, Clarence, ed. (1936), "Out to sea by train", Railway Wonders of the World, pp. 109–114 account of the Florida East Coast Railway Key West Extension
- Railroad Bells at A History of Central Florida Podcast
- Virtual Exhibit: Great Days of Rail Travel, Bienes Museum of the Modern Book, Broward County Library.