Florida Railroad
Overview | |
---|---|
Locale | standard gauge |
Previous gauge | 5 ft (1,524 mm) |
The Florida Railroad was the first
History
Construction and early years
The shipping route between the east coast and gulf coast of the United States passes through the Straits of Florida, close to the Florida Reef that lies just off the Florida Keys. Prior to the 20th century many ships were wrecked around the southern end of the Florida peninsula. A railroad across the northern end of the Florida peninsula would allow cargoes from ships in the Gulf of Mexico to be transferred to ships in the Atlantic Ocean, and vice versa, without the risk of passage through the Straits of Florida, while cutting 800 miles off the trip.[1]: 27–28
In 1842 the
The Florida Railroad was adversely affected by the Civil War. The USS Hatteras raided Cedar Key in January 1862, destroying the railroad's rolling stock and buildings. In March 1862 a Union squadron seized Fernandina. Shells fired by the USS Ottawa damaged the last train leaving Fernandina, killing or injuring several passengers, and almost killing Senator Yulee. In 1864, the Confederate States Army pulled up rails from the Florida Railroad to use on a new rail line from Live Oak, Florida to Lawton, Georgia (now known as DuPont). Union forces had also destroyed 30 miles of track leading from Cedar Key.[1]: 34–37, 40
The Dickerson syndicate resumed operation of the Florida Railroad after the war, but with much of the railroad's equipment, facilities and track destroyed or seized, the company did not do well, and defaulted on its bonds to the
The Florida Transit and Peninsular Railroad was merged with the
In 1900, a year after purchasing the majority of FC&P stock, the newly organized Seaboard Air Line Railway leased the FC&P and, in 1903, acquired it outright.[4]: 146
Seaboard Air Line ownership
Once under the ownership of the Seaboard Air Line, the Florida Railroad between Baldwin and Waldo would become part of the company's main line. By 1925, track from Baldwin to Callahan was the Seaboard's Gross Subdivision, and the remaining track to Fernandina Beach was the Fernandina Subdivision. By 1932, Seaboard abandoned track from Archer to Cedar Key.[5] Remaining track from Waldo to Archer was then part of the Seaboard's Brooksville Subdivision (which continued from Archer down the former Early Bird Branch to the former Tampa Northern Railroad). The Brooksville Subdivision would be an alternate freight route from northern Florida to Tampa.[6] The line was abandoned between Callahan and Yulee in 1954.[7]
Later years
In 1967, the Seaboard Air Line merged with their long-time rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). After the merger was complete, the company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation.[1]: 12
Current conditions
Segments of the former Florida Railroad are still in service. Since 2005, track from Fernandina Beach to Yulee is now operated by the First Coast Railroad. Track from Callahan to Waldo is still owned by CSX and is now the Callahan Subdivision from Callahan to Baldwin, and the S Line (Wildwood Subdivision) from Baldwin to Waldo.[8] Today, State Road 24 runs along much of the former right of way of the route between Waldo and Cedar Key. The Waldo Road Greenway also runs along the former right of way between Gainesville and Waldo.
Historic Stations
Miles from Fernandina |
System Milepost |
City/Location | Station[9] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
0.0 | SMA 47.2 | Fernandina | Fernandina | |
6.1 | O'Neill | O'Neill | ||
7.0 | Buena Vista | |||
8.6 | Lofton | |||
11.0 | Yulee | Hart's Road | ||
12.1 | SMA 35.1 | Yulee | originally Hart's Road Junction junction with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Northern Division (SAL) | |
15.4 | Hero | |||
19.1 | Italia | Italia | ||
25.7 | SMA 22.2 | Nassau | ||
27.2 | SM 20.0 | Callahan | Callahan | junction with: |
31.8 | SM 12.3 | Crawford | Crawford | junction with Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway (GSF/SOU) |
36.8 | Verdie | Verdie | ||
38.7 | Ingle | Ingle | ||
40.0 | St. Mary's | |||
41.1 | Bryceville | Bryceville | ||
47.3 | SM 0.0 S 653.0 |
Baldwin | Baldwin | junction with: |
50.8 | S 656.5 | Fiftone | ||
54.9 | S 659.0 | Maxville | ||
57.3 | S 661.4 | Hugh | ||
61.3 | S 665.7 | Highland | ||
62.4 | Trail Ridge | |||
66.3 | S 669.3 | Lawtey | Lawtey | |
68.4 | Burrine's | |||
69.1 | S 672.1 | Saxton | ||
71.4 | Temple | |||
73.2 | S 678.4 | Starke | Starke | |
73.9 | S 679.1 | Wannee Junction | junction with Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railway (SAL) | |
77.4 | Thurston | |||
79.4 | S 684.6 | Hampton | Hampton | junction with Georgia Southern and Florida Railway (SOU) |
84.8 | S 690.0 | Waldo | Waldo | junction with Peninsular Railroad (FC&P/SAL) |
88.2 | Millicans | |||
91.8 | SR 697.2 | Fairbanks | Fairbanks | |
94.9 | Dowd's | |||
96.2 | Nedra | |||
98.7 | SR 704.0 | Gainesville | Gainesville
|
junction with: |
102.6 | Daysville | |||
103.8 | Hammock Ridge | Hammock Ridge | ||
104.7 | Arredondo | Arredondo | ||
105.8 | SR 710.8 | Kanapaha | Kanapaha | |
108.9 | Palmer | Palmer | ||
110.8 | Peach Orchard | |||
113.2 | SR 718.4 | Archer | Archer | junction with Early Bird Branch |
116.9 | Venables | |||
117.9 | Albion | |||
119.4 | Meredith | |||
122.5 | Bronson | Bronson | ||
128.5 | Lennon | |||
134.3 | Otter Creek | Otter Creek | ||
135.9 | Ellzey | |||
139.6 | Emett | |||
143.6 | Wylly | |||
145.5 | Rosewood | Rosewood | ||
146.5 | Hilton | |||
148.0 | Sumner | Sumner | ||
152.7 | Lukens | |||
155.7 | 760.9 | Cedar Key | Cedar Key |
See also
- Cross Florida Barge Canal
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7385-2421-4.
- ^ Confederate Railroads - Florida
- ^ Watkins, Caroline (April 1975). "Some Early Railroads in Alachua County". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 53 (4). Florida Historical Society: 450–59.
- ISBN 978-0-8130-3233-7.
- ^ Roberts, Bruce. "Florida's Forgotten Railroad". The Florida Railroad Company - Fernandina & Cedar Key. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ Seaboard Air Line Railroad South Florida Division Timetable (1940)
- ^ "Yulee to Callahan, FL". Abandoned Rails. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ CSX Jacksonville Division Timetable
- ^ "Florida Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (Florida). Retrieved 5 June 2020.