Over A CENTURY OLD Abandoned Railroad Bridge in Florida Everglades
This video is a tribute to the former Atlantic Coast Line ACL Haines City Brach which went from Haines City to Everglades City that being its Southernmost point, however the CSX Homestead Subdivision did extend further South and currently holds the title for the continental United States of America ! It ran through Lake Wales , Avon Park , Sebring , and Immokalee in addition to the aforementioned cities. In 1910 construction began from H.C. to Sebring. This segment would be complete in June 1912 and served many vegetable , citrus growers and was 47 miles long. In 1916, the Atlantic Coast Line made plans to extend the branch further south to Immokalee. Construction began that year with track reaching the Caloosahatchee River at Ortona by April 1918. This project also included a branch from Harrisburg, just south of Palmdale, to Moore Haven which was completed around the same time. ACL extended the line one last time in 1929 to the Miami Canal in Lake Harbor to connect with the Florida East Coast Railway's Kissimmee Valley Line. A spur south and east to Okeelanta would also be built. The Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railroads would merge in 1967, with the merged company being named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. The Seaboard Coast Line ended up using the former Seaboard Air Line track in the combined network as the main route through the area. The Haines City Branch would then be broken up into smaller branches of the Seaboard line. In 1958, service to Everglades City was discontinued due to diminished traffic and track was removed between there and Copeland. By 1961, track was removed between Copeland and Sunniland. The Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railroads would merge in 1967, with the merged company being named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. The Seaboard Coast Line ended up using the former Seaboard Air Line track in the combined network as the main route through the area. The Haines City Branch would then be broken up into smaller branches of the Seaboard line. Track was removed between Waverly and Lake Wales, between Frostproof and Avon Park (with a short piece of the line remaining as a spur), and between the Avon Park spur and Sebring (which eliminated the crossing of the two lines). The Seaboard Coast Line would then operate the north end of the line as their Haines City Subdivision from Haines City to Waverly. Track from Lake Wales to Frostproof became part of the Lake Wales Subdivision. Remaining track south of Sebring to Lake Harbor became the Sebring Subdivision, and track from Harrisburg to Immokalee became the Immokalee Subdivision. 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. By 1982, the company removed track from south of Haines City to Waverly, as well as track from Immokalee to Sunniland. The rest of the Immokalee Branch would be abandoned by the end of the decade.
Despite parts of the Haines City Branch being abandoned, some segments remain in service. At the north end, the line remains within Haines City but is now serves as an industrial spur off of CSX's A Line (the former Atlantic Coast Line main line). The line remains grade separated through downtown Haines City, owing to how busy the line was in its earlier days.
From Lake Wales to Frostproof, the line is still in service and is now operated by the Florida Midland Railroad, a shortline that took over the line in 1987. This segment is now connected to the Auburndale Subdivision via a former Seaboard Air Line track from West Lake Wales to Lake Wales.
The short industrial spur in Avon Park is still in service that now branches off the Auburndale Subdivision (former Seaboard line).
The remaining track from Sebring to Clewiston and Lake Harbor also remains in service. U.S. Sugar, who has historically been a major customer on that part line for its entire history, bought it in 1994 and established its own shortline, the South Central Florida Express, Inc., who continues to operate it today.
State Road 29 continues to run very close to the former right of way between Immokalee and Everglades City. If you ever saw a train here, please comment where and when!
To Help Me with Traveling, Please Visit:
Patreon.com/RailROL82
Google Maps Location Link:
www.google.com/maps/@25.87380...
Part 1 Video Link:
• What Does This Broken ...
Please Subscribe and Like! Thank you for viewing.
#RailROL82
#Everglades
#Naples
#MarcoIsland
#History
#US
#ACL
#Miami
#Florida
#Urbex
#trains
#abandonedrailroad #abandoned
#malfunction
#railroadcrossing #trains
#tampa
#orlando
#atlanticcoastline
#hialeahgardens
Copyright RailROL82 2021