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Welcome to the last classic American railroad! The FEC has survived years of mergermania to become the last truly independent "steam era" railroad in a land of look-alike giants. Watching FEC's group of highly dedicated and professional employees hustle tonnage across the sunshine state is one of the best shows in railroading today. Here is a short look at the railroad from my three visits to Florida in 2000, '02 and '03. They are arranged in geographical order from north to south and cover the railroad from Jacksonville to Jupiter. Enjoy!
Photography
by James House
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Hialeah-Bowden northbound #202
treads across the St. Lucie River at Stuart, Florida. This May 7, 2003,
view is from the parallel US Route 1 bridge. |
| Fort Pierce-based local #925
crosses the Stuart Bridge southbound on May 6, 2003. |
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Viewed from the small river walk
and fishing pier underneath the US 1 bridge, we see the previous day's
version of #925 arriving in Stuart to work the local industries. |
| The train has arrived at Stuart
and is switching the Rinker Materials facility just south of downtown. |
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#925 has finished with Rinker
and has continued south to the next industry. Most mornings will find
the train working for about an hour on the single main between Stuart
Bridge and the interlocking at Port Sewall. |
| On May 6th, 2003, #925 has finished
its work on the single main and now takes the siding at Port Sewall to
work a few more industries and meet trains #202 and #125. |
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Our May 5th version of #925 is
also seen in "the hole" at Port Sewall. |
| Hialeah-Ft. Pierce rock train
#290 heads north into the setting sun at Fruita, Fl., on May 5, 2003. |
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Noontime at Hobe Sound, Fl.,
finds SB local #925 curving through a cut (a real rarity in Florida!) underneath
the US Route 1 overpass. The train will run through the unspoiled beauty
of the Jonathan Dickinson State Park for the next few miles into Jupiter. |
SB train #125 knocks down the signal at Camp Murphy North as it enters the wealthy community of Jupiter, Florida. |
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FEC bridge maintainers inspect the Loxahatchie River bridge at the Jupiter, Florida. Jupiter Bridge, along with all but two FEC moveable bridges are controlled remotely from the dispatching center in St. Augustine. The two exceptions are the New River bridge in Fort Lauderdale and the St. Johns River bridge in Jacksonville. |
The maintainers are safely in the clear as #202 crosses the bridge under the watchful eye of several multi-million dollar homes on the south bank of the river. |
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