FEC 90, built in 1898 by Jackson & Sharp, was also a Henry Flagler PV (his first?). It is now at the Indiana Transportation Museum.
http://www.itm.org/fec90.html

Edit: According to the Henry Flagler Museum YouTube clip, No. 91 was built before No. 90.

Thanks!

This is in reply to the query about steam on the FEC.

The Freedom Train ran through Florida in the late 70's. I believe this was the last time any steam powered train was considered with any weight, and I'm sure someone who was around at the time can add to this, but concrete ties were supposedly the factor. Obviously you can run a steam engine on concrete ties, but this was the reason passed on to my father (ex FEC employee) from my grandfather (retired FEC).

http://www.newmanpr.com/2011/11/07/keys-‘railroad-that-went-to-sea’-to-mark-100th-anniversary/

Mary Lilly Keenan Flagler was the richest woman in the world when Henry Morrison Flagler passed away May 20,1913. Henry died from complications of a broken hip after a fall down the stairs at Whitehall. Dianne Jacoby of Saint Augustine portrays "The Three Mrs. Flaglers" starting with Mary Harkness Flagler. Who tells about how Henry started out penniless and started Standard Oil of Ohio with John D. Rockefeller and how Henry set business aside to bring her to Florida for her health.

Then the flamboyant Ida Alice Shrouds Flagler slips into insanity, suffering from mental illness is institutionalized in New York living till 1932. She died a rich woman as Henry left a large sum of money for her care. After divorcing her under what is now known as "The Flagler Law" making insanity grounds for divorce in Florida.

His third wife Mary Lilly Keenan Flagler was with Henry when he built the Florida East Coast Railway down the eastern seaboard of Florida. When the "Overseas Railway" was completed, Mary Lilly talks about the "Hansom young engineer" easing the 5 car train to a stop at Key West. (That engineer was Dianne Jacoby's paternal Grandfather!) Her Maternal Grandfather was a judge in Jacksonville who presided over the FEC receivership.

The presentation was very entertaining as well as educational.

Jeff -

Unfortunately, I can't help you on the heavyweight car. But I wonder if you happened to see a C&O cupola caboose located just off of Highway 1 around Islamorada? When the wife and I visited the Keys a number of years ago, I spotted the caboose which was the local Chamber of Commerce office at that time. I wonder if this caboose might still be there? Sure was a long way from home!

Reading back through this old thread, I noticed a few things have changed, including the situation with Cuba.

Hope you find out about the heavyweight passenger car.

Les

Here are links photos of the car identified as "Pigeon Key Visitor Center - Gift Shop."

http://www.florida-keys-experience.com/images/pigeon-key-visitor-center-marathon-key-florida.jpg.jpg

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34347-d143352-Reviews-Pigeon_Key-Marathon_Florida_Keys_Florida.html#photos

http://wanderthemap.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IMG_50321.jpg

Walking tour of the 7 mile bridge and Pigeon Key.

http://wanderthemap.com/2013/11/walking-old-7-mile-bridge-pigeon-key/


Wesley

I think that heavyweight is an M-K-T 1930s vintage car. Cast-integral pedestals, heavy fabricated belt rail, wide single windows; all shout "Katy".

Any M-K-T experts here ? (which I am assuredly not)

Howard P.

The air conditioning cover/hatch on the roof is very similar to those on the MKT coaches which ended up at CSRM (#642 and #644) and in Colfax, CA (#6xx-series, exact # unknown).

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4018075



http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4018094



_________________
Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Per "More Classic Trains", page 254:

I think the Keys car is Frisco "Tulsa" or "Oklahoma City", a lounge car built in 1933. The window arrangement is an exact match. According to Art Dubin's caption, these cars were two out of a total of six passenger cars ordered in the US in that Depression year of 1933.

Howard P.

Les- yes that C & O caboose is still there, I saw it two weeks ago. There is an another caboose in someone's backyard in Islamorada on the waterfront on the south west side, you can see it if you are t
travelling northbound from the highway .

John- Ross Rowland's #614 also visited South Florida, in 1981 hauling the Safety Express. Both #4449 and #614 ran on Seaboard Coast Lines rails, therefore not treading on concrete crossties.

Mark -

Thanks for the info on the C&O caboose. When I visited that area a number of years ago, the girls in this Chamber of Commerce caboose stated that the car was getting too small for them and they thought they were going to have to get a bigger place. Of course, the caboose may no longer house the CofC, but I was worried that if they moved out, the caboose might have ended up being abandoned. Glad to hear it is at least still there. Also, thanks for the info on the other caboose. I did not know about that one.


Les