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| Trans-Florida RR https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12780 |
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| Author: | bobyar2001 [ Thu Apr 14, 2005 7:03 am ] |
| Post subject: | Trans-Florida RR |
Old photos of a Galloping Goose-like vehicle on the Trans-Florida RR at Fellsmere, Florida: http://www.80acres.com/History_and_Maps ... mere_2.jpg http://www.80acres.com/History_and_Maps ... ere_Fl.jpg Plus this information, from the Critterslist: I have seen that bit about shutting down during WWI but according to the Florida RR Commission they operated as usual during the war and their equipment stats stayed the same during that period except they scrapped a steam locomotive in 1919. Also there is no mention of USRA control in these records, but why would the USRA even be interested in such a puny railroad? The only shortline in Florida that was controlled by the USRA was the Standard & Hernando, a busy phosphate hauler near Dunnelon, Fla. They did owned an all time total of 5 steam locomotives, but with the closing of the peat mine in 1928 there just wasn't any reason to fire a steamer up just to carry the mail, express and the ocassional passenger. The last steamer was off the roster in 1934, yet it rusted away in Fellsmere for years and a few photographers did take photos of it. According to the RR Commission they first started using rail cars in 1912. The 1927 Florida Tax Returns show three Ford 1 ton trucks so converted for the rails. After the peat mine closing in 1928 the road reverted to agriculture, first with citrus and then with sugar. The motor cars were used to bring cane in to the mill using homemade cane cars. There was even home made tank cars for carrying molasses, which leads to another question, where did they haul the molasses to that was on line? Those one ton Fords would have to handle a box car or two. The road was never that busy, during the depression they only handle about 50-70 cars a year. When WWII picked up they handled 100-150 cars a year and the post war they handled 200 plus a year which is why they and the sugar mill that owned them bought all those 8 ton Whitcombs. For loco number 103 the date that the engine was bought by the TFC was 1924 as the TFC was incorporated that year and assumed operations of the Fellsmere. The ICC did not recognize this purchase until 1927, when they belatedly ok the deal. My bad with the date in my catalog, that was the date SI&E purchased it from the Cape Girardeau Northern # 5. The five steamers: 100 4-4-0 Rogers from GC&L#120 on 11/3/1910. Traded back to GC&L for(1st) 101 in 1912. (1st) 101 4-4-0 Baldwin 4790 /79 GC&L 183 on 4/20/1912 with 100 as trade in plus cash. Scrapped in 1919. 102 4-4-0 Cooke 1812 /87 from GC&L 136 on 3/28/1913. Off roster in 1921-No steamers in use between 1921 and 1923. Also no carload freight was hauled in 1923! (2nd)101 4-4-0 Pittsburgh 740 /84 Purchased in 1923 by the Standard Agriculture Chemical Corp. from the Florida Tie & Lbr Co. # 101. Last steamer used on road-off roster in 1934-still derelict in 1936, probably scrapped during WWII. In 1936 was photographed with 103's tender rusting away. 103 4-4-0 Schenectady 2729 /88 from SI&E 1824 on 4/4/1924 for $5,267.56. Scrapped in 1932-tender to (2nd)101. That online photo is indeed of the TFC. More on-line photos can be seen at the Florida Photographic Archives web site. Don |
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