This small 2-4-0 is displayed near the Maddox Foundry. The cab has a
Seaboard Air Line logo on it but this locomotive was never part of the
SAL.
This is a class P-5-A Atlantic Coast Line Pacific (4-6-2). It is located at
the Prime Osborn Convention Center (former Jacksonville Union Terminal). 1504
was built by ALCO (Richmond) in March, 1919 and retired on December 31, 1953.
From 1960 to 1986, 1504 was displayed in front of the ACL office building which later became part of CSX. In 1989, after being donated to the city of Jacksonville, 1504 was refurbished by the Great Atlantic Boiler Service of Jacksonville. It has recently been repainted by the city of Jacksonville.
This standard gauge 2-6-0 was built by Porter in 1911. This locomotive was
once a Cummer Sons Cypress No. 7. Up until sometime in the 1980s it was
displayed in St. Augustine as St. Johns Railway No. 7. It is currently
displayed along US 90. It is pictured here with Don Griffin, whose firm
(Great Atlantic Boiler) restored the locomotive in 1993-94.
This prairie (2-6-2) locomotive has been "re-lettered". According to the
information I have it was built by Baldwin in 1912. It is a former SAL,
ex-Manatee Crate, ex-Brooks-Scanion Lumber, ex-Taylor City Lumber locomotive.
Judging from the smokestack I would say that it might be a wood burner.
In August of 2002, this locomotives was moved to the "Manatee Historical Village" in Bradenton.
Number 3 is a ten-wheeler (4-6-0) that was once owned by Cummer Sons
Cypress Co. It is currently on display at the Pioneer Florida Museum.
Number 3 is a Patterson & McInnis 2-8-0. Patterson & McInnis was the largest
saw mill in the area. The "Pat & Mac" operated during the 1940s and 1950s.
A nearby informational sign states that the locomotive was originally a wood
burner but was converted to "steam" [SIC]. It is currently on display in a
park along highway 19.
The Magic Kingdom operates four
narrow-gauge steam locomotives around the perimeter of its theme park.
Normally, two of the four are in operation at a time. All of these steam
locomotives came from the United Railroad of Yucatan, Mexico. They have
been converted to burn bio-fuel with 1% diesel. One other locomotive (a
1927 Davenport built for N&S Coal at Pittsburg, Nova Scotia as an 0-4-0T,
now a 2-4-4RT) was added to the roster and named Ward Kimball. However,
it was found too light for the trains. In 1999 it was traded to the Cedar
Point & Lake Erie Railroad in Sandusky, OH in exchange for their former
Barker Lapine 2-4-4 named "Maud L". Maud L. was then sent to Disneyland
in Anaheim, CA where it will be completely rebuilt and converted from
burning coal to burning oil.
Number 50 is a standard gauge mogul (2-6-0) that was built by ALCO in 1922.
It was used for many years by the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation to
haul phosphate rock. The slope-back tender aided in visibility during
switching operations. It was taken out of service in 1958 and donated to the
city of Lakeland in 1961. The city of Lakeland placed it here in Adair
Park. Notice the 5-chime whistle. In 2011 the locomotive was sold to the
Southeastern Narrow Gauge and Shortline
Museum in Newton, NC.
Number 104 is a prairie (2-6-2) that was also owned by Cummer Sons Cypress Co
(see number 3 in Dade City). It was on display under a shelter in Herlong
Park for many years. Since then it has been moved to the Florida Gulf
Coast Railroad Museum for restoration.
Frisco 3749 was one of a group of 40 (3713-3752) 0-6-0s built by Baldwin
between 1907 and 1913. They had high-mounted boilers, piston valves,
stephenson valve gear, and weighed 154,500 lbs. 3749 last operated
at a scrapyard in Pensacola.
Sometime after 1977 it was acquired by the people who owned Church Street Station. It was displayed there for around 30 years. A number of cosmetic modifications had been made to 3749 (presumably to make 3749 more visually appealing). The two builder plates did not match and neither were from this locomotive. The one on the left side said: "Baldwin, 1913, CN: 39696" (which is from BEDT #10 see this). The one on the right side says: "Baldwin, 1925, CN: 58489" (which is from the Rockton-Rion 2-8-0, No. 203 in Knoxville, TN). The number plate attached to the front of the smokebox had a "1" on it. The "cow-catcher" was bogus. 3749 was also lettered "Seaboard Airline 223" (the real Seaboard #223 was an M-1 class 4-8-2 which pulled the Orange Blossem Special and other crack passenger trains).
In 2012 3749 was acquired by the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish.
This Raritan River 0-4-0 once operated at the International Toy Train
Museum pulling a short tourist train around the grounds. Both the
museum and the locomotive are now gone. Number 3 is currently at the Agrirama in Tifton, GA. The Agrirama
is a Georgia state park showing agricultural history in south Georgia.
This 0-4-0 tank locomotive was built by the Cooke Locomotive Works in
1927 (CN: 66305). It was sold new to the General Portland Cement Co. in
Brooksville, FL. From Brooksville it was acquired by Dr. Albert Folds of
Marianna, FL along with an 0-6-0T. Somewhere along the way I have been told
that it was owned my Mammouth Sound, although I do not know this to be true.
Both locomotives were stored in Green Cove Springs, FL for several years.
The 0-4-0T was once displayed at the SR Depot in Apopka. The 0-6-0T
was last known to be at North American Tank Car Co. in San Antonio, Tx.
Dick Perkins bought the 0-4-0T and moved it to Oviedo by truck where it
was rebuilt to operating condition. It remained in operating condition for
several years and was operated frequently. Its last significant operation
under steam was to Winter Garden, FL and return via Sanford on the Seaboard
System (CSX). The locomotive last ran in 1984. Dick donated the locomotive
to the NRHS in Jacksonville along with the former Fruit Growers Express
refrigerator cars. Through a mixup of dates, the branch line track through
Oviedo was cut and pulled prior to the equipment being moved out by rail.
There is a sister locomotive located at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Ohio.
They are three numbers apart off the assembly line.
This 0-4-0T is currently owned by Arthur Evans and sits behind an art
studio called Studio-G. The two former Fruit Growers Express refrigerator
cars parked in front of it that have been converted into studios of some
sort. Both cars are lettered: "Antigua Pool Co., Inc." Sometime in the
mid 1990s the right-of-way next to this locomotive was converted into
a bike trail. It looks like the 0-4-0T recently received a paint job.
I have been told that the 0-4-0T in Jacksonville is also its sister.
I have also been told that Arthur Evans wishes to display this locomotive
at the old Nelson Packing House.
South of town on highway 301 is a place called Festival Park. In the park
sits this 0-4-0T+T. This 1907 Vulcan was built as Florida Phosphate Mining
#2, and in 1928 was sold to Dantzler Lumber (near Tampa) and renumbered 1147.
After its career was over, it was placed on display in Lowery Park in Tampa.
It was later moved to the Florida Gulf Coast
Railroad Museum in Parrish. It was moved to its present location
in 1998. I don't know if the tender was really part of this locomotive
or not (it already has a tank). Also, the smoke stack is not authentic
because it was built as a coal burner. Dantzler lumber converted it to
burn wood and replaced the stack with what it has now. It is one of only
a few yellow steam locomotives that I have seen.
This wood-burning locomotive was built by Baldwin in 1914. It is a Prairie
(2-6-2) and was number 7 on the Brooks-Scanlon. It was a gift in March 1967
from Kervin D. Revell of Wauchula to the Pioneer Park Museum Zolfo Springs.
I have heard that it may be going back to Wauchula. Photos courtesy
Andrew Lokken.
Number 1001 is a former Seaboard Airline tank locomotive. At the time this
photo was taken, 1001 was on display as part of a playground in Holiday
Park. Since that time, Holiday Park has undergone a complete rebuilding.
1001 now sits by itself a short distance from where it was.
This is one of five
surviving Coronet Phosphate steam locomotives. I don't know about the
restoration efforts of this locomotive but obviously its cab has been
removed and it seems to be getting some sort of attention. This 0-4-2T
came from the Central Florida Chapter of the NRHS. They acquired it from
the Coronet Phosphate Company at the Tenarock mine. It was stored on a
siding near the SAL Apopka depot for several years before being moved to
Fort Lauderdale via flat car.
FEC 253 is not owned by the GCRM but was temporarily stored on their
property. This is a photo of FEC(KCS, L&A) 0-8-0 #253 before its
move to Florida. This photo was taken when it was still at a tank car
facility in Nash, TX. 253 is currently undergoing restoration efforts by
a private party. This restoration effort began while the locomotive was
stored at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum. In March, 2002, they moved 253
(along with an FEC steam crane, a passenger car, a tank car, and a caboose)
from the Gold Coast Museum to FEC's Hialeah yard. The equipment was later
moved to Ft. Pierce, FL.
113 was one of a group of 60 pacifics (77-136) built by ALCO between 1910 and
1917. It was used in regular revenue service over the entire Florida East
Coast Railroad. 113 headed a one-time special in 1986 from the Miami Zoo to
Homestead. If anyone has information on other trips this locomotive powered,
please let me know.
153 was one of a group of 7 pacifics (151-157) built by ALCO in 1922. 153
was used in service to Key West and pulled the last train to leave Key West
prior to the hurricane that destroyed "The Overseas Railroad" on Labor Day,
1935. 153 also had the honor of powering Calvin Coolidge's Presidential
Train in 1926. 153 was sold to the U.S. Sugar Corporation in 1938 and
donated to the GCRM in 1957. It operated every Sunday in Miami from March,
1957 until November, 1966, when the railroad was forced to move to Fort
Lauderdale. The photo on the left shows 113 and 153 at the Gold Coast Railroad
when it was still located north of Hollywood International Airport.
In 2001 153 received a cosmetic restoration.
This Porter 0-6-0T was built for the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1916. Eventually, it
was owned by the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal RR and was retired in 1962.
This is a small switching locomotive and was used to move freight cars on the
docks around Brooklyn, New York. It is now owned by the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish,
Florida and is on static display at the museum's site. Hopes are to someday
return it to full operating condition.
Photos and information courtesy Glenn Miley.
Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA built the #143 in 1905. #143
was a part of a large order of locomotives placed by the Atlantic Coast
Line Railroad. It is a 0-6-0 type, class E-4. The locomotive was used
at various locations on the ACL system in the southeastern U.S. The
0-6-0-type switch engine was used to make up trains in rail yards and
do local spotting of cars to industry. In 1944, the #143 was sold to
the American Agricultural and Chemical Company of Pierce, FL. There the
locomotive was put to use in the phosphate mine industry hauling trains from
the mines to the main line railroads. It finished its operational career
in 1959. It was subsequently put on display outside the Company's office
in Pierce. From there it went to a short-lived tourist line (in Trilby,
FL?). In 1974, the locomotive was donated to the Tampa Bay Chapter of
the National Railway Historical Society and moved to San Antonio, FL. In
1979, it was donated to a private citizen and moved to Tampa. The #143
was then acquired by the Florida Railroad Museum. In 1992,
the Floida Railroad Museum was told to move the derelict locomotive
from the storage site in Tampa. Lacking funds to move the #143, the FGCR
offered the #143 to the newly established Railroad Museum of South Florida
located in Ft. Myers. At a cost of $16,000, the #143 was loaded on to a
truck trailer and hauled to Ft. Myers. For over two years the #143 was
stored under roof at Dean Steel Buildings. It was relocated to the Railroad Museum of South Florida at
the Lakes Park and Gulf Railroad Train Village in 1995.
In 2001 Lee County Parks and Recreation in conjunction with the Railroad Museum of South Florida announced the completion of the cosmetic restoration of historic locomotive #143. Restoration work was performed by Great Atlantic Boiler Services of Jacksonville, FL. To facilitate the project, the work was done in phases, as funds were available. Phase one restored the tender car, phase two refurbished the rest of the locomotive excepting the cab and phase three work replaced the rusted out cab with a new one. Total cost was about $84,000. Work on the tender car started June of 1999. It was finished in November of 1999. Phase two & three work started January of 2001 and work was completed on April 28th. The locomotive resides at Lakes Regional Park in South Ft. Myers.
The project was financed in part with Historic Preservation Grant Assistance provided by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Dept. of State, assisted by the Historic Preservation Council. Two grants from Lee County's historic preservation program, two grants from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, funds from the Rotary Club of Ft. Myers and many small contributors.
Plans are to put a shelter over #143 as soon as funds can be secured. Hopefully, the structure will be built within the next year. The Railroad Museum is also searching for a suitable bell, headlight, dynamo and whistle to replace the main missing parts. The Museum has possession of the original builder's plate and a replica will be cast and attached soon.
For more information on this locomotive, contact:
Michael Mulligan
Marianna & Blountstown number 444, a 4-6-0 is on display at the "M&B Train Park"
in Blountstown. Steam locomotive number 444 was built in 1911 at the Baldwin
Locomotive Works for the Brimson railroad. It was subsequently owned by
Savannah & Albany Railroad Co. before acquisition and rennovation by the M&B.
It operated as late as 1947 as a "stand-by" locomotive after the first M&B
diesel locomotives had arrived. The M&B Railroad operated for 63 years (1909 -
1972) between Marianna and Blountstown. It provided passenger service until
1929. After that, the M&B shipped agricultural products and lumber. During its
operation, the 29-mile line was Florida's shortest railroad.
Before the M&B Railroad was abandoned, engine 444 was sold (late 1960s - early 1970s) to Dr. Albert Folds of Marianna, who for a number of years, "displayed" it on the dairy farm of his father-in-law, Victor S. Bevis, along State Road 71 just south of Malone, FL. Subsequently, the locomotive was sold and moved to the George Ranch in Richmond, TX. During late 1980s, an effort was launched by a group in Blountstown to re-acquire the locomotive and return it to Blountstown as the centerpiece for an historical display of the M&B Railroad. It was restored and placed on display (along with a caboose) at its current location in the M&B Train Park.
Number 1 is an 0-4-2 tank locomotive. However, as you can see, the
tank has been removed and now looks like a turtle without its shell.
It was once owned by Coronet Phosphate. It was stored in Mount
Dora for several years before being moved to its current location.
It is currently on display along highway 166 (Caverns Rd) and was
owned (or still is owned) by Dr. Albert Folds. This is one of four surviving Coronet
Phosphate steam locomotives. The 0-4-0T at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum
is a sister locomotive to this one.
This little prairie (2-6-2) is on display in front of the Centennial Building.
It was once employed by St. Joe Lumber & Export Co.
This may be the oldest locomotive in Florida. It is a 4-4-0 built around
1850 by either Danforth Cooke & Company or by New Jersey Locomotive
& Machine. It was sold to the Basche & Hagen Lumber Company
(Suwanee River Railroad) in Live Oak, FL. Around 1906 it was moved to
Luraville, FL and when the railroad line was abandoned, the locomotive
and several log cars were rolled off of a barge into the Suwanee River!
In 1968, divers confirmed the location of this locomotive. It wasn't
until January of 1979 that James Lancaster of Luraville salvaged her.
In 1984 she was sold to the state of Florida and in 1986 she was placed
on display at the State Agriculture Department Offices in Tallahassee.
Additional information on this locomotive may be found in the 7/79 (page
14), 11/79 (page 52), 12/99 (page 116) issues of TRAINS.
