Florida East Coast Railway
Encyclopedia
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad
operating in the U.S.
state of Florida
; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad
.
Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil
principal Henry Morrison Flagler
. Flagler originally visited Florida to aid with the health issues faced by his first wife, Mary. A key strategist who worked closely with John D. Rockefeller
building the Standard Oil Trust, Henry Flagler noted both a lack of services and great potential during his stay at St Augustine
. He subsequently began what amounted to his second career developing resorts, industries, and communities all along Florida's shores abutting the Atlantic Ocean
.
The FEC is possibly best known for building the railroad to Key West
, completed in 1912. When the FEC's line from the mainland to Key West was heavily damaged by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
, the State of Florida purchased the remaining right-of-way and bridges south of Dade County, and they were rebuilt into road bridges for vehicle traffic and became known as the Overseas Highway
. However, a greater and lasting Flagler legacy was the developments along Florida's eastern coast.
During the Great Depression, control was purchased by heirs of the du Pont family
. After 30 years of fragile financial condition, the FEC, under leadership of a new president, Ed Ball, took on the labor unions. Ball claimed the company could not afford the same costs as larger Class 1 railroads and needed to invest saved funds in its infrastructure, fast becoming a safety issue. Using replacement workers, the company and some of its employees engaged in one of the longest and more violent labor conflicts of the 20th century from 1963 until 1977. Ultimately, federal authorities had to intervene to stop the violence. However, the courts ruled in the FEC's favor with regards to the right to employ replacement workers. During this time, Ball invested heavily in numerous steps to improve its physical plant, installed various forms of automation, and managed to end all of its passenger services, which were unprofitable.
In modern times, the company's primary rail revenues come from its intermodal and rock trains. Since 2007, it has been owned by Fortress Investment Group
, which acquired it for over USD$3 billion (including non-rail assets). Fortress previously owned conglomerate short line railroad operator RailAmerica
, which for a time operated FEC but the two companies never merged; Fortress no longer owns RailAmerica and RailAmerica no longer operates FEC. A former CSX official, James Hertwig, was named as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company effective July 1, 2010.
, an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and John D. Rockefeller's
partner in Standard Oil
. Formed at Cleveland, Ohio
as Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler
in 1867, Standard Oil moved its headquarters in 1877 to New York City
. Flagler and his family relocated there as well. He was joined by Henry H. Rogers
, another leader of Standard Oil who also became involved in the development of America's railroads, including those on nearby Staten Island
, the Union Pacific
, and later in West Virginia
, where he eventually built the remarkable Virginian Railway
to transport coal
to Hampton Roads
, Virginia
.
Henry Flagler's non-Standard Oil interests went in a different direction, however, when in 1878, on the advice of his physician, Flagler traveled to Jacksonville
, Florida
for the winter with his first wife, Mary, who was quite ill. Two years after she died in 1881, he married Mary's former caregiver, Ida Alice Shourds. After their wedding, the couple traveled to St. Augustine, Florida
in 1883. Flagler found the city charming, but the hotel facilities and transportation systems inadequate. He recognized Florida's potential to attract out-of-state visitors. Though Flagler remained on the Board of Directors of Standard Oil, he gave up his day-to-day involvement in the firm in order to pursue his Florida interests.
When Flagler returned to Florida, in 1885 he began building a grand St. Augustine hotel, the Ponce de León Hotel
. Flagler realized that the key to developing Florida was a solid transportation system, and consequently purchased the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway
(JStA&HR) on December 31, 1885. He also discovered that a major problem facing the existing Florida railway systems was that each operated on different gauge
systems, making interconnection impossible. Shortly after purchasing the JStA&HR Railway, he converted the line to standard gauge
. The small operation was incorporated in 1892.
The earliest predecessor of the FEC was the narrow gauge
St. John’s Railway, incorporated in 1858, which constructed a now-abandoned line between St. Augustine and Tocoi, a small settlement on the east bank of the St. Johns River, midway between Palatka and Green Cove Springs. In 1883, Henry M. Flagler, now retired from Standard Oil, moved to St. Augustine and built the previously mentioned Ponce de Leon and the Alcazar Hotels and purchased the Casa Monica, just east of the Alcazar, changing the name to Cordova. The East Coast of Florida was relatively undeveloped at that time, and Flagler found it difficult to obtain the construction materials he needed. His purchase of the JStA&HR Railway was intended to make it faster and easier to supply his building projects.
The JStA&HR Railway served the northeastern portion of the state and was the first operation in the Flagler Railroad system. Before Flagler bought the line, the railroad stretched only between South Jacksonville and St. Augustine and lacked a depot sufficient to accommodate travelers to his St. Augustine resorts. Flagler built a modern depot facility as well as schools, hospitals and churches, systematically revitalizing the largely abandoned historic city.
Flagler next purchased three additional existing railroads: the St. John's Railway, the St. Augustine and Palatka Railway, and the St. Johns and Halifax River Railway so that he could provide extended rail service on standard gauge tracks. Through the operation of these three railroads, by spring 1889 Flagler's system offered service from Jacksonville to Daytona
. Continuing to develop hotel facilities to entice northern tourists to visit Florida, Flagler bought and expanded the Ormond Hotel
, located along the railroad's route north of Daytona in Ormond Beach
.
Beginning in 1892, when landowners south of Daytona petitioned him to extend the railroad 80 miles (128.7 km) south, Flagler began laying new railroad tracks; no longer did he follow his traditional practice of purchasing existing railroads and merging them into his growing rail system. Flagler obtained a charter from the state of Florida authorizing him to build a railroad along the Indian River
to Miami, and as the railroad progressed southward, cities such as New Smyrna and Titusville
began to develop along the tracks.
By 1894, Flagler's railroad system reached what is today known as West Palm Beach. Flagler constructed the Royal Poinciana Hotel
in Palm Beach overlooking the Lake Worth Lagoon
. He also built The Breakers Hotel
on the ocean side of Palm Beach, and Whitehall
, his private 55-room, 60,000 square foot (5,600 m²) winter home. The development of these three structures, coupled with railroad access to them, established Palm Beach as a winter resort for the wealthy members of America's Gilded Age
. Palm Beach was to be the terminus of the Flagler railroad, but during 1894 and 1895, severe freezes
hit all of Central Florida
, whereas the Miami area remained unaffected, causing Flagler to rethink his original decision not to move the railroad south of Palm Beach. The fable that Julia Tuttle
, one of two main landowners in the Miami area along with the Brickell family, sent orange blossom
s to Flagler to prove to him that Miami, unlike the rest of the state, was unaffected by the frost
is untrue. The fact is that Mrs. Tuttle wired Mr. Flagler to advise him that "the region around the shores of Biscayne Bay is untouched by the freezes." Mr. Flagler sent his two now famous in Florida history lieutenants, James E. Ingraham and Joseph R. Parrott
to investigate and they brought boxes of truck (produce) and citrus back to Mr. Flagler, who then wired Mrs. Tuttle, asking, "Madam, what is it that you propose?" To convince Flagler to continue the railroad to Miami, both Julia Tuttle and William Brickell
offered half of their holdings north and south of the Miami River to Mr. Flagler. Mrs. Tuttle added 50 acres (202,343 m²) for shops and yards if Mr. Flagler would extend his railroad to the shores of Biscayne Bay and build one of his great hotels. An agreement was made, contracts were signed, and the rest, as it is said, is history.
On September 7, 1895, the name of Flagler's system was changed from the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway Company to the Florida East Coast Railway Company and incorporated. On April 15, 1896 track reached Biscayne Bay
, the site of present day downtown Miami. At the time, it was a small settlement of less than 50 inhabitants. When the town incorporated, on July 28, 1896, its citizens wanted to honor the man responsible for the city's development by naming it Flagler. He declined the honor, persuading them to retain its old Indian
name, Miami. The area was actually previously known as Fort Dallas
after the fort built there in 1836 during the Second Seminole War
. To further develop the area surrounding the Miami railroad station, Flagler dredged a channel, built streets and The Royal Palm Hotel
, instituted the first water and power systems, and financed the town's first newspaper, the Metropolis. Flagler was a great visionary and he can be credited for the development of the entire east coast of Florida. Yet he lacked vision on at least one issue: he felt that Miami would never be more than a fishing village.
As of 1904, Flagler started what everybody considered a folly: the extension of the FEC to Key West
which would later be known as the Overseas Railway, at the time considered the eighth wonder of the world and surely the most daring infrastructure ever built exclusively with private funds. The first train--a construction engineers train--arrived in Key West on January 21, 1912, while Mr. Flagler's special train and other passenger trains arrived the next day, January 22, 1912, and that is considered the first day of service on the new route.
Before it became the FEC, the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Indian River was constructing a line southwards from Daytona Beach in 1894. Fort Pierce
was reached on January 29, and West Palm Beach on March 22. Further extension southwards did not begin until June 1895, when a favorable deal was signed with Miami-area business interests. Fort Lauderdale
was reached on March 3 of the following year. By April, the construction reached Biscayne Bay, the largest and most accessible harbor on Florida’s east coast. Flagler announced in 1904 that the FEC would be extended 128 miles (206 km) to Key West over the ocean. However, in 1906, a powerful hurricane
killed 135 of Flagler's workers. The Over-the-Sea Extension was completed in 1912, a mere 16 months prior to Flagler’s death, at a cost of $50 million and lives of hundreds of workmen.
. Flagler became particularly interested in linking Key West to the mainland after the United States announced in 1905 the construction of the Panama Canal
. Key West, the United States' closest deep-water port to the canal
, could not only take advantage of Cuba
n and Latin America
trade, but the opening of the canal would allow significant trade possibilities with the west.
The construction of the Overseas Railroad
required many engineering innovations as well as vast amounts of labor and monetary resources. At one time during construction, four thousand men were employed. During the seven year construction, three hurricanes threatened to halt the project.
Despite the hardships, the final link of the Florida East Coast Railway was completed in 1912. On January 22 of that year, a proud Henry Flagler rode the first passenger train into Key West, marking the completion of the railroad's oversea connection to Key West and the linkage by railway of the entire east coast of Florida.
One of the reasons Flagler built the Key West Extension was at the time of its conception, Key West was a major coaling station for ship traffic between South America and New York. Flagler thought it would be profitable for coal to be brought by railroad to Key West for coaling those ships. By the time the railroad was finished in 1912 though, range had been extended on the ships to such a degree that Key West was no longer a stopover for coal.
. The Florida East Coast Railway was financially unable to rebuild the destroyed sections, so the roadbed and remaining bridges were sold to the state of Florida, which built the Overseas Highway
to Key West, using much of the remaining railway infrastructure. A rebuilt Overseas Highway (U.S. Route 1) following Flagler's dream, continues to provide a highway link to Key West, ending at the southernmost point in the continental United States.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression
were particularly harsh on the FEC. The railroad declared bankruptcy and was in receivership by September 1931, just 18 years after Flagler’s death. Bus service began to be substituted for trains on the branches in 1932. Streamliners plied the rails between 1939 and 1963, including such famous trains as "The Champion" and "The Florida Special" jointly operated with the Atlantic Coast Line. Adding to the woes was the Cuban embargo, thus reducing a significant portion of FEC's revenue.
During the Great Depression, Edward Ball, who controlled the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust
, purchased a majority ownership of FEC,by buying its bonds on the open market, allowing the FEC to emerge from bankruptcy following protracted litigation with a group of the company's other bondholders, led by S.A. Lynch and associated with the Atlantic Coast Line
which had proposed an alternate plan of reorganization. That same year, a labor contract negotiation turned sour. Ball was determined to save the railroad from the bankruptcy that had continued for more than a decade. Ball was certain that if the company didn't become profitable, the equipment and track would deteriorate to the point where some lines would become unsafe or unusable and require partial abandonment.
Ball fought ferociously for the company's right to engage in its own contract negotiations with the railroad unions rather than accept an industry wide settlement that would traditionally contain featherbedding
and wasteful work rules. This led to a prolonged work stoppage by non-operating unions beginning January 23, 1963, and whose picket lines were honored by the operating unions (the train crews).
Because the strike was by the non-operating unions, a Federal judge ordered the railroad to continue observing their work rules, while the railroad was free to change the work rules for the operating unions, who were technically not on strike and thus had no standing in the federal court regarding the strike.
Ball's use of replacement workers to keep the railroad running during the strike led to violence by strikers that included shootings and bombings. Eventually, federal intervention helped quell the violence, and the railroad's right to operate during the strike with replacement workers was affirmed by the United States Supreme Court. As the strike continued, the FEC took numerous steps to improve its physical plant, installed various forms of automation, and drastically cut labor costs. Most of the nation's other railroads did not match these achievements for several years; some still had not as of 2010.
Passenger service became an issue in Florida during the early years of the labor strike, which essentially lasted 14 years, from 1963 to 1977. At the insistence of the City of Miami – which had long fought to get rid of the tracks in the downtown section just north of the county courthouse – Miami’s wooden-constructed downtown passenger terminal was demolished by November 1963. Although a new station was planned at NE 36th Street and NE 2nd Avenue, it was never built. Further, while freight train
s were operated with non-union and supervisory crews, passenger runs were not reinstated until August 2, 1965, after the City of Miami sued and the Florida courts ruled that the FEC corporate charter required both coach and first class passenger services to be offered. In response, FEC sold "parlour car seating" for first class accommodations in the rear lounge section of a tavern-lounge-observation car. This new state-mandated passenger service consisted of a single diesel locomotive
and two streamlined passenger cars, which, in addition to the operating crew, were staffed by a passenger service agent and a coach attendant, who were "non-operating." The mini-streamliner operated all of the way across three previously-observed crew districts (Jacksonville to New Smyrna Beach to Fort Pierce to Miami). Following the letter of the law, the train carried no baggage, remains, mail or express; honoured no inter-line tickets or passes; and the only food service was a box lunch (at Cocoa-Rockledge in 1966). On-board beverage service was limited to soft drinks and coffee. Without a station in Miami, the 1950s era station in North Miami became the southern terminus. The service operated six days a week until it was finally discontinued on July 31, 1968.
Later, after 23 years under Ball, Raymond Wyckoff took the helm on May 30, 1984. In March 2005, Robert Anestis stepped down as CEO of Florida East Coast Industries after a 4 year stint, allowing Adolfo Henriquez to assume that position, with John D. McPherson, a long-time railroad man, continuing as president of the railway itself. By this time, the railroad had long since made peace with its workers.
In late 2007, in a move surprising to many employees and railroad industry observers alike, the FEC was purchased by the principal investors who also control short line railroad operator RailAmerica
. John Giles was named chairman, and David Rohal was named president. Both men are also principals with major responsibilities at RailAmerica as well, although the ownership of FEC and Rail America is not linked corporately.
In May, 2010, James Hertwig was named as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company effective July 1, 2010. Hertwig had recently retired from CSX, most recently having served a president of CSX Intermodal, one of CSX's major operating units.
The company's major income-earning sources are its rock trains, transporting primarily limestone, and intermodal trains. FEC freight trains operate on precise schedules. Trains are not held for missed connections or late loadings. Most of the trains are paired so that they leave simultaneously from their starting points and meet halfway through the run and swap crews, so they are back home at the end of their runs. The FEC pioneered operation with 2 man crews with no crew districts, which they were able to start doing after the 1963 strike. The entire railroad adopted positive train control
(PTC) after a fatal 1987 collision caused by a crew not obeying signaling. (PTC is a safety feature long-sought by federal safety officials for all railroads).
FEC has what is called by some a "prime" railroad right-of-way. The heavy weight of the rock trains required very good trackage and bridges. The railroad has mostly 133 pound-per-yard (66 kg/m) continuous-welded rail attached to concrete ties, which sits on a high quality granite roadbed. The entire railroad is controlled by centralized traffic control with constant radio communication. Because the railroad has only minor grades, it takes very little horsepower to pull very long trains at speed. 60 mi/h trains are a normal FEC operating standard.
was created and assumed passenger operations of many other U.S. railroads in 1971. Periodically, there has been speculation that the southern end of the FEC line may be used for a commuter rail service to complement the existing Tri-Rail
line (which follows former CSX tracks). There have also been some discussion about Amtrak or the State of Florida using FEC lines for a more direct route between Jacksonville and Miami.
, which is used in the formulation for concrete and other construction purposes. The limestone is quarried near Miami in the "Lake Belt" area of Dade County and Broward County
just west of Hialeah
. The rock trains come out of the FEC yard at Medley
in the and the southern end of the FEC service area. Shipments currently are principally for materials dealers Titan and Rinker.
Rinker has since been sold and is now part of the multi-national Cemex
.
includes interchanged shipments with CSX and Norfolk Southern, participation in EMP container service operated by UP and Norfolk Southern, United Parcel Service
(UPS) piggyback trailers, trailers going to the Wal-Mart
distribution center at Fort Pierce
, and intermodal shipping container traffic through the ports of Miami
, Port Everglades (adjacent to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and the principal source of imports), Port of Palm Beach/Lake Worth Inlet, and Port Canaveral.
Additionally FEC offers "Hurricane Service" offering trucking companies the opportunity of having their trailers piggybacked out of Jacksonville to save the expensive cost of back-hauling empty trailers.
Additionally, the FEC currently transports Tropicana Products
"Juice Train
" cars to and from one of the company's processing facilities located on the "K Line. The Juice Train concept was developed by Tropicana founder Anthony T. Rossi
in conjunction with Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
(a CSX predecessor) beginning in 1970.
Flagler Development owned and operated:
to own and operate a railroad from Jacksonville in Duval county
, through the counties of Duval
, St. Johns
, Putnam
, Volusia
, Brevard
, Orange
, Osceola
, Dade, Polk
and Hillsborough
.
Florida
state law chapter 4260, approved May 31, 1893, granted land to the railroad. At that time, it was already in operation from Jacksonville to Rockledge
, the part south of Daytona having been constructed by them. The company had just filed a certificate changing and extending its lines on and across the Florida Keys
to Key West in Monroe County
.
The name was changed to the Florida East Coast Railway Company on September 7, 1895.
Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) incorporated in 1983 and was made the holding company for the Railway and the Commercial Realty/Flagler Development Company in 1984. The other subsidiaries are Orlando-based carrier, "EPIK Communication" and the logistics firm, "International Transit".
FECI began operating independently of the St. Joe Company
on October 9, 2000 when St. Joe shareholders were given FECI stock.
On May 8, 2007, Florida East Coast Railway Company's parent, Florida East Coast Industries (FECI), announced that FECI would be purchased with private equity funds managed by Fortress Investment Group
in a transaction valued at $3.5 billion. Fortress Investment acquired Florida East Coast Railway from Florida East Coast Industries in March, 2008.
Stations (north to south)
South of Holopaw, the line roughly parallels US 441.
in St. Lucie County to Lake Harbor
in Palm Beach County. Also known as the "K" branch. It is now partially owned by other short lines. It basically serves the sugar farms in Palm Beach and Hendry Counties.
. Initially, the westernmost five miles (8 km) served as a connection from Enterprise Junction
to Enterprise
, a port for steamboat
traffic down the St. Johns River
. Later, the line was built through Osteen
, Kalamazoo
, and Mims
to Titusville
. The Enterprise Branch also crossed the Kissimmee Valley Branch at a location known as Maytown.
A steam locomotive
pulled the first train over the line onto the wharf
on the Indian River
at Titusville on the afternoon of December 30, 1885 and greatly accelerated the transportation of passengers, produce, seafood, and supplies to and from central Florida
. While Titusville thrived thanks to this new transportation connection, Enterprise lost stature as a steamboat port, since Henry Plant's railroad
paralleled the St. Johns River and greatly reduced travel times to Jacksonville.
During the winter of 1894–95, a widespread freeze hit twice, decimating the citrus crop and ruining that part of Florida's economy. This allowed Henry Flagler to acquire the line at a discount to piece together what became the Florida East Coast Railway.
The track of the E-branch has been uprooted as far as Aurantia
, about five miles (8 km) northwest of Mims, ending directly under the Interstate 95
overpass and has been abandoned. The crossing gates and signals were removed before the summer 2004 hurricanes and the track is being removed by a steel salvage company. As of 2008 the track has been completely removed up to the connection with the current FEC mainline in Titusville.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
took ownership of the rail bed on December 31, 2007. The corridor will become Florida's longest rails-to-trails project.
This rail line would have been suited to recreational railroad use by such groups as the North American Rail Passenger Car Owners' Association assuming a representative who is local to the area could have been located.
via Orange City
to the main line in New Smyrna Beach, was built by the Blue Spring, Orange City and Atlantic Railroad. In the mid-1880s it became the Atlantic and Western Branch of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway, which changed its name to the Florida East Coast Railway in 1895. It may have been the Atlantic and Western Railroad in between. The line was in use until 1930.
, and is now CR 214.
. It runs from just north of Bunnell
to Moultrie Junction in St. Augustine. In 2005 the entire route had its mileposts redone to match the rest on the main line.
to Dorena, north of Bunnell
, was built by the Lehigh Portland Cement Company in 1953. The line connected to the Lehigh Portland Cement Company Plant located near Flagler Beach. The line was abandoned in 1963, after a deadly strike erupted in that year that closed the massive plant. The site of the old plant was where some of the monorail
beams were assembled for Walt Disney World in the early 1970s. The route is now part of the rails to trails system. The plant has been demolished outside of one smokestack that will become a "lighthouse" for a new development.
to Moultrie Junction, outside St. Augustine, was built by the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway
. The Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway took it over by 1894, and changed its name to the Florida East Coast Railway in 1895. The line was the main route until the construction of the Moultrie Cutoff in 1925. it was later abandoned in 1988 and all rail was removed to a point just west of I-95
. In 2001 rail service resumed up to this point and track was rehabilitated when new industries were located there. A daily local serves the eastern end of the line today known as the Wilber Wright Industrial Lead.
from Jacksonville
to Pablo Beach (now Jacksonville Beach
). It was later extended north along the coast to Mayport and taken over by the FEC.
.
Class II railroad
A Class II railroad in the United States is a mid-sized freight-hauling railroad, in terms of its operating revenue. , a railroad with revenues greater than $20.5 million but less than $277.7 million for at least three consecutive years is considered a Class II railroad...
operating in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
.
Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
principal Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler was an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway...
. Flagler originally visited Florida to aid with the health issues faced by his first wife, Mary. A key strategist who worked closely with John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
building the Standard Oil Trust, Henry Flagler noted both a lack of services and great potential during his stay at St Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
. He subsequently began what amounted to his second career developing resorts, industries, and communities all along Florida's shores abutting the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
The FEC is possibly best known for building the railroad to Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, completed in 1912. When the FEC's line from the mainland to Key West was heavily damaged by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season, and one of the most intense hurricanes to make landfall in the United States in recorded history...
, the State of Florida purchased the remaining right-of-way and bridges south of Dade County, and they were rebuilt into road bridges for vehicle traffic and became known as the Overseas Highway
Overseas Highway
The Overseas Highway is a highway carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially...
. However, a greater and lasting Flagler legacy was the developments along Florida's eastern coast.
During the Great Depression, control was purchased by heirs of the du Pont family
Du Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
. After 30 years of fragile financial condition, the FEC, under leadership of a new president, Ed Ball, took on the labor unions. Ball claimed the company could not afford the same costs as larger Class 1 railroads and needed to invest saved funds in its infrastructure, fast becoming a safety issue. Using replacement workers, the company and some of its employees engaged in one of the longest and more violent labor conflicts of the 20th century from 1963 until 1977. Ultimately, federal authorities had to intervene to stop the violence. However, the courts ruled in the FEC's favor with regards to the right to employ replacement workers. During this time, Ball invested heavily in numerous steps to improve its physical plant, installed various forms of automation, and managed to end all of its passenger services, which were unprofitable.
In modern times, the company's primary rail revenues come from its intermodal and rock trains. Since 2007, it has been owned by Fortress Investment Group
Fortress Investment Group
Fortress Investment Group LLC is an investment management firm based in New York, New York. The company went public on February 9, 2007.-History:...
, which acquired it for over USD$3 billion (including non-rail assets). Fortress previously owned conglomerate short line railroad operator RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
, which for a time operated FEC but the two companies never merged; Fortress no longer owns RailAmerica and RailAmerica no longer operates FEC. A former CSX official, James Hertwig, was named as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company effective July 1, 2010.
Henry Flagler: Developing Florida's east coast
The Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) was developed by Henry Morrison FlaglerHenry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler was an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway...
, an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and John D. Rockefeller's
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
partner in Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
. Formed at Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
as Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler
Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler
Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler was a business concern formed in 1867 in Cleveland, Ohio which was a predecessor of the Standard Oil Company. The principals and namesakes were John D. Rockefeller, William Rockefeller, Samuel Andrews, and Henry M. Flagler. Flagler’s wife’s uncle, Stephen V...
in 1867, Standard Oil moved its headquarters in 1877 to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Flagler and his family relocated there as well. He was joined by Henry H. Rogers
Henry H. Rogers
Henry Huttleston Rogers was a United States capitalist, businessman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil....
, another leader of Standard Oil who also became involved in the development of America's railroads, including those on nearby Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, the Union Pacific
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, and later in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, where he eventually built the remarkable Virginian Railway
Virginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
to transport coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
to Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Henry Flagler's non-Standard Oil interests went in a different direction, however, when in 1878, on the advice of his physician, Flagler traveled to Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for the winter with his first wife, Mary, who was quite ill. Two years after she died in 1881, he married Mary's former caregiver, Ida Alice Shourds. After their wedding, the couple traveled to St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
in 1883. Flagler found the city charming, but the hotel facilities and transportation systems inadequate. He recognized Florida's potential to attract out-of-state visitors. Though Flagler remained on the Board of Directors of Standard Oil, he gave up his day-to-day involvement in the firm in order to pursue his Florida interests.
When Flagler returned to Florida, in 1885 he began building a grand St. Augustine hotel, the Ponce de León Hotel
Ponce de León Hotel
The Ponce de León Hotel was an exclusive hotel in St. Augustine, Florida, built by millionaire developer and Standard Oil co-founder Henry M. Flagler and completed in 1888. The Hotel Ponce de Leon was designed in the Spanish Renaissance style by the New York architects John Carrere and Thomas...
. Flagler realized that the key to developing Florida was a solid transportation system, and consequently purchased the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway
Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway
The Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway Company was incorporated under the general incorporation laws of Florida.Florida state law chapter ?, approved February 28, 1881, confirmed the incorporation and gave it land grants.-Land grants:...
(JStA&HR) on December 31, 1885. He also discovered that a major problem facing the existing Florida railway systems was that each operated on different gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
systems, making interconnection impossible. Shortly after purchasing the JStA&HR Railway, he converted the line to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
. The small operation was incorporated in 1892.
The earliest predecessor of the FEC was the narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
St. John’s Railway, incorporated in 1858, which constructed a now-abandoned line between St. Augustine and Tocoi, a small settlement on the east bank of the St. Johns River, midway between Palatka and Green Cove Springs. In 1883, Henry M. Flagler, now retired from Standard Oil, moved to St. Augustine and built the previously mentioned Ponce de Leon and the Alcazar Hotels and purchased the Casa Monica, just east of the Alcazar, changing the name to Cordova. The East Coast of Florida was relatively undeveloped at that time, and Flagler found it difficult to obtain the construction materials he needed. His purchase of the JStA&HR Railway was intended to make it faster and easier to supply his building projects.
The JStA&HR Railway served the northeastern portion of the state and was the first operation in the Flagler Railroad system. Before Flagler bought the line, the railroad stretched only between South Jacksonville and St. Augustine and lacked a depot sufficient to accommodate travelers to his St. Augustine resorts. Flagler built a modern depot facility as well as schools, hospitals and churches, systematically revitalizing the largely abandoned historic city.
Flagler next purchased three additional existing railroads: the St. John's Railway, the St. Augustine and Palatka Railway, and the St. Johns and Halifax River Railway so that he could provide extended rail service on standard gauge tracks. Through the operation of these three railroads, by spring 1889 Flagler's system offered service from Jacksonville to Daytona
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
. Continuing to develop hotel facilities to entice northern tourists to visit Florida, Flagler bought and expanded the Ormond Hotel
Ormond Hotel
The Ormond Hotel was an historic hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida, United States. It was located at 15 East Granada Boulevard.-History:Built by John Anderson and J. D. Price, the hotel opened on January 1, 1888...
, located along the railroad's route north of Daytona in Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach, Florida
Ormond Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 36,301 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 37,929. Ormond Beach is the northern neighbor of Daytona Beach and is home to Tomoka State Park.-History:Ormond Beach was...
.
Beginning in 1892, when landowners south of Daytona petitioned him to extend the railroad 80 miles (128.7 km) south, Flagler began laying new railroad tracks; no longer did he follow his traditional practice of purchasing existing railroads and merging them into his growing rail system. Flagler obtained a charter from the state of Florida authorizing him to build a railroad along the Indian River
Indian River (Florida)
The Indian River is a waterway in Florida, a part of the Indian River Lagoon system which forms the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It extends southward from the Ponce de Leon inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Florida [Volusia County] southward and across the "Haulover Canal" and along the western shore...
to Miami, and as the railroad progressed southward, cities such as New Smyrna and Titusville
Titusville, Florida
Titusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
began to develop along the tracks.
Royal Poinciana Hotel
The Royal Poinciana Hotel was a Gilded Age hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, United States. Enlarged twice and doubling in size each time, it became the largest wooden structure in the world, with 1,700 employees and accommodations for 2,000 guests...
in Palm Beach overlooking the Lake Worth Lagoon
Lake Worth Lagoon
The Lake Worth Lagoon is a lagoon located in Palm Beach County, Florida. It runs parallel to the coast, and is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier beaches, including Palm Beach Island. The lagoon is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by two permanent, man-made inlets.-Geography:Lake Worth...
. He also built The Breakers Hotel
Breakers Hotel
The Breakers Hotel is an historic hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, United States. First known as The Palm Beach Inn, it was opened on January 16, 1896 by Henry Flagler, an oil, real estate and railroad tycoon, to accommodate travelers on his Florida East Coast Railway...
on the ocean side of Palm Beach, and Whitehall
Flagler Museum
Flagler Museum, also known as Whitehall, is a 55-room mansion open to the public in Palm Beach, Florida in the United States. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-History:...
, his private 55-room, 60,000 square foot (5,600 m²) winter home. The development of these three structures, coupled with railroad access to them, established Palm Beach as a winter resort for the wealthy members of America's Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
. Palm Beach was to be the terminus of the Flagler railroad, but during 1894 and 1895, severe freezes
Great Freeze
The Great Freeze refers to the winter of 1894-1895, especially in Florida where the brutally cold weather destroyed much of the nation's citrus crop. It was also known for wiping out the Royal Palm tree from central Florida.-Weather Records:...
hit all of Central Florida
Central Florida
Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively....
, whereas the Miami area remained unaffected, causing Flagler to rethink his original decision not to move the railroad south of Palm Beach. The fable that Julia Tuttle
Julia Tuttle
Julia DeForest Tuttle, was an entrepreneur, citrus farmer and businesswoman who was largely responsible for, and the original owner of, the land upon which Miami, Florida, was built...
, one of two main landowners in the Miami area along with the Brickell family, sent orange blossom
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
s to Flagler to prove to him that Miami, unlike the rest of the state, was unaffected by the frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
is untrue. The fact is that Mrs. Tuttle wired Mr. Flagler to advise him that "the region around the shores of Biscayne Bay is untouched by the freezes." Mr. Flagler sent his two now famous in Florida history lieutenants, James E. Ingraham and Joseph R. Parrott
Joseph R. Parrott
Joseph Robinson Parrott was President of the Florida East Coast Railway. He died in Maine on October 13, 1913. He graduated from Yale University in 1883, where he was a member of Skull and Bones.-References:...
to investigate and they brought boxes of truck (produce) and citrus back to Mr. Flagler, who then wired Mrs. Tuttle, asking, "Madam, what is it that you propose?" To convince Flagler to continue the railroad to Miami, both Julia Tuttle and William Brickell
William Brickell
William Brickell joined Julia Tuttle as a co-founder of Miami, Florida.Brickell and his wife Mary moved to southern Florida from Cleveland, Ohio in 1871...
offered half of their holdings north and south of the Miami River to Mr. Flagler. Mrs. Tuttle added 50 acres (202,343 m²) for shops and yards if Mr. Flagler would extend his railroad to the shores of Biscayne Bay and build one of his great hotels. An agreement was made, contracts were signed, and the rest, as it is said, is history.
On September 7, 1895, the name of Flagler's system was changed from the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway Company to the Florida East Coast Railway Company and incorporated. On April 15, 1896 track reached Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
, the site of present day downtown Miami. At the time, it was a small settlement of less than 50 inhabitants. When the town incorporated, on July 28, 1896, its citizens wanted to honor the man responsible for the city's development by naming it Flagler. He declined the honor, persuading them to retain its old Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
name, Miami. The area was actually previously known as Fort Dallas
Fort Dallas
Fort Dallas is a urban park in the Lummus Park Historic District of Miami, Florida, just west of Downtown. It once acted as a military base during the Seminole Wars, located on the banks of the Miami River in what is now Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States....
after the fort built there in 1836 during the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
. To further develop the area surrounding the Miami railroad station, Flagler dredged a channel, built streets and The Royal Palm Hotel
Royal Palm Hotel (Miami)
The Royal Palm Hotel was a large resort hotel built by well-known railroad magnate Henry Flagler in Miami, Florida. Opening its doors in 1897, the Royal Palm Hotel was one of the first area hotels in Miami. Five stories tall with a sixth-floor salon, the Royal Palm Hotel featured the city's first...
, instituted the first water and power systems, and financed the town's first newspaper, the Metropolis. Flagler was a great visionary and he can be credited for the development of the entire east coast of Florida. Yet he lacked vision on at least one issue: he felt that Miami would never be more than a fishing village.
As of 1904, Flagler started what everybody considered a folly: the extension of the FEC to Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
which would later be known as the Overseas Railway, at the time considered the eighth wonder of the world and surely the most daring infrastructure ever built exclusively with private funds. The first train--a construction engineers train--arrived in Key West on January 21, 1912, while Mr. Flagler's special train and other passenger trains arrived the next day, January 22, 1912, and that is considered the first day of service on the new route.
Constructing the Florida East Coast Railway
The railroad south of West Palm Beach was constructed in phases by the FEC and the predecessor systems. Flagler began his railroad building in 1892. Under Florida’s generous land-grant laws passed in 1893, 8000 acres (3,237.5 ha) could be claimed from the state for every mile (1.6 km) built. Flagler would eventually claim a total in excess of two million acres (8,000 km²) for building the FEC, and land development and trading would become one of his most profitable endeavors.Before it became the FEC, the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Indian River was constructing a line southwards from Daytona Beach in 1894. Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
was reached on January 29, and West Palm Beach on March 22. Further extension southwards did not begin until June 1895, when a favorable deal was signed with Miami-area business interests. Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
was reached on March 3 of the following year. By April, the construction reached Biscayne Bay, the largest and most accessible harbor on Florida’s east coast. Flagler announced in 1904 that the FEC would be extended 128 miles (206 km) to Key West over the ocean. However, in 1906, a powerful hurricane
1906 Florida Keys hurricane
The 1906 Florida Keys hurricane was a powerful and deadly hurricane that caused major impacts in Cuba and southern Florida. The fifth hurricane and third major hurricane of the season, the storm formed from a system near Barbados on October 4. By October 8, it had intensified into a tropical storm,...
killed 135 of Flagler's workers. The Over-the-Sea Extension was completed in 1912, a mere 16 months prior to Flagler’s death, at a cost of $50 million and lives of hundreds of workmen.
Key West Extension: Eighth Wonder of the World
Never one to rest on his laurels, Flagler next sought perhaps his greatest challenge: the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city of almost 20,000 inhabitants located 128 miles (206 km) beyond the end of the Florida peninsulaPeninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
. Flagler became particularly interested in linking Key West to the mainland after the United States announced in 1905 the construction of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. Key West, the United States' closest deep-water port to the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
, could not only take advantage of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
trade, but the opening of the canal would allow significant trade possibilities with the west.
The construction of the Overseas Railroad
Overseas Railroad
The Overseas Railroad was an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city of almost 30,000 inhabitants located 128 miles beyond the end of the Florida peninsula...
required many engineering innovations as well as vast amounts of labor and monetary resources. At one time during construction, four thousand men were employed. During the seven year construction, three hurricanes threatened to halt the project.
Despite the hardships, the final link of the Florida East Coast Railway was completed in 1912. On January 22 of that year, a proud Henry Flagler rode the first passenger train into Key West, marking the completion of the railroad's oversea connection to Key West and the linkage by railway of the entire east coast of Florida.
One of the reasons Flagler built the Key West Extension was at the time of its conception, Key West was a major coaling station for ship traffic between South America and New York. Flagler thought it would be profitable for coal to be brought by railroad to Key West for coaling those ships. By the time the railroad was finished in 1912 though, range had been extended on the ships to such a degree that Key West was no longer a stopover for coal.
FEC Through the Years
The Florida Overseas Railroad, also known as the "Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway" was heavily damaged and partially destroyed in the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season, and one of the most intense hurricanes to make landfall in the United States in recorded history...
. The Florida East Coast Railway was financially unable to rebuild the destroyed sections, so the roadbed and remaining bridges were sold to the state of Florida, which built the Overseas Highway
Overseas Highway
The Overseas Highway is a highway carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially...
to Key West, using much of the remaining railway infrastructure. A rebuilt Overseas Highway (U.S. Route 1) following Flagler's dream, continues to provide a highway link to Key West, ending at the southernmost point in the continental United States.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
were particularly harsh on the FEC. The railroad declared bankruptcy and was in receivership by September 1931, just 18 years after Flagler’s death. Bus service began to be substituted for trains on the branches in 1932. Streamliners plied the rails between 1939 and 1963, including such famous trains as "The Champion" and "The Florida Special" jointly operated with the Atlantic Coast Line. Adding to the woes was the Cuban embargo, thus reducing a significant portion of FEC's revenue.
During the Great Depression, Edward Ball, who controlled the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust
Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust
The Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust is a non-profit organization created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1935, devoted to supporting the Trust's sole charitable beneficiary, the Nemours Foundation. As of December 31, 2008, the trust’s value was $3.25 billion and employed nearly 3,500...
, purchased a majority ownership of FEC,by buying its bonds on the open market, allowing the FEC to emerge from bankruptcy following protracted litigation with a group of the company's other bondholders, led by S.A. Lynch and associated with the Atlantic Coast Line
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
which had proposed an alternate plan of reorganization. That same year, a labor contract negotiation turned sour. Ball was determined to save the railroad from the bankruptcy that had continued for more than a decade. Ball was certain that if the company didn't become profitable, the equipment and track would deteriorate to the point where some lines would become unsafe or unusable and require partial abandonment.
Featherbedding
Featherbedding is the practice of hiring more workers than are needed to perform a given job, or to adopt work procedures which appear pointless, complex and time-consuming merely to employ additional workers. The term "make-work" is sometimes used as a synonym for featherbedding.The term...
and wasteful work rules. This led to a prolonged work stoppage by non-operating unions beginning January 23, 1963, and whose picket lines were honored by the operating unions (the train crews).
Because the strike was by the non-operating unions, a Federal judge ordered the railroad to continue observing their work rules, while the railroad was free to change the work rules for the operating unions, who were technically not on strike and thus had no standing in the federal court regarding the strike.
Ball's use of replacement workers to keep the railroad running during the strike led to violence by strikers that included shootings and bombings. Eventually, federal intervention helped quell the violence, and the railroad's right to operate during the strike with replacement workers was affirmed by the United States Supreme Court. As the strike continued, the FEC took numerous steps to improve its physical plant, installed various forms of automation, and drastically cut labor costs. Most of the nation's other railroads did not match these achievements for several years; some still had not as of 2010.
Passenger service became an issue in Florida during the early years of the labor strike, which essentially lasted 14 years, from 1963 to 1977. At the insistence of the City of Miami – which had long fought to get rid of the tracks in the downtown section just north of the county courthouse – Miami’s wooden-constructed downtown passenger terminal was demolished by November 1963. Although a new station was planned at NE 36th Street and NE 2nd Avenue, it was never built. Further, while freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s were operated with non-union and supervisory crews, passenger runs were not reinstated until August 2, 1965, after the City of Miami sued and the Florida courts ruled that the FEC corporate charter required both coach and first class passenger services to be offered. In response, FEC sold "parlour car seating" for first class accommodations in the rear lounge section of a tavern-lounge-observation car. This new state-mandated passenger service consisted of a single diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
and two streamlined passenger cars, which, in addition to the operating crew, were staffed by a passenger service agent and a coach attendant, who were "non-operating." The mini-streamliner operated all of the way across three previously-observed crew districts (Jacksonville to New Smyrna Beach to Fort Pierce to Miami). Following the letter of the law, the train carried no baggage, remains, mail or express; honoured no inter-line tickets or passes; and the only food service was a box lunch (at Cocoa-Rockledge in 1966). On-board beverage service was limited to soft drinks and coffee. Without a station in Miami, the 1950s era station in North Miami became the southern terminus. The service operated six days a week until it was finally discontinued on July 31, 1968.
Later, after 23 years under Ball, Raymond Wyckoff took the helm on May 30, 1984. In March 2005, Robert Anestis stepped down as CEO of Florida East Coast Industries after a 4 year stint, allowing Adolfo Henriquez to assume that position, with John D. McPherson, a long-time railroad man, continuing as president of the railway itself. By this time, the railroad had long since made peace with its workers.
In late 2007, in a move surprising to many employees and railroad industry observers alike, the FEC was purchased by the principal investors who also control short line railroad operator RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
. John Giles was named chairman, and David Rohal was named president. Both men are also principals with major responsibilities at RailAmerica as well, although the ownership of FEC and Rail America is not linked corporately.
In May, 2010, James Hertwig was named as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company effective July 1, 2010. Hertwig had recently retired from CSX, most recently having served a president of CSX Intermodal, one of CSX's major operating units.
FEC in modern times
Routing
The Florida East Coast Railway operates from its relocated headquarters in Jacksonville after selling the original General Office Building in St. Augustine to Flagler College in late 2006. Its trains run over nearly the same route developed by Henry Flagler; notably, the Moultrie Cutoff was built in 1925 to shorten the distance south of St. Augustine.Modern operations
The FEC operations today are dominated by "intermodal" trains and unit rock (limestone) trains. Passenger service was discontinued in 1968 after labor unrest that resulted in considerable incidents of violence.The company's major income-earning sources are its rock trains, transporting primarily limestone, and intermodal trains. FEC freight trains operate on precise schedules. Trains are not held for missed connections or late loadings. Most of the trains are paired so that they leave simultaneously from their starting points and meet halfway through the run and swap crews, so they are back home at the end of their runs. The FEC pioneered operation with 2 man crews with no crew districts, which they were able to start doing after the 1963 strike. The entire railroad adopted positive train control
Positive Train Control
Positive train control is a system of monitoring and controlling train movements to provide increased safety.-Overview:The main concept in PTC is that the train receives information about its location and where it is allowed to safely travel, also known as movement authorities...
(PTC) after a fatal 1987 collision caused by a crew not obeying signaling. (PTC is a safety feature long-sought by federal safety officials for all railroads).
FEC has what is called by some a "prime" railroad right-of-way. The heavy weight of the rock trains required very good trackage and bridges. The railroad has mostly 133 pound-per-yard (66 kg/m) continuous-welded rail attached to concrete ties, which sits on a high quality granite roadbed. The entire railroad is controlled by centralized traffic control with constant radio communication. Because the railroad has only minor grades, it takes very little horsepower to pull very long trains at speed. 60 mi/h trains are a normal FEC operating standard.
Passenger service
The FEC was already in the freight-business only when AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
was created and assumed passenger operations of many other U.S. railroads in 1971. Periodically, there has been speculation that the southern end of the FEC line may be used for a commuter rail service to complement the existing Tri-Rail
Tri-Rail
Tri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast...
line (which follows former CSX tracks). There have also been some discussion about Amtrak or the State of Florida using FEC lines for a more direct route between Jacksonville and Miami.
Rock trains
A lifeblood of the FEC is its transportation of high-grade limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, which is used in the formulation for concrete and other construction purposes. The limestone is quarried near Miami in the "Lake Belt" area of Dade County and Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
just west of Hialeah
Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
. The rock trains come out of the FEC yard at Medley
Medley, Florida
Medley is a town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The community was named after its founder, Sylvester Medley. The population was 1,098 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,059...
in the and the southern end of the FEC service area. Shipments currently are principally for materials dealers Titan and Rinker.
Rinker has since been sold and is now part of the multi-national Cemex
Cemex
CEMEX is the world's largest building materials supplier and third largest cement producer. Founded in Mexico in 1906, the company is based in Monterrey, Mexico...
.
Intermodal services
The intermodal trafficIntermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
includes interchanged shipments with CSX and Norfolk Southern, participation in EMP container service operated by UP and Norfolk Southern, United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
(UPS) piggyback trailers, trailers going to the Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
distribution center at Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
, and intermodal shipping container traffic through the ports of Miami
Port of Miami
The Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
, Port Everglades (adjacent to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and the principal source of imports), Port of Palm Beach/Lake Worth Inlet, and Port Canaveral.
Additionally FEC offers "Hurricane Service" offering trucking companies the opportunity of having their trailers piggybacked out of Jacksonville to save the expensive cost of back-hauling empty trailers.
Manifest, other freight
The FEC also hauls normal "manifest" freight to and from points along its right of way. These cars are hauled on whatever train is going that way, so intermodal and rock trains routinely have some manifest cars in their consists.Additionally, the FEC currently transports Tropicana Products
Tropicana Products
Tropicana Products is an American based company, and was founded in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi in Bradenton, Florida, U.S.A. Since 1998, it has been owned by PepsiCo, Inc. Tropicana's headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois.-Anthony T. Rossi:...
"Juice Train
Juice Train
"Juice Train" is the popular name for famous unit trains of Tropicana fresh orange juice operated by railroads in the United States....
" cars to and from one of the company's processing facilities located on the "K Line. The Juice Train concept was developed by Tropicana founder Anthony T. Rossi
Anthony T. Rossi
Anthony Talamo Rossi was an Italian immigrant who founded Tropicana Products, a producer of orange juice founded in 1947 in Bradenton, Florida in the United States which grew from 50 employees to over 8,000 in 2004, expanding into multiple product lines and became one of the world's largest...
in conjunction with Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a former Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971...
(a CSX predecessor) beginning in 1970.
Motive power
The FEC completed its "second generation" dieselisation with the purchase of 49 GP40s and GP40-2s and 11 GP38-2s, ranging in the 400's. These locomotives have been extensively rebuilt. In 2002, the FEC acquired 20 used ex-UP SD40-2s, ranging in to 700's, which remained at the time in UP colours with FEC markings. In 2006 they purchased four SD70M-2s ranging in the 100's. In 2009 when RailAmerica came into the picture, they had placed 4 new Red, Pearl & Blue engines with one side saying "RailAmerica" and the other Florida East Coast, also ranging in the 100's. With the FEC making new changes, RA, left FEC and the company was back on its own. In 2010, CITX had leased 3 of their engines and FEC got a hold of those, all 3 ranging in the 140 series. The GP38-2s are used principally for yard and road switching. The others are used as available in road service. Some test runs have been made to observe the effect on fuel consumption of dynamic braking and combinations of new and old power.Statistics
In 2005, FEC owned and operated: of mainline track between Jacksonville and Miami, Florida of branch, switching, and other secondary track of yard trackFlagler Development owned and operated:
- 64 buildings
- 7.4 million rentable square feet
Motive Fleet
| Road numbers | Model | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100-107 | EMD SD70M-2 | Numbers 104-107 are painted in RailAmerica's red pearl and blue colours. | Numbers 100-103 are painted in Alaska Railroad Yellow and Blue colours. |
| 401-410 | EMD GP40 | 402 wrecked parts traded in for #424; reportedly #406 painted yellow, red & black and numbered 2000 | |
| 411-14, 16-18, 20-22, 24-27, 29-38, 40 and 443 | EMD GP40-2 | 423 reblt to #437; 426 on cover of country musician Randy Dukes, album Riding the Rails. | |
| 415, 419, 428, 439, 441 | EMD GP40-3 | ||
| 444 - 449 | EMD GP40-3 | Rebuilt GP40s; dynamic brake equipped | |
| 501-511 | EMD GP38-2 | ||
| 701-720 | EMD SD40-2 | Ex-Union Pacific; #717-719 acquired by Alabama and Gulf Coast | Unit 701 was completely destroyed after FEC Train 101 had derailed on May, 9th, 2009. |
| 2000 | EMD GP40 | Commemorative unit in yellow, red and black | |
| Progress Rail 3576 & 3578 | EMD SD40-2 | ||
| Progress Rail 9917 | EMD SD40-2 |
Awards and recognition
On May 16, 2006, FEC was the recipient of the Gold E. H. Harriman Award for safety in Group C (line-haul railroad companies with fewer than 4 million employee hours per year).Corporate history
The Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway Company was incorporated under the general incorporation laws of FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to own and operate a railroad from Jacksonville in Duval county
Duval County, Florida
Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 864,263. Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968...
, through the counties of Duval
Duval County, Florida
Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 864,263. Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968...
, St. Johns
St. Johns County, Florida
St. Johns County is a county located in northeastern Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 190,039. The county seat is St. Augustine. Due to the inclusion of Ponte Vedra Beach, it is one of the highest-income counties in the United States....
, Putnam
Putnam County, Florida
Putnam County is a county located in the state of Florida. The entire county makes up the Palatka Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 70,423. The U.S. Census Bureau 2009 estimate for the county was 72,893 . Its county seat is Palatka, Florida. The county is centrally...
, Volusia
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....
, Brevard
Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
, Orange
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
, Osceola
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
, Dade, Polk
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
and Hillsborough
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
.
Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
state law chapter 4260, approved May 31, 1893, granted land to the railroad. At that time, it was already in operation from Jacksonville to Rockledge
Rockledge, Florida
Rockledge is the oldest city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 20,170 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau is 24,747. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical...
, the part south of Daytona having been constructed by them. The company had just filed a certificate changing and extending its lines on and across the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
to Key West in Monroe County
Monroe County, Florida
Monroe County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 79,589. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 74,737....
.
The name was changed to the Florida East Coast Railway Company on September 7, 1895.
Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) incorporated in 1983 and was made the holding company for the Railway and the Commercial Realty/Flagler Development Company in 1984. The other subsidiaries are Orlando-based carrier, "EPIK Communication" and the logistics firm, "International Transit".
FECI began operating independently of the St. Joe Company
St. Joe Company
The St. Joe Company is a land development company formerly headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is Florida's second largest private landowner, owning about in the state at the end of 2009.-Beginning:...
on October 9, 2000 when St. Joe shareholders were given FECI stock.
On May 8, 2007, Florida East Coast Railway Company's parent, Florida East Coast Industries (FECI), announced that FECI would be purchased with private equity funds managed by Fortress Investment Group
Fortress Investment Group
Fortress Investment Group LLC is an investment management firm based in New York, New York. The company went public on February 9, 2007.-History:...
in a transaction valued at $3.5 billion. Fortress Investment acquired Florida East Coast Railway from Florida East Coast Industries in March, 2008.
Main line
Historical listing of main line stations (north to south)- Lyrata
- Scottsmoor
- East Aurantia
- Jones Post Office or East Mims
- Titusville (Enterprise Branch begins)
- Indian River City
- Pritchards
- Frontenac
- Hardeeville
- Fuastina
- Sharpes
- City Point
- Cocoa
- Rockledge
- Rockledge Hotels (spur across Indian River)
- Coquina
- Bonaventure
- Pineda
- Bahia
- Horse Creek
- Eau Gallie
- Military Park (Station at the Kentucky Military InstituteKentucky Military InstituteThe Kentucky Military Institute was a military preparatory school in Lyndon, Kentucky and Venice, Florida, in operation from 1845 to 1971....
) - Sarno
- Melbourne
- Tillman (now Palm Bay)
- Malabar
- Valkaria
- Grant
- Micco
- Roseland
- Sebastian
- Wabasso
- Winter Beach
- Gifford
- Vero Railroad StationVero Railroad StationThe Vero Railroad Station is a historic Florida East Coast Railway train station in Vero Beach, Florida. It is located at 2336 Fourteenth Avenue. On January 6, 1987, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.The structure no longer serves as a railroad station...
, now Vero Beach, extant - Viking
- Indrio
- St. Lucie
- Fort Pierce
- White City
- Walton
- Jensen (now Jensen Beach}, demolished
- Rio, demolished
- Stuart, demolished
- Port Sewall, demolished
- Salerno, now Port Salerno, demolished
- Gomez, demolished
- Hobe Sound, moved to a grove on Bridge Road west of Hobe Sound and still extant
- Jupiter, built 1914, later moved to 479 Seabrook Road, Tequesta to be used as a house. Now facing demolition.
- Monet (now Palm Beach Gardens)
- Kelsey City (now Lake Park)
- Riviera
- West Palm Beach
- Lake Worth
- Hypoluxo
- Boynton
- Delray Beach
- Yamato
- Boca Raton Florida East Coast Railway Station, extant
- Deerfield
- Pompano
- Oakland Park
- Fort Lauderdale
- Dania
- Hollywood
- Hallandale
- North Miami Beach
- North Miami
- Little River/ El Portal/ Miami Shores
- Miami
Kissimmee Valley Line and cutoff (K-Branch)
FEC Kissimmee Valley Extension Map
Stations (north to south)
- Maytown
- Osceola
- Geneva
- Chuluota
- Bithlo
- Pocataw
- Wewahotee
- Narcoossee
- Salofka
- Tohopkee ( Mail service terminated 1927 )
- Holopaw
- Illahaw ( Mail service terminated 1935 )
- Nittaw ( Mail service terminated 1935 )
- Kenansville
Kenansville Branch (East)
- Apoxsee
- Lokosee
- Yeehaw
- Osawa
- Fort Drum Depot
- Hilo (Currently known as Hilolo)
- Efal
- Opal
- Okeechobee
Kenansville Branch (West)
- Armstrong
- Pine Island
- Halsey
- Greely
- Bassinger
South of Holopaw, the line roughly parallels US 441.
Fellsmere Branch
See http:www.taplines.net/tfc/tfc01.html for the story of the Fellsmere Branch.Lake Harbor Branch
The Lake Harbor Branch runs from Fort PierceFort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
in St. Lucie County to Lake Harbor
Lake Harbor, Florida
Lake Harbor is a census-designated place in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 195 at the 2000 census. It located along the southern banks of Lake Okeechobee, at the beginning of the Miami Canal...
in Palm Beach County. Also known as the "K" branch. It is now partially owned by other short lines. It basically serves the sugar farms in Palm Beach and Hendry Counties.
Enterprise Branch
The Enterprise Branch (E-branch) was built in 1885 by the Atlantic Coast, St. Johns and Indian River Railroad and leased to the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railroad, part of the Plant SystemPlant System
The Plant System was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. South, taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The original line of the system, named after its owner, Henry B...
. Initially, the westernmost five miles (8 km) served as a connection from Enterprise Junction
Benson Junction, Florida
-History:In 1885 Benson Junction was known as Enterprise Junction. By 1918, it became known as Benson Junction. The area consisted primarily of a railroad junction of the Indian River Division, owned by Luther Caldwell and Elijah Watson. The Enterprise Branch consisted of a 3.9 mile stretch of...
to Enterprise
Enterprise, Florida
Enterprise is an unincorporated community in Volusia County, in the U.S. state of Florida, and its former county seat. Situated on the northern shore of Lake Monroe, it is flanked by the cities of DeBary and Deltona. Enterprise was once the head of navigation on the St. Johns River and at various...
, a port for steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
traffic down the St. Johns River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
. Later, the line was built through Osteen
Osteen, Florida
Osteen, Florida is an unincorporated community located in southwest Volusia County. The , a 150-acre nature preserve with hiking and horse trails is located in Osteen.-History:...
, Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Florida
Kalamazoo is an unincorporated community located in southwest Volusia County, Florida. As of 2011, Kalamazoo is private property.-History:According to longtime area residents, Kalamazoo was named for the many people who moved there from Michigan....
, and Mims
Mims, Florida
Mims is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Mims is located at ....
to Titusville
Titusville, Florida
Titusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
. The Enterprise Branch also crossed the Kissimmee Valley Branch at a location known as Maytown.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
pulled the first train over the line onto the wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
on the Indian River
Indian River (Florida)
The Indian River is a waterway in Florida, a part of the Indian River Lagoon system which forms the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It extends southward from the Ponce de Leon inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Florida [Volusia County] southward and across the "Haulover Canal" and along the western shore...
at Titusville on the afternoon of December 30, 1885 and greatly accelerated the transportation of passengers, produce, seafood, and supplies to and from central Florida
Central Florida
Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively....
. While Titusville thrived thanks to this new transportation connection, Enterprise lost stature as a steamboat port, since Henry Plant's railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
paralleled the St. Johns River and greatly reduced travel times to Jacksonville.
During the winter of 1894–95, a widespread freeze hit twice, decimating the citrus crop and ruining that part of Florida's economy. This allowed Henry Flagler to acquire the line at a discount to piece together what became the Florida East Coast Railway.
The track of the E-branch has been uprooted as far as Aurantia
Aurantia, Florida
Aurantia was an unincorporated community in the north end of Brevard County, Florida, United States at the intersection of Aurantia Road and the Florida East Coast Railway, where it was a station along the Enterprise Branch line.-Geography:...
, about five miles (8 km) northwest of Mims, ending directly under the Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
overpass and has been abandoned. The crossing gates and signals were removed before the summer 2004 hurricanes and the track is being removed by a steel salvage company. As of 2008 the track has been completely removed up to the connection with the current FEC mainline in Titusville.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the Florida government agency charged with environmental protection.-History:...
took ownership of the rail bed on December 31, 2007. The corridor will become Florida's longest rails-to-trails project.
This rail line would have been suited to recreational railroad use by such groups as the North American Rail Passenger Car Owners' Association assuming a representative who is local to the area could have been located.
Atlantic and Western Branch
This branch, from Blue Spring on the St. Johns RiverSt. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
via Orange City
Orange City, Florida
Orange City is a city located in Volusia County, Florida. In the 2000 census the city had a total population of 6,604. In 2004 the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 7,172.-Geography:Orange City is located at ....
to the main line in New Smyrna Beach, was built by the Blue Spring, Orange City and Atlantic Railroad. In the mid-1880s it became the Atlantic and Western Branch of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway, which changed its name to the Florida East Coast Railway in 1895. It may have been the Atlantic and Western Railroad in between. The line was in use until 1930.
Tocoi Branch
The railroad from Tocoi to Tocoi Junction, outside St. Augustine, was built by the St. Johns Railway. The Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway took it over by 1894, and changed its name to the Florida East Coast Railway in 1895. The line was abandoned by 1917; it was later used for SR 95, which became SR 214 at some time after the 1945 Florida State Road renumbering1945 Florida State Road renumbering
On June 11, 1945, Florida's state roads were renumbered. The old system numbered routes in the order they were legislated, while the new system used a grid.For more detailed information on where each road was, go to the corresponding page.-See also:...
, and is now CR 214.
Moultrie Cutoff
The almost arrow-straight Moultrie Cutoff was built in 1925 to cut the distance on the main line, avoiding the swing inland to East PalatkaEast Palatka, Florida
East Palatka is a census-designated place in Putnam County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,654 at the 2010 census.-Geography:East Palatka is located at ....
. It runs from just north of Bunnell
Bunnell, Florida
Bunnell is the county seat of Flagler County Florida with a population of 2,122 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2008, the city's population had grown to 3,190. The city is part of the Palm Coast Metropolitan Statistical Area and is named after early resident, Alvah A...
to Moultrie Junction in St. Augustine. In 2005 the entire route had its mileposts redone to match the rest on the main line.
Flagler Beach Branch
The railroad from Flagler BeachFlagler Beach, Florida
Flagler Beach is a city in Flagler and Volusia counties in the U.S. state of Florida. The population was 4,954 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 5,228 in 2004.Flagler Beach is part of the Palm Coast Metropolitan Statistical Area...
to Dorena, north of Bunnell
Bunnell, Florida
Bunnell is the county seat of Flagler County Florida with a population of 2,122 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2008, the city's population had grown to 3,190. The city is part of the Palm Coast Metropolitan Statistical Area and is named after early resident, Alvah A...
, was built by the Lehigh Portland Cement Company in 1953. The line connected to the Lehigh Portland Cement Company Plant located near Flagler Beach. The line was abandoned in 1963, after a deadly strike erupted in that year that closed the massive plant. The site of the old plant was where some of the monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
beams were assembled for Walt Disney World in the early 1970s. The route is now part of the rails to trails system. The plant has been demolished outside of one smokestack that will become a "lighthouse" for a new development.
Palatka Branch
The railroad from PalatkaPalatka, Florida
Palatka is a city in Putnam County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,033 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,796. It is the county seat of Putnam County and includes East Palatka. Palatka is the principal city of the Palatka...
to Moultrie Junction, outside St. Augustine, was built by the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway
Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway
The Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway Company was incorporated under the general incorporation laws of Florida.Florida state law chapter ?, approved February 28, 1881, confirmed the incorporation and gave it land grants.-Land grants:...
. The Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railway took it over by 1894, and changed its name to the Florida East Coast Railway in 1895. The line was the main route until the construction of the Moultrie Cutoff in 1925. it was later abandoned in 1988 and all rail was removed to a point just west of I-95
Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
. In 2001 rail service resumed up to this point and track was rehabilitated when new industries were located there. A daily local serves the eastern end of the line today known as the Wilber Wright Industrial Lead.
Mayport Branch
This was originally built by the Jacksonville and Atlantic RailroadJacksonville and Atlantic Railroad
The Jacksonville and Atlantic Railroad Company was incorporated under the general incorporation laws of Florida for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating a railroad for public use in the conveyance of persons and property, from the south bank of the river St...
from Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
to Pablo Beach (now Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Jacksonville Beach is a city on the Atlantic coast of Duval County, Florida, east of Jacksonville. It is part of the Jacksonville Beaches community, together with Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach...
). It was later extended north along the coast to Mayport and taken over by the FEC.
Family tree
- Florida East Coast Railway formed September 13, 1895 as a renaming of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad; still exists
- Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad - formed October 6, 1892 as a renaming of the FC&G; renamed the Florida East Coast Railway September 13, 1895
- Florida Coast and Gulf Railway - formed May 28, 1892; renamed the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad October 6, 1892
- Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River RailwayJacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River RailwayThe Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway Company was incorporated under the general incorporation laws of Florida.Florida state law chapter ?, approved February 28, 1881, confirmed the incorporation and gave it land grants.-Land grants:...
- formed February 28, 1881 as a renaming of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railroad; merged with the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad October 31, 1892- Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railroad - formed March 1879; renamed the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway February 28, 1881
- St. Augustine and Palatka Railway - formed September 1, 1885; merged with the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad 1893
Gauges
In 1890, the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway (the line north of St. Augustine) changed from narrow gauge to standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
External links
- Florida East Coast Railway Website
- http://www.sethbramsonbooks.com (Includes three books on FEC, many local histories and history of the Plant System)
- Flagler Museum - History of the Florida East Coast Railway
- Florida East Coast Railway Society