South Central Florida Express
Encyclopedia
South Central Florida Express, Incorporated (originally known as the South Central Florida Railroad and run by the Brandywine Valley Railroad
until September 17, 1994) is a short line railroad in southern Florida
run by U.S. Sugar. It serves customers at 26 locations.
U.S. Sugar, the only sugar company in the continental U.S. to transport sugarcane
by rail, owns private trackage to take the cane to the SCFE. From there, the SCFE runs around both sides of Lake Okeechobee
. The west side connects to CSX
at Sebring
, and the east side crosses CSX at Marcy and interchanges with the Florida East Coast Railway
at Fort Pierce
, with haulage rights to CSX and Norfolk Southern
at Jacksonville, Florida
.
, was a CSX line (Sebring Subdivision along the mainline to the sugar fields, and Okeelanta Subdivision on the spur to Lake Harbor), originally part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
. It was bought on June 2, 1990, by the Brandywine Valley Railroad
, a Lukens Steel Company
subsidiary, and sold to U.S. Sugar on September 17, 1994. U.S. Sugar set up the railroad as a separate company with its own board of directors to operate independently from the 119 miles (191.5 km) branch line U.S. Sugar already owned.
The 71 miles (114.3 km) east connection, east of Lake Harbor
, is still owned by the Florida East Coast Railway
as its Fort Pierce-Lake Harbor Branch (also known as the K-Branch). It was part of the original Kissimmee Valley Line to Lake Okeechobee south of near Marcy, and a newer cutoff north of there. On March 2, 1998, South Central Florida Express and the Florida East Coast Railway entered into a car haulage arrangement, allowing SCFE to use the branch and the mainline to interchange with CSX and Norfolk Southern at Jacksonville.
Brandywine Valley Railroad
The Brandywine Valley Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Pennsylvania.It was established in 1981 by the Lukens Steel Company to operate trackage at Coatesville, Pennsylvania and the neighboring town of Modena...
until September 17, 1994) is a short line railroad in southern 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...
run by U.S. Sugar. It serves customers at 26 locations.
U.S. Sugar, the only sugar company in the continental U.S. to transport sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
by rail, owns private trackage to take the cane to the SCFE. From there, the SCFE runs around both sides of Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
. The west side connects to CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
at Sebring
Sebring, Florida
Sebring is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States, nicknamed "The City on the Circle", in reference to Circle Drive, the center of the Sebring Downtown Historic District...
, and the east side crosses CSX at Marcy and interchanges with the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
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...
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...
, with haulage rights to CSX and Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
at Jacksonville, Florida
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...
.
History
The 87 miles (140 km) west connection, west of Lake HarborLake 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...
, was a CSX line (Sebring Subdivision along the mainline to the sugar fields, and Okeelanta Subdivision on the spur to Lake Harbor), originally part of the Atlantic Coast Line 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...
. It was bought on June 2, 1990, by the Brandywine Valley Railroad
Brandywine Valley Railroad
The Brandywine Valley Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Pennsylvania.It was established in 1981 by the Lukens Steel Company to operate trackage at Coatesville, Pennsylvania and the neighboring town of Modena...
, a Lukens Steel Company
Lukens Steel Company
Lukens Steel Company is located in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Lukens is the oldest steel mill in commission within the United States. In 1995 it was one of the three largest producers of plate steel and the largest domestic manufacturer of alloy-plate. It is ranked fourth out of 24 public steel...
subsidiary, and sold to U.S. Sugar on September 17, 1994. U.S. Sugar set up the railroad as a separate company with its own board of directors to operate independently from the 119 miles (191.5 km) branch line U.S. Sugar already owned.
The 71 miles (114.3 km) east connection, east of 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...
, is still owned by the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
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...
as its Fort Pierce-Lake Harbor Branch (also known as the K-Branch). It was part of the original Kissimmee Valley Line to Lake Okeechobee south of near Marcy, and a newer cutoff north of there. On March 2, 1998, South Central Florida Express and the Florida East Coast Railway entered into a car haulage arrangement, allowing SCFE to use the branch and the mainline to interchange with CSX and Norfolk Southern at Jacksonville.