Special thanks to Bill Houston for the pictures and information on this line. Pictures from February 2006.
About ½ mile south of This line was built in 1890 as part of the
Georgia Southern & Florida Railroad, extending from Macon, GA, through
Valdosta, GA, and Lake City to Palatka, FL. The railroad quickly entered
bankruptcy after completion, and came under the control of the Southern Railway
in 1895. It marked the point furthest to the south in the Florida for
Southern, and possibly for the whole system. The GS&F remained an
operating subsidiary of the Southern and still today as part of
Norfolk-Southern. This line was the "B" line of GS&F, which
was also known as "The Suwanee River Route". More information on
the GS&F and the history of this line can be found through the following
links: GS&F
History "The Suwanee River Route"
Georgia
Southern & Florida Railroad The abandoned section extends from "Navair",
just southeast of Lake City, through Lulu (Hagen), Guilford, Cliftonville, Lake
Butler, New River, Sampson City, Hampton, Theressa, Keystone Heights, Lake
Geneva, Newburg, Putnam Hall, Grandin, Florahome, Baywood, Carraway, Springside,
and into Palatka, with a spur to the Georgia-Pacific plant to the northwest of
Palatka. The line was apparently abandoned in the late 1980s.
Norfolk Southern secured trackage rights from Jacksonville to Palatka over CSX,
which made the line in between unnecessary in order to reach Palatka. Much of the line between Palatka and Lake Butler
is being converted to a state trail. This abandoned section runs parallel
to FL SR 100 from just south of Lake City all the way to Palatka. It has
been abandoned for years with trees growing in ROW, etc.
However, now work is on-going to reclaim the ROW as the trail is developed. About 5 miles south of Pounds Hammock Road to the
southeast of Lake City. ROW cleared for about 3 miles at Lulu. View
north. Same as picture above, but view to the South. Two miles south of the picture above in Lulu.
Olustee Creek Trestle beside SR 100. View north.
Same place in Lake Butler as picture above, looking the
opposite direction. View south.
To the southeast of Same point as picture above, but looking in the opposite
direction. View south.
Between Keystone Heights and Putnam Hall at road leading to 
