Special thanks to Lance Sweat and Harvey Henkelman for the information and pictures on this line.
Picture of the abandoned Little Manatee River bridge used by the SAL/SCL along the route. According to a few sources, the bridge was built c. 1902. (Photo courtesy of Harvey Henkelman).
Saffold Road, just south of Wimauma, FL. This view is towards the northeast. The rails are still intact at this point--the rails are taken up just a few yards beyond the photograph. Judging by the growth over the rails, they probably should've removed these as well. (This photo and photos below courtesy of Lance Sweat.)
Sarasota Sub
This line wyed off from an existing phosphate line in Durant, FL and ran south
to Sarasota, FL--a distance of 69.7 miles. The line was constructed in
1895 and had nine stations, the major ones being Sarasota and Venice.
These nine stations in order heading south are: Durant, Wimauma, Parrish,
Palmetto Jct., Bradenton, Oneco, Sarasota, Bee Ridge, and Venice. A line
also extended from Durant to Turkey Creek further to the North. In 1903,
the first passenger train arrived in Sarasota. The line was extended into Osprey
and Laurel in 1910 and in 1927 the first passenger train arrived in Venice.
This was also the route of the Tropicana train up until 1967--when the
Seaboard/Coastline merger occured. Most of the thru trains were
discontinued at this point and were re-routed through the ACL line that
currently runs between Tampa and Bradenton, although work train still serviced
industries on the Sarasota sub line up until 1981. The CSX acquisition spelled
doom and gloom for the Sarasota sub from Durant to Willow--the only purpose this
portion of the line served was for storage of cars near Durant until early 1986
when the cars were removed--then the tracks shortly thereafter from the wye in
Durant through Willow--where a spur of tracks lead into the Florida Power Plant.
The Florida Gulf Coast Railroad
Museum currently operates excursion trains from Parrish to Willow and the
line south of Parrish to Bradenton was recently cleaned up to transport
transformers to the power plant.
The rails joining in from the left are the end of the line as
it joins the old ACL line that is the main line from Tampa to Bradenton.
Heading north is the famous Tropicana Juice Train, just after crossing the
Little Manatee River Bridge (which runs west of US 301) just leaving Bradenton
and headed for Tampa. CSX services Conrad Yelvington about a mile east of
here on what is known as the "Parrish Sub". The Sarasota sub,
however, used to cross the Little Manatee River on the east side of US 301 prior
to its abandonment, as its line would continue on through Sarasota and south
towards Venice.
(Caption for 2 pictures above)
This point of the railroad has never been abandoned, but sold to Florida Power. Florida Gulf Coast Railroad Museum has operated excursion trains on these rails since 1981. This point of the railroad is in Willow, FL--the northernmost point of the active railroad, although freight action hasn't been seen on this part of the line in 23 years. This is where FGCRR stores its rolling stock and locos during the week until it runs the excursions Saturday and Sunday.
This picture is looking south--the northernmost point of the abandoned ROW--just north is the CSX's phosphate line in Durant, FL. The ROW is well maintained 18 years after the track was taken up. If you look closely, you'll see where the lined wyed off to catch the eastbound main track, where the Tropicana trains used to rumble towards Edison Jct prior to taking its turn to the north and continue through Plant City. This route avoided a crew change in Tampa.
Lithia, FL looking west. Just down the line is where CSX
stored cars for years prior to the line's
abandonment in 1986.
Parrish, FL--US 301 grade crossing. FGCRR runs its
excursion trains from this point and heads south towards willow. For
years, the rails west of here were seldom used for transport to the power plant.
In 2003 however, the rails west of here were refurbished to allow Florida Power
to transport heavy transformers to the plant (Sorry, no coal trains to this
plant). On the side track sits an old FMD-40 that FGCRR has leased.