Acl and SAL Experts:

The GS&F RR Historical Society group needs your assistance. As you know, the GS&F originated from Macon and terminated in Palatka, FL passing through several key cities including Valdosta, Lake City, Lake Butler, Lake Geneva, Keystone Heights, Jasper, etc... Two questions: there is speculation as to the prospect that the GS&F had trackage rights on the FC&P before their acquisition of the AV&W line in 1902, beginning in Lake City and ending in Jacksonville. If this is true, could someone from the ACL group check on this for us? Also we would like a photocopy of a FC&P TT if available...year does not really matter. Other question: Did the GS&F share the Lake City Depot with the FC&P (SCL?) or did they have their own separate depot? Looking for a photo of the Lake City Depot. Any information would be sincerely appreciated. Thank you gents....

-- Mark S. Mosely (Mark.Mosely@robins.af.mil), November 15, 2001

Answers

Stephen.....do you know if there is a train yard still in lake city....or any freight lay-ups....mostly interested in boxcars and engines.......

-- ed ross (ronin@hotmail.com), February 27, 2002.

I came to live in Lake City in January l966, and both the passenger station on east Railroad Street and the freight station on west Railroad street were in existence. However, both were soon torn down. I don't when the metal building now used as CSX offices was built, but it must have been about this same time. The Amtrak "gazebo" was built several years ago when Amtrak restarted passenger service, and is several hundred yards east of the metal station.Local citizens wanted the Amtrak station to be built near the site of the original stations at North Marion Street (US441) but due to certain undesireble activity in that area at that time the idea was nixed. I am checking my records for photos of these buildings. I also have photos of the railroad structures at the Madison, Florida site where my grandfather worked, including water tower, freight and passenger stations, section car houses, and one E-unit.

-- Stephen L. Knight (colstephenknight@hotmail.com), January 22, 2002.

Since we're covering Lake City, there still exists a station along the ex-SAL located aprox. a half mile west of the Amtrak sta-shed. It is a utilitarian metal structure with a concrete passenger canopy (I'm guessing mid-to-late '60's) on the south side of the right-of- way currently in use by CSX apparently for signal equipment maintenance. Does anyone out there know when it went up and which railroad (SAL or SCL) constructed it. I've seen photos of the earlier SAL depot, probably the "Railroad St." depot mentioned above, and I'm assuming the metal/concrete building went up to replace the older depot after it's demise.

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), November 17, 2001.

It has been brough to my attention that I have confused "Live Oak" with Lake City. That is what happens when you have the flu. As a native Floridian there is no excuse. I have been to LAKE CITY many times and have seen some NS traffic in the area. I have not seen a depot for the SAL or GS&F near the tracks, or on RailRaod Street that parallels the old SAL tracks. There a cross over with NS and CSX east of Lake City that is a good place to take photos. Allen

-- Allen L. Wiener (SouRwy@aol.com), November 17, 2001.

its really strange that some of the ex-ACL trackage still remains in lake city. In fact by the depot there are tracks and still remnants of grade crossing signals all out there. What year was that line abandoned and removed? I assume it was also abandoned in stages also like some of the other lines in north florida

-- troy nolen (tnolen12@tampabay.rr.com), November 16, 2001.

Mark, I belive that the ACL Freight Station, and depot are the only buildings standing in Lake City. Not sure who's depot, a local college is restoring it, the depot is only a few feet north of the ACL Freight building, which is being used by the local historical society. There is a very small Southern Railway building east of the CSX main line (old SAL) with a green with white striped "Lake City" name sign on it. I belive is was part of the old LOGP line from Lake City to Perry, Florida, that runs out towards the Lake City Airport. Allen

-- Allen L. Wiener (SouRwy@aol.com), November 16, 2001.

The Atlantic, Valdosta & Western RR(AV&W) was partially opened in 1897. The entire AV&W was sold to the Georgia, Southern & Florida Rwy on November 1, 1902. Checking POOR's Manuals of 1898 & 1904, there is no trackage rights on the Florida Central & Peninsular RR shown for the GS&F.

The GS&F and FC&P had seperate stations in Lake City in 1901, listed as "1/8 mile apart" in the Official Guide.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), November 15, 2001.