When did Winston Yard open and when did the Lakeland Yard close? ACL freight # 110 originated in Uceta and went north. What was the southbound counterpart and does anyone have their schedule? ACL freight # 118 originated in Winston and went north. What was the sounthbound counterpart and do you have their schedule? Thanks

-- Dick Kearns (kearnsrh@aol.com), January 08, 2003

Answers

What Walt said has been rumored for years.As yet CSX has not done anything about it.The location would make a lot of sense.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@mindspring.com), January 17, 2003.

Not to change the subject, but as an aside, the property where the old Lakeland Yard was located may be reconstructed into a new TDSI facility in the near future. It seems the present facility at Drew park is getting too small and too congested. The new facility will be more centrally located to the territory it distributes to, mainly the west coast of Florida, sw toward Naples, and central toward Sebring.

-- Walt Rogers (wjriii@verizon.net), January 17, 2003.

Thanks for all the input. According to the Lakeland Ledger, the Atlantic Coast Line's Winston Yard was opened in January of 1954. It was a cow pasture up till then. This is where the switch to the lead to the Sand Gully Phosphate mine was located. That mine is long gone. Mr W. A. Robarts was one of the Trainmasters then. There were 30 tracks holding 2,000 freight cars. The ACL/SAL merger was in July 1967. That was thirteen years later. The Lakeland Yard closed in the mid 80's. That would be thirty years later. Time flys by when your watching trains.

-- Dick Kearns (kearnsrh@aol.com), January 11, 2003.

Was just checking my email and the rr websites and came across this question. If I may add my 2 cents worth: Winston Yard was here when I transferred in 1977, so I will defer the date it was open to others. I know it was mainly used as a marshalling point for all the BV traffic both in and out. It was given a major overhaul recently, the old cleanout tracks at the bottom of the yard were ripped out, the groung was remediated per EPA mandate and rebuilt as regular class tracks.. The engine facility was upgraded also when the Old lakeland yard was removed. It is now a major switching point for all traffic to and from the BV, also it assembles the locals to Plant City as well as the Arcadia Turn and the Sebring Turn. We run a shuttle type job between Tampa (AY) and Taft Yard six days a week handling Winston traffic as well as Davenport setoffs and Taft- Orlando traffic.

As to the train schedules, I happen to have a well worn copy of ACL TT #2, dated Thursday, June 16, 1966; Tampa Division. It shows 1st Class Thru Frt #109 dp JAX 1130, ar SAN 0125, dp SAN 1615, ar UCETA 2000. The Thru Frt 209-210 mentioned on an earlier post was 3rd class, dp JAX 1900, ar RANDS 1025. dp UCETA 2230, ar RANDS 0330, dp 0400, ar JAX 0730. I assume the 209-210 was more a local as needed than a straight Thru Frt. Hope any of this info helps.

-- Walt Rogers (wjriii@verizon.net), January 10, 2003.

Northern Division Time Table No. 1 (04/25/54) show No. 109 scheduled to leave "AY" - Acca Yard, Richmond at 1:45 P.M. No. 210 scheduled to arrive "AY" at 5:30 P.M.

-- Harry Bundy (Y6B@aol.com), January 10, 2003.

Winston Yard was inspected by dignitaries in mid-Jan. 1955 and so I assume was open for service about that time or immediately after. The 12-15-55 Southern Division employee timetable shows first-class freight 110 leaving Uceta Yard 7:30 pm, leaving Sanford 10:55 pm, leaving Jacksonville 4:00 am, and arriving Savannah 7:30 am. Its southbound counterpart was 109, also first class, which left Savannah 12:25 am, Jacksonville 9:40 am, Sanford 12:25 pm, and arrived Uceta Yard 4:30 pm. First-class freight 118 left Lakeland 9:30 pm, Dupont 2:30 am, and arrived Waycross 6:00 am. Its apparent counterpart was first-class freight 107, which left Waycross at 6:30 pm, High Springs 11:00 pm, and arrived Tampa 2:35 am. No time to check other dates or years right now, nor Northern Div. ETTs which would show these trains' schedules further north. No reference to 118 leaving Winston rather than Lakeland in this ETT.

-- Larry Goolsby (clgoolsby@worldnet.att.net.com), January 09, 2003.

Joe: I am not certain how far south beyond Florence that it ran but per SCL ETT No. 2, Rocky Mt Div, dated 12/15/67, No. 111 originated in Richmond and ran as far south as Florence at least. That is the only ETT that I have out right now. The timetable schedule (we all know how that went) showed 111 leaving Richmond at 1:00am with a 6:00am arrival at South Rocky Mt, leaving SRM at 9:30am and arriving Florence at 1:30pm. Again, not sure how far beyond or what direction out of Florence. Alot of my ACL and SCL ETT's from "back when" and further south are packed up.

Raymond Smith

-- Raymond Smith (aclrr7@hotmail.com), January 09, 2003.

Winston was NOT a SAL yard.It was built by the ACL in the mid-fifties I believe.The archives can give the exact date,my memory cannot. I know there was a 109,but don't recall a 111.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@mindspring.com), January 09, 2003.

The RR decided to consolidate all Yard operations to Winston, I believe, in the early 1980's. Winstan was an SAL yard and was prbably built in the 20's. Lakeland was an ACL yard. We moved all locomotive and car repair facilities to Winston at that time.

-- Ron Dettmer (Roscaler@cs.com), January 08, 2003.

I believe the true counterpart to No. 110 was No. 109 although there was No. 111 that ran, as well.

Raymond Smith

-- Raymond Smith (aclrr7@hotmail.com), January 08, 2003.