CSX Northbound manifest enters the Crawford Road grade crossing north of the Crawford diamond toward Callahan, Florida
Northbound NS manifest pulls onto the Macon-Jacksonville line and crosses the Crawford diamond headed toward Valdosta and Macon, Georgia
NS southbound combo intermodal/auto carrier races across the Crawford diamond toward Jacksonville, Florida. A semi tractor trailer crosses the US 301 viaduct (built 1932) in the background.
A NS southbound intermodal speeds across the Thomas Creek Road/Ratliff Road grade crossing in Keen, Nassau County, Florida, headed for Jacksonville. Keen was founded in 1900 as a timber stop on the Georgia Southern and Florida's Valdosta to Jacksonville line. it was named for James Mitchel Keen who owned most of timber land in the area.
Some say Friday the 13th is an unlucky day, but as a rail fan today was truly a lucky day. I was on my way to my dad's place with no plans to rail fan. As I crossed the Norfolk Southern's Ratliff Road/Thomas Creek Road grade crossing in Keen, Nassau County,Florida, I spotted a Southbound NS train fast approaching. (This section of the Norfolk Southern rail network was at one time known as the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad that ran from Macon to Valdosta, Georgia, then branched off into two lines running into Florida, one to Palatka {built 1890} and this one to Jacksonville {built 1900}). I pulled off the road just in time to snap a picture of the long inter modal racing toward Jacksonville. I turned my truck around and headed north on Thomas Creek Road toward Crawford, passing a Northbound NS manifest train waiting patiently on the Crawford siding. I figure I could snap a picture of it as it crossed the Crawford diamond on its way north to Valdosta and Macon, Georgia. I crossed US 301, turned west onto Crawford Road, sped across the CSX Callahan-Baldwin line and stopped a minute later at the NS Woods Lane grade crossing. (Woods Lane is part of the old Baldwin Road that was the main road from Callahan to Baldwin before US 301 was built in the 1930s). As I parked my truck, I was expecting the NB manifest to be slowly chugging under the US 301 viaduct and pulling onto the main line. Instead to my surprise I saw the SB signal still on green, meaning there was another Southbound NS train holding up the Northbound manifest. Sure enough another Southbound NS combination inter modal/auto carrier came racing across Woods Lane and through the diamond. Loud banging sounds echoed through the nearby pine trees as each truck hit the guide rails of the crossing. Finally after about 15 minutes the Northbound manifest slowly entered the main NS line just east of the CSX line. I could feel the power of the engines as it gained speed through the diamond, pulling Herzog gondolas and tanker cars. Thinking my railfaning was over, I turned around and recrossed the CSX line. As I glanced both ways, I spotted a Northbound CSX train on the south side of the Crawford diamond. I could tell by the smoke rising from the engines it was gaining speed and approaching the Crawford Road crossing fast. By the time I stepped out of my truck, the crossing signals had begun flashing. I was able to capture a pic of a short CSX manifest train heading north toward Callahan and the main line out of Florida. Within an hour I was able to capture pictures of 4 trains as they raced through the old logging villages of Crawford and Keen, Florida. Looks like Fridays are hot days to rail fan in Nassau County, Florida.
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