Trifecta of Northbound CSX trains within 10 minutes rolling through Callahan, Nassau County, Florida.

The Callahan Junction is a busy CSX rail line and I have seen back to back to back trains before, but it is highly unusual to see 3 Northbound CSX trains within 10 minutes. I was on my way home from having lunch with old friends in Jacksonville when something told me to stop and see if any trains were traveling through Callahan. The Callahan Junction is a hot spot of rail activity and no sooner did I park my truck near Dixie Avenue, I heard the familiar blast of a train horn echoing down the Callahan-Baldwin sub. The elevation of Callahan (22 feet) at the junction (Milepost 20 of the sub) is about 40 feet lower than at milepost 18 near the Sandy Ford Road grade crossing, so one can get a good view of an oncoming train as it crosses the ridge and gradually descends down toward the junction. Unfortunately I did not have time to get some good oncoming shots. The train was picking up speed, so I raced across the historic Florida Railroad bed and Brandies Avenue just as the Brandies Avenue crossing gates were coming down. I barely reached the vacant Sun Printing Building and turn on my camera when the CSX NB manifest train rounded the curve, roared through the crossing and entered the main line toward Folkston, Georgia. The sight line is starting to fill with weeds, but at least the last freeze we had killed most of the foliage. I could tell as the train past that it was crossing from the west track to the east track by the loud clacking sound the wheels make as they hit the crossover. After the train passed, I headed toward the top of the US 301 viaduct, not more than a 10 minute walk from where I parked my pickup. Just as reached the top of the bridge, I looked southward and saw not one but two oncoming locomotive headlights off in the distance. I glanced northward for a split second to see both NB signals with that familiar green at the top of each one. That is a great sight to see for a rail fan like myself because it means that trains are a-coming! I crossed over to the south side of the viaduct (Disclaimer: The viaduct has a 5% grade on either approach which obscures some oncoming traffic so please watch out for vehicles if you are rail fanning on the US 301 viaduct!) and readied my camera. An empty CSX coal train at medium speed on the east track was approaching the bridge first followed by an CSX NB inter modal raced on the west track. By the time the coal train cleared the Brandies Avenue grade crossing, the rear of the inter modal was clearing the viaduct. As they both disappeared around the bend north of Old Dixie Highway grade crossing, I remembered the NB manifest that had entered the main line just 10 minutes before. It had probably cleared the main grade crossing in Hilliard by then and was minutes from the Folkston funnel. As I descended the viaduct, I was thinking that those who were up at the Folkston funnel would soon be in for a early Christmas treat like myself.

Nassau County Board of Commissioners approve agreement with FDOT concerning maintenance of Amelia Island Trail

Hats off to the Nassau Board of County Commissioners for approving on December 12th the execution of the agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for maintenance of the Amelia Island Trail (AIT) bike path/trail on A1A from the Nassau Sound Bridge to East Amelia Island Parkway. It will cost the county about $27,000 a year but it is well worth the investment. The AIT team, led by Phil Scalan, Mike Pikula and others, have been working long and hard to make this off road section of the East Coast Greenway a reality. A rejection of this agreement by the Nassau BOCC would have meant that the funds allocated by the FDOT would have gone elsewhere and also would have severely decreased any chances to gain any more FDOT funds for future trails in Nassau County. Bids will now go out immediately and construction will start soon. The weather is nice to go bike riding on Amelia Island so head on over to Fernandina Beach. For more info on the AIT, visit
http://www.ameliaislandassociation.com/ameliaislandtrail.htm

railfanning from the US 301 viaduct in Callahan, Florida

Now that the weather is cooler and I have some time, I will break out my boots and bike and hike and bike the trails and rails of Nassau County, Florida. My favoirte spot is atop the US 301 viaduct in Callahan which has a nice view of the Callahan Junction. Here a CSX manifest trian rolls southbound through the Callahan junction on its way to Jacksonville.

Riding the Trails in Cary State Forest: The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

The hard surface of Pavilion Drive shown above was ideal to ride on, as was the grass covered Powerline Road. Dirt roads like the one shown below were difficult to ride on as the soft sand cause my bike to often fishtail. Since today was a great day to ride, I threw my bicycle into the back of my pick up and drive to Cary State Forest (CSF) which straddles the Nassau-Duval Line just north of Bryceville. CSF consists of several tracts of timberland that together totals 13,000 acres. It is home to countless wildlife, vegetation and of course trees which is what the pioneers to Nassau County came here for. Recreation wise, CSF is know for hiking, nature walking, camping and horse back riding. They have a nice outdoor pavilion that holds about 50 people and an observation tower to view the wildlife although there is a bike symbol on the main kiosk, some of the roads are not bike friendly. CSF has numerous roads that were once logging paths can be divided into three types: limestone paved, grass and dirt. Mike trek began on Pavilion Road which leads from the main entrance on US 301 to the Fire equipment shed, a total of about a mile. It is the only hard limestone? surface I encountered at CSF. After it ended, little used dirt roads (Fox Squirrel Road and Moccasin Slough) and that had the grassy crest in the middle were the norm for a while. My bike was no match for the soft sand that made up the ruts and I had to walk my bike on numerous locations. However, I did come across grassy roads such as Power Line and Deer Track Roads that made bike riding easier. Overall, today was a good learning experience. I had a chance to enjoy the natural beauty of Cary State Forest and experience its various types of roads. One day we may have a hard surfaced multi use trail that would connect US 301 with Ford Road through CSF.

2011 Railroad Days and Railfanning in Callahan FL

The 2011 Railroad Days Festival in Callahan has come and gone but the excitement of the two day event still lingers. We were blessed by great weather and the biggest 2 day turn out ever. The West Nassau Historical Society really did a great job putting it on. Thanks as well to the Town of Callahan officials, Nassau County Commissioners and the surrounding community for their support. Nothing helps me wind down then railfannning from the US 301 viaduct in Callahan. CSX has cleared a large swathe of underbrush and trees from the tracks leading up to the junction of their two main lines in Florida. Speculation has it that CSX is planning to double track the junction or upgrade the sharp curve that branches off the main line toward Baldwin. Since CSX has sold their track inside the metro Orlando area for a commuter line, they will be diverting a lot of their Southbound freight trains off the main line to Jax onto the line to Baldwin, Ocala toward Tampa.

Rail Bed and Trestle from Callahan to Mills Creek perfect for trail

The wide rail bed behind the historic Callahan Depot


The Mills Creek Trestle and rail bed beyond



Mills Creek Trestle and old wooden pilings underneath

The abandoned CSX rail bed that runs from downtown Callahan northeast to Petree Road would make a perfect nature and bike trail. The 1.4 mile long path was once part of the historic Florida Railroad grade that was the Sunshine State's first cross peninsular track that connected Fernandina on the Atlantic to Cedar Key on the Gulf, a distance of 155 miles. Prolific railroad contractor Daniel Callahan and his crew built this now unused section in 1856. The first 1600 feet of bed between the CSX junction to US 1 is extra wide because it once held two parallel railroads, the above mentioned Florida Railroad and their rival, the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad, built by railroad baron Henry Plant in 1881. It is void of trees and is mowed during the summer months. Old cross ties are starting to peak through the worn spots that become mud holes when it rains. This wide section (100-120 feet in width) is vacant except for the parcel containing the 1881 SFW depot owned and maintain by the West Nassau Historical Society. The non profit group hosts the Railroad Days Festival in late March to bring awareness of the important role railroads played in the development of Nassau County. Beyond US 1, the bed narrows into the typical single track grade (about 50 feet wide) as it parallels Martin Luther King Ave. The narrow width makes it unsuitable for any type of permanent structures but is ideal for a bike and nature trail. It is currently unmowed and there are small deciduous trees growing upon the bed that makes it noticeable in Aeriel view. The grade is solid, level, measures about 1 to 2 feet above the terrain and is basically intact except for a couple of cuts made for driveways and roads. However, once the bed passes Annie Laura Street (3600 feet from the CSX junction), it starts to rise as it cuts through the low wooded area around Mills Creek. MLK Avenue ends and the rail bed makes its solo trek though the low laying woods, rising from 2 feet to about 8 feet in height. It is now void of trees and the grass is kept low by a thin layer of ballast and fallen leaves. At 4600 feet from the CSX junction, the bed gives way to a 250 feet long concrete trestle that spans Mills Creek where it forms at the confluence of Alligator and Williams Creek. The bridge was built in the early 1980s over the remains of a wooden trestle whose wood pilings were sawed off at ground level under the new span. The new sturdier span wasn't used for very long as CSX abandoned the line to Gross and Savannah in 1985. Mills Creek flows from this point under the trestle eastward into Four Creeks State Preserve nearly 2 miles away. The creek is still navigate and would make for a nice kayak/canoe trip to Four Creeks. The rail bed continues Northeast from the Mills Creek Trestle for about 1500 feet until it reaches Petree Road where the line forks into two directions. To the right (east) continues the 1856 Florida Railroad bed toward Yulee. Abandoned in the mid 1950s, most of this bed has been lost to time, either leveled, sold to private owners or paved over as part of the SR 200/ A1A widening project. To the left branches the Gross Line rail bed which makes a bee line through privately own timber lands and a wildlife management area to Gross, a long vanished whistle stop near I 95 and US 17 just south of the St. Marys River. This line built by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in 1923 was used to bypass the busy Jacksonville terminal. It was part of the 1985 rail abandonment by CSX. Today the bed and trestle would make a nice nature and bike trail connecting the historic Callahan Depot with a kayak and canoe portage via a natural wooded forest.

2011 RAILROAD DAYS FESTIVAL MARCH 25-26 AT THE HISTORIC CALLAHAN DEPOT

The West Nassau Historical Society will be hosting the 2011 Railroad Days Festival on March 25 and 26 in and around the historic Callahan Depot. The nonprofit group is hosting their 6th festival to raise funds for the upkeep of the 1881 Callahan train depot and the preservation of Nassau County history. There will be food and craft vendors, classic cars, steam-driven machines, live entertainment and photo exhibits on both days. On Saturday, the 2011 Railroad Days parade will begin at 11 AM and makes its way through downtown Callahan. There will also be kids entertainment both days. The Historical Society will open its archives inside the Callahan Depot thanks to the generosity of Rayonier. The group will also plant a Centennial oak tree in commemoration of the signing of the Town of Callahan's charter in May of 1911. For more info, email CallahanRRDays@aol.com