Saturday, October 19, 2013

Second Track Being Laid on the Sandy Ford-Crawford Section of the CSX's Callahan-Baldwin Sub Between Crawford and Callahan

It's been a month since I have been able to take pictures of the progress of the double-tracking of the CSX's Callahan-Baldwin sub.  A month ago they had just cleared and graded the path for the west track between Sandy Ford grade crossing (mp 18.2) and the Crawford siding south of the Crawford diamond with Norfolk Southern. Today I drove down to the same area and noticed they have the track down from Crawford Road grade crossing south to the Crawford diamond. I was unable to go to the actual diamond to see if they have installed the second diamond but hopefully will do so in the future.  I did drive to Bryceville (mp 6) but did not see any work done on clearing a path for the west track as of yet. The Callahan- Baldwin sub is part of 40-mile long Gross sub that veered off the S-line just south of the Florida-Georgia line near the I 95/US 17 interchange.  It is also part of David Yulee's original Florida Railroad, the Sunshine State's first cross peninsular railroad built by Daniel Callahan and crew in 1856.
 Looking south from Crawford Road grade crossing (mp 15.9) toward the Crawford diamond (mp 15.46). The concrete ties and tracks are laid and are awaiting the ballast and final alignment.
 Looking north from the Crawford Road grade crossing (mp 15.9) toward Sandy Ford grade crossing and Callahan (mp 20.0). The grade has been cleared and a section of new track lies on the east embankment next to the concrete milepost 16, waiting to be installed.
 Looking south from the Sandy Ford grade crossing as a northbound CSX grain train slows as it approaches the newly installed Sandy Ford cross over just north of this grade crossing.
 CSX locomotive 5496 leads a tandem with locomotive 143 as they pull a CSX grain train northbound toward Callahan. They are slowing down while they glide through the grade crossing and approach the Sandy Ford cross over. A track side signal shines a red top-blinking green bottom, directing them to veer onto the newer west track that is now open from the cross over to the Callahan junction with CSX's A-line (mp 624).
The new east track side signal at Sandy Ford cross over changed from red top-blinking green bottom to red top-red bottom as the line of grain cars rumble off the original east track to the newly built west track.
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3 comments:

  1. Photo2CJanuary 22, 2014 at 11:22 AM

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  2. Photo2CJanuary 22, 2014 at 11:24 AM

    I like taking photos of the Trains and the small cemetery in Bryceville Fl. but I'm also worried about the White Two Story home with the very large porch will have to be moved? Do you know if the house I'm talking about will have to be moved for the new rail and grading that will soon take place?

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  3. johnJuly 4, 2014 at 4:56 PM

    No, the house will not be moved. The west track will be closer to the porch and they may have to put up a fence like they are doing at the cemetery. Work should be starting there anyday as it is the final link to the 20-mile project. That is the Bryce House, built in 1905 by George Bryce, namesake of the town. Two of his sons were the engineers who drove the train to Rosewood and rescued the African-Americans during the race riots in the 1920s. Descendants to G. W. Bryce still live it today.

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