With the Sun Rail Commuter Trains up and running on the CSX's former S-line through Orlando and the Metro-Mickey area, more and more trains are being diverted in Callahan, Nassau County, FLA, from the A-line to the S-line. (To recap, several years ago CSX sold its main line through Orlando to the State of Florida for use for a much-needed commuter rail line, Sun Rail. This has caused CSX to funnel more trains entering Florida off of their main track A-line to their S-line. The A-line (A for Atlantic Coast Line main line) runs from parallels US 1 from Hilliard, Nassau County, FLA, to Jacskonville then shadows US 17 from Jacksonville to Orlando and US 92 from Orlando to Tampa. Their new main line is their S-line (S for Seaboard Air Line main line) that parallels US 301 from Callahan, Nassau County, FLA, through Ocala to Zephyrhills and Central Florida.) In February 2014 CSX began double tracking the 20-mile section of the Callahan-Baldwin sub which was once the southern half of the former 40-mile long Gross, Nassau County, FLA, cut-off built by the SAL in 1923-25 so their Florida-bound trains could bypass Jacksonville and the then-congested Union Station there. Since they began the widening, the east coast railroad giant has opened three sections of the now busy double track corridor, creating rail fan's heaven in Callahan, Crawford, and Baldwin. The only part of the old single track left to replace is the roughly 5 1/2 mile piece between the Dahoma, Nassau County, FLA, train signal (SM 10.97) and the north end of the old Fouraker Siding south of Bryceville, Nassau County, FLA (SM 5.5).
Looking north from the CR 119 grade crossing toward Dahoma at milepost SM 6.97
The new track on the left has not been set but a new double track grade crossing has been added. There were at least 3 wooden trestles to widen/replace between SM 7.0 and SM 11.0, the longest being about 100 foot in length. It has now been replaced with a concrete span complete
with metal railings seen in the far background of this pic.
Looking south from the CR 119 grade crossing toward Bryceville and Baldwin. The unlaid track on the right stops at a point where workers with the aid of a large crane are widening a 120-foot trestle. The same creek that flows from west to east under the 100 foot trestle mentioned in the first photo caption has made a U-turn and is now flowing east to west under this bridge toward the Brandy Branch swamp.
The historic Bryce House (1902) and water tower once used for steam trains that stopped here. This is located on the west side of the tracks on private property so please do not trepass.
Looking south from the end of the county-maintain Church Ave. located at the private crossing of the historic Bryce family house built in 1902 and home to George Bryce and his two train engineer sons who played a hero's roll in the 1923 Rosewood riots. (Note: The crossing, house, and land beyond Church Ave. are private property so please do not trespass). A north bound CSX train waits patiently at the north end of what was once known as Fouraker Siding (SM 5.5) but is now double tracked southward to the Baldwin Yard (SM 0.0). Fouraker is the name of a pioneering family of the Brandy Branch/Bryceville area. Once this final 5.5 mile long segment is double tracked, time-consuming waits shown above become a thing of the past.
Once moving, the train will cross two trestles, the longer 150-foot span seen above in middle ground. The old concrete Milepost 6 separates it from a shorter 50-feet bridge. Swampy water fills the ditches on both sides of the track for nearly 1/2 mile. The trestles span Brandy Branch that begins east of Baldwin and flows northward to Bryceville. It joins another prong of Brandy Branch coming in from the east at the junction of US 301 and Otis Road. Once united the brandy-colored water veers west and transitions as it moves under the trestles into the murkey, snake infested Brandy Branch swamp.
Looking north from Church Ave. to the constructor equipment located
between it and Otis Road grade crossing.
This is the reason the northbound CSX train was waiting at Fouraker:
Two southbound locomotives pulling a long line of car haulers plows its way
Two southbound locomotives pulling a long line of car haulers plows its way
past the trestle construction site north of the Church Ave. grade crossing.
As the train moves closer the lead locomotive CSX 109 is seen leading a DME locomotive 6367.
It slows down as it prepares to cross the Brandy Branch trestles and pass the CSX northbound manifest waiting patiently at the Fouraker track signal. By Christmas the last link in the 20-mile long double tracking of the 159 year old rail line (part of the historic Florida Railroad,
the state's first cross peninsular line) should be complete.
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