FEC crossing Florida Turnpike?

I ahve a question?

In what town does the FEC cross under or over the Florida TP?

Is it near a CEMEX plant?

That would be Fort Pierce on the K-branch. The closest exit on the turnpike would be exit 152 Route 70/Virginia Ave. The turnpike crosses Glades Cutoff road and the FEC there.

fire5506 wrote:That would be Fort Pierce on the K-branch. The closest exit on the turnpike would be exit 152 Route 70/Virginia Ave. The turnpike crosses Glades Cutoff road and the FEC there.

PS, yes it is near a Cemex plant. It is on Midway Rd. just west of the Turnpike. It is the one we call Rinker West.
Rinker East (which is closed at this time) is on the North end of Fort Pierce Yard.

Last I knew the branch is no longer FEC...belongs to SCFE.

fire5506 wrote:That would be Fort Pierce on the K-branch. The closest exit on the turnpike would be exit 152 Route 70/Virginia Ave. The turnpike crosses Glades Cutoff road and the FEC there.

You are incorrect. The "K" branch is the old non existant Kissimmee Valley branch which ran SW out of New Smyrna Beach, crossed the old Enterprise branch at Maytown...and then down to Kenansville, where the line split...with the east line going down to Ochechobee and the K West branch going from Kenansville to Bassinger.

The "Lake Harbour" branch is the ex-FEC line running SW out of Ft Pierce to Lake Harbor. It now belongs to the South Central Florida Express last I knew...or maybe trackage rights.

KV1guy wrote:

fire5506 wrote:That would be Fort Pierce on the K-branch. The closest exit on the turnpike would be exit 152 Route 70/Virginia Ave. The turnpike crosses Glades Cutoff road and the FEC there.

You are incorrect. The "K" branch is the old non existant Kissimmee Valley branch which ran SW out of New Smyrna Beach, crossed the old Enterprise branch at Maytown...and then down to Kenansville, where the line split...with the east line going down to Ochechobee and the K West branch going from Kenansville to Bassinger.

The "Lake Harbour" branch is the ex-FEC line running SW out of Ft Pierce to Lake Harbor. It now belongs to the South Central Florida Express last I knew...or maybe trackage rights.

Actually KV1guy I am correct. You have just shown how much you don't know of the present day FEC.

The present day K-branch runs from Ft Pierce to Lake Harbor and it is STILL OWNED by the FEC. From the K 15.5 on it is LEASED by the SCFE, but from the K 0.0 to K 15.5 it is still operated by the FEC.
The Cemex plant in question is at the K 5.79.

KV1guy I have worked for the FEC for 27 years and the last 5 in Ft Pierce, I do know what I am talking about.

fire5506 wrote:

KV1guy wrote:

fire5506 wrote:That would be Fort Pierce on the K-branch. The closest exit on the turnpike would be exit 152 Route 70/Virginia Ave. The turnpike crosses Glades Cutoff road and the FEC there.

You are incorrect. The "K" branch is the old non existant Kissimmee Valley branch which ran SW out of New Smyrna Beach, crossed the old Enterprise branch at Maytown...and then down to Kenansville, where the line split...with the east line going down to Ochechobee and the K West branch going from Kenansville to Bassinger.

The "Lake Harbour" branch is the ex-FEC line running SW out of Ft Pierce to Lake Harbor. It now belongs to the South Central Florida Express last I knew...or maybe trackage rights.

Actually KV1guy I am correct. You have just shown how much you don't know of the present day FEC.

The present day K-branch runs from Ft Pierce to Lake Harbor and it is STILL OWNED by the FEC. From the K 15.5 on it is LEASED by the SCFE, but from the K 0.0 to K 15.5 it is still operated by the FEC.
The Cemex plant in question is at the K 5.79.

KV1guy I have worked for the FEC for 27 years and the last 5 in Ft Pierce, I do know what I am talking about.

Well please make sure next time you mention current K branch. Since the old Kissimmee Branch line was one known as the K branch. So its no sweat off my back that FEC calls this the K branch as well....which is kinda stupid since the K stands for nothing associated along the line. As far as the the lease thingy goes, as I mentioned I wasnt too sure how that was figured out...I just remember seeing something about it awhile back.

Its pointless pointing out how long you have worked for the FEC. How many people have you met that work on rr's that dont know 1/2 of what u prob know? Time at a job doesnt mean you know everything about it. I've been doing it long it enough to know we both know that. I appreciate the current day correction....as stupid as it is but hey no one knows why railroads do dumb shit. I apologize for saying you are incorrect. Do us all a favor and correct wikipedia for us since it also makes no mention of the line as the K branch. I dont pretend to know everything....not as much as I want but again I have never seen anything about the Lake Harbour branch being called the K branch....

Maybe I'll see ya in a few years when we start cruising by ya.

ok, I went back and pulled out one of my copies of Seth Bramsons book "Speedway to Sunshine" as this got my curiosity going.

The old K-branch did go to Lake harbor from New Smyrna Bch and what is left of it is part of the current K-branch.

In 1944 the FEC applied to the ICC to abandon 136 miles of the K.V. line, from Maytown to 14 miles south of Okeechobee city and build a 30 mile "cut off" to Ft Pierce. It was approved. The New Cut off was opened April 1, 1947, and the part to Maytown abandoned. I am surmising the most of the traffic originated in the part south of Okeechobbee and by building the "cut off" they were able to do away with the cost of maintaining 106 miles of track, bridges, etc.
So now we know why it is called the K-branch. Technically it is stiil the k-branch, just travels a little different direction and is a lot shorter.

I also apoligize for coming down so hard, just caught me wrong. I don't know everything about the FEC, but if I don't know either I say I don't know or I keep my mouth shut. And yes I do make mistakes too .. LOL I've been hearing Amtrak is coming down our line for so long, I'll believe it when I see it.

Anything in Wiki is suspect, there is a lot of false info in wiki's as well as good info, the problem is figuring out which is good and what isn't. Of course that goes for almost anything on the internet.

If nothing else changes, We will be rolling on the FEC in Oct 2012. I qualified going north out of JAX, but I hope to start south soon, so at least I will have that out of the way before we start training on the FEC..sometime 2011 is what we are told. When tracks are updated we will run 90mph 84% of the trip. We should make training trips with FEC pilots. The pilots will be there to guide us, but per Amtrak rules not operate the trains. Time will tell.

i can't wait to see amtrak on the fec mainline. it sure would spice it up. where would the stations be located at?

lakeshoredave wrote:i can't wait to see amtrak on the fec mainline. it sure would spice it up. where would the stations be located at?

There is nothing definate yet but everybody in the know around here are very hopeful that it will happen and the sooner the
better.
As yet, no determination as to where station stops will be, no Amtrak crews have qualified and none will until something is
very definate and no Amtrak power is certified and OK to lead on the FEC due to the cab signals and train control in use
here.
Many of us around here are pulling very hard for this to happen though and I truly think it will sooner or later.
Noel Weaver

As I have often noted over at the Amtrak Forum, I can only hold that passenger operations, which presumably but not assuredly be operated by Amtrak, over the FEC are a Medium Clear.

When there are only 'two a day' in a passenger train market, to divert any away from the largest tourist draw in the State, Orlando, makes little sense. Another factor to consider is that the Silver Meteor is the only Long Distance train that Amtrak could discontinue without 180 Day Notice under Federal law (ARRA '97), however, if the Meteor were to be rerouted over the FEC Jax-W Palm Beach (physical FEC-SAL interchange there), then Notice would need be served. Regarding additional service; not likely unless there is Local funding.

While passenger rail's "star" in Florida seems to be shining a 'bit more' brightly of late (Sun Rail, the HSR project - if ever completed) now that the Bush (both of 'em) era is over and the FEC management is now willing to "talk", I believe the best that can be considered is a revival of The Local (1963-1968) and such would be contingent upon State level funding, as there are to be no further additional Federally funded routes; such was pronounced at the March 6 Chicago "Foamer Forum". The operation would likely resemble that of the 1983-1986 Silver Palm and would be a Miami-Jax train with no interchange of equipment at Jax. NB the connection would be with 92 Silver Star and SB with 97 Meteor.

In short, I do not foresee boarding a Sleeper in Vero Beach, and alighting from same car in New York.

I would add this as a quote but when my post reaches a certain number of lines I seem to have trouble so I will post it as a
new.
I have done some research regarding the territories involved on this and there is nearly a million population on the east
coast of Florida not counting both Jacksonville nor the area from West Palm Beach south which will have service in either
case. In addition only two points between Jacksonville and West Palm Beach have scheduled jet service. Bus service is not
very good in this area either.
The big plus for Amtrak is that they would be operating over a railroad that will cooperate with them, has a fantastic
physical plant and serves an area that will appreciate even one daily train.
The present route through Orlando would most likely lose one train, big deal, Orlando has scheduled jet service all over the
place and the type of people traveling to and from Orlando tend to be younger and families whom will not take the time
involved in riding the train anyway. Outside of Orlando this line serves much smaller localities and the ridership figures
will show this.
State money? I don't know that this will happen here, the mentality in our state government is at a low point and I don't
think this will change anytime really soon. Having said that, maybe something would happen sometime down the road, I
sincerely hope so.
My opinion only but Amtrak will be running on the Florida East Coast before too many more months and the sooner this
happens, the more all of Florida will benefit.
Noel Weaver

Gilbert B Norman wrote:When there are only 'two a day' in a passenger train market, to divert any away from the largest tourist draw in the State, Orlando, makes little sense. Another factor to consider is that the Silver Meteor is the only Long Distance train that Amtrak could discontinue without 180 Day Notice under Federal law (ARRA '97), however, if the Meteor were to be rerouted over the FEC Jax-W Palm Beach (physical FEC-SAL interchange there), then Notice would need be served. Regarding additional service; not likely unless there is Local funding.

Mr. Weaver, I think we both acknowledge that a visit to the Mouse House is not very high on either of our "to do" lists, but it is as good as a rite of passage in many a family - and some of them just might make that pilgrimage by rail.

Now I'm quite prepared to acknowledge that Amtrak's "star" has not shone as brightly over Washington as it does today in "many a moon' and no one at this time is talking about what route to cut. But before they leave town, be it '13 or '17, the Obama administration WILL be talking about fiscal responsibility and will be looking for programs to either curtail or outright kill. If the dictum is to come from high, Hill or 1600 matters not, to cut something NOW, it is handy to have one LD route that could be gone tomorrow - and I hold, and yet to have such refuted over at the Amtrak Forum, that the Meteor could be gone at Amtrak's prerogative without any Notice (I hold that if anyone really pressed the matter, Amtrak would be required to reinstate Sunset East as Notice was required and was not served).

A reroute of the Meteor over the FEC would upset that prerogative.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:

Gilbert B Norman wrote:When there are only 'two a day' in a passenger train market, to divert any away from the largest tourist draw in the State, Orlando, makes little sense. Another factor to consider is that the Silver Meteor is the only Long Distance train that Amtrak could discontinue without 180 Day Notice under Federal law (ARRA '97), however, if the Meteor were to be rerouted over the FEC Jax-W Palm Beach (physical FEC-SAL interchange there), then Notice would need be served. Regarding additional service; not likely unless there is Local funding.

Mr. Weaver, I think we both acknowledge that a visit to the Mouse House is not very high on either of our "to do" lists, but it is as good as a rite of passage in many a family - and some of them just might make that pilgrimage by rail.

Now I'm quite prepared to acknowledge that Amtrak's "star" has not shone as brightly over Washington as it does today in "many a moon' and no one at this time is talking about what route to cut. But before they leave town, be it '13 or '17, the Obama administration WILL be talking about fiscal responsibility and will be looking for programs to either curtail or outright kill. If the dictum is to come from high, Hill or 1600 matters not, to cut something NOW, it is handy to have one LD route that could be gone tomorrow - and I hold, and yet to have such refuted over at the Amtrak Forum, that the Meteor could be gone at Amtrak's prerogative without any Notice (I hold that if anyone really pressed the matter, Amtrak would be required to reinstate Sunset East as Notice was required and was not served).

A reroute of the Meteor over the FEC would upset that prerogative.

Regardless of this, I still think changes will come in time to operations in Florida and GBN, we will just have to agree to
disagree on this issue.
Noel Weaver