CSX Operations in Bradenton FLA. ?

[CSX Engineer 98]

Can anyone tell me what the operations are like now in the Bradenton area? are the tracks South of the Tropicana OJ facillity still in use ? Where is the Switcher Located. How many trains per day operate on the branch. is this line to the south where the Seminole Gulf RR. interchanges with CSX.?
I have a lot of Memories of this area in the late 70's spent alot of my days as a kid chasing trains on my bicycle from the Manatee River bridge to to Tropicana OJ Yard

Thanks

[crazy_nip]

I just happened to BE in the Bradenton / Palmetto area today.

As usual, the "yard" was dead, no engines to be seen, nothing moving.

The "yard" is actually a few storage tracks on the property of the Tropicana Juice plant and a siding.

Interchange occurs a couple miles south where seminole gulf assumes maintenance (or lack thereof) and operation of the track (CSX still owns it). They have a siding where they interchange. I have never actually seen it happen, but if its anything like their interchange in arcadia, it is about 10-20 cars each way.

As for actual operation, there is very little down there.

There is the daily northbound juice train in the morning (O823 is usually the symbol) and a local (O827 or O826) which also switches port manatee and everything else needed between bradenton and either rockport or yeoman. Sometimes an additional switcher will run. It is very hit and miss and not worth a dedicated trip unless you want to go out first thing in the morning and get the juice train leaving

[CSX Engineer 98]

Thanks for the info Nip... The yard at Tropicana used to be about 10 to 12 tracks in the late 70's and at the North end of the yard was the remenance of an old ACL bridge across the Manatee river. removed in the late 50's early 60's if I remember corectly...?there also was a Diamond in the area could still be there?
Found out some info also the Bradenton area has 2 switchers Bradenton switcher (0705) and Palmetto switcher(0706) they use the same power both on duty at Tropicana yard. the "juice train" runs symbol (0823) T,W,F. and (0854) M,Sun.
A road local out of Yeoman yard Tampa services customers M-F (0708) from Tampa to Bradenton an extra is called Sat,Sun.
The Seminole Gulf gets service/Interchange from a Road switcher (0804) M,W,F from Mulberry to Arcadia. and in Sarasota the Seminole Gulf gets service T,TH, Sometimes Sun from Bradenton/Palmetto Switcher or Extra

Thanks

[crazy_nip]

that yard you refer to is no longer there. The diamond is gone too, although it sits right next to the track in the weeds on the palmetto side of the river. It was taken out in the last year or so. Strangely enough on the news tonight, apparently a train derailed on the ellenton spur, you could tell it was about 6-8 CYDX hoppers full of rock. Its really not worth a trip if you ask me, but if you are gonna be in the area and have hours to spare, I guess you could find worse things to do.

I have lived most of my life, sans 10 years or so, in the Tampa/St. pete area, but really like coastal Manatee county. Specifically Bradenton and out towards anna maria island. It really is beautiful there. But its no railroad mecca, never was either.

Personally, the town itself beats St. Pete and the beach communities here, seriously. The beaches themselves still have some of their old time charm, the way I remember st. pete beach and madiera beach being when I was a kid. They are not riddled with high rise condos. The town itself is just so much nicer, the downtown isnt riddled with crime and vagrants and people will actually come out and walk around downtown, even at night.

Try that in downtown st. pete where the undesirables "thug it up" or downtown tampa, where downtown transforms into a GHOST TOWN at around 5PM.

[CSX Engineer 98]

Hey Nip,
I remember the Area very well. I lived across the street from the Bradenton Library. I used to Take the local bus to the Beach with my friends, My Mom worked at Trader Jacks . Went to the Planetarium frequently, Attended Bradenton Middle school..( during the Bussing era ) Hug out at Semaphore hobby shop, watched the Red Sox play the Pirates at the ball park. And had a paper route for the Bradenton Hearald. I knew the area real well.

But my best memories are the times I spent chasing Trains as a 10-12yr old on my bicycle. I got to see The Freedom Train run through town... The 1776 Bicentenial U36B Lead the Juice train and saw a few Ringling Circus train movements all across the Manatee river. In 77 or 78 I remember the Bridge Tender Drowned when high winds from a storm blew him over the Bridge, when he went to check the track alignment.

Best times I remember is the Crew of the Bradenton switcher Befriended me and allowed me to go with them a bunch of times up to parrish to look for "Hot" cars on a siding. Lots of rides in the yard during their switching moves.
In 94 I returned to Florida for a vacation on the East Coast in Melbourne. and one day took off a headed to Bradenton to retrace my old stompin grounds. Found it to have big changes..... Looked up the Old Sal/Scl Engineer Jim D'arbra that befriended me almost 20yrs before. And found out he had passed away in the Late 80's of Lung cancer. The Hobby shop was gone.... The Middle school was Bullit ridden and looked abandoned..? A highway bridge was now in the middle of the OJ. Yard. All my friends had grown up and moved away. the Beaches were closed do to High toxins in the Water....But still got to see a couple of movements over the Bridge and by the old Bradenton station..."Very poor shape Now". and watched the M&W fix a broken Rail on the Yard lead at the OJ. Plant. also Talked to the Conductor his last name was Sampson... he filled me in on the switching, Juice train and locals movements at that time.

Id still want to return there sometime and do some Video and traveling around the area.

Thanks for the Time.....

[dutchdrop]

20 axle CPOX 820 Schnabel car is stored at General Electric Transformer(Formerly Ohio Transformer) in Palmetto.

[CSX Engineer 98]

How about now what are juice train operations and interchange operations like now ?

[CSX Engineer 98]

Hey Nip,
I remember the Area very well. I lived across the street from the Bradenton Library. I used to Take the local bus to the Beach with my friends, My Mom worked at Trader Jacks . Went to the Planetarium frequently, Attended Bradenton Middle school..( during the Bussing era ) Hug out at Semaphore hobby shop, watched the Red Sox play the Pirates at the ball park. And had a paper route for the Bradenton Hearald. I knew the area real well.

But my best memories are the times I spent chasing Trains as a 10-12yr old on my bicycle. I got to see The Freedom Train run through town... The 1776 Bicentenial U36B Lead the Juice train and saw a few Ringling Circus train movements all across the Manatee river. In 77 or 78 I remember the Bridge Tender Drowned when high winds from a storm blew him over the Bridge, when he went to check the track alignment.

Best times I remember is the Crew of the Bradenton switcher Befriended me and allowed me to go with them a bunch of times up to parrish to look for "Hot" cars on a siding. Lots of rides in the yard during their switching moves.
In 94 I returned to Florida for a vacation on the East Coast in Melbourne. and one day took off a headed to Bradenton to retrace my old stompin grounds. Found it to have big changes..... Looked up the Old Sal/Scl Engineer Jim D'arbra that befriended me almost 20yrs before. And found out he had passed away in the Late 80's of Lung cancer. The Hobby shop was gone.... The Middle school was Bullit ridden and looked abandoned..? A highway bridge was now in the middle of the OJ. Yard. All my friends had grown up and moved away. the Beaches were closed do to High toxins in the Water....But still got to see a couple of movements over the Bridge and by the old Bradenton station..."Very poor shape Now". and watched the M&W fix a broken Rail on the Yard lead at the OJ. Plant. also Talked to the Conductor his last name was Sampson... he filled me in on the switching, Juice train and locals movements at that time.

Id still want to return there sometime and do some Video and traveling around the area.

Thanks for the Time.....

The crazy thing is and would never have imagined it is.... I'm on my 24th year with the railroad and am a locomotive Engineer for CSX in the New England area !!!

[AmtrakLocomotiveEngineer]

Too bad you guys don't have system seniority. If I remember correctly, didn't you say your daughter was down there?