Welcome to the Palatka Railroad Preservation Society.
We began in 1993 as an informal organization of people interested in railroading. The City of Palatka promoted the establishment of an organization and provided the use of the Palatka Railroad Depot. The historic A.C.L. Union Depot, as it is also known, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Society is dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of the rail heritage of Palatka, Florida and surrounding communities, from the first railway in the 1800's to the present. The Society's purpose is to encourage and engage in the collection, cataloging, restoration, maintenance and display of materials, artifacts and documents relating to this heritage; to promote knowledge and understanding among Society members and the community; and to promote a mutually beneficial relationship among it's members. A portion of the historic depot has already been established as the David Browning Railroad Museum and contains documents, photographs, maps, signs and other items donated or loaned by the public. One 25'X30' room has been set aside for the construction of a model train layout depicting Palatka and surrounding areas during the heyday of rail traffic. The South portion of the depot houses "Railrodeo", created by Irvin P. Saylor. It was billed as the "World's largest mobile HO scale model railroad" when it began touring the East Coast in 1975. Railroad lines that preceded CSX are: Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West; St. Augustine & Palatka; Oklawaha Valley (Ocala Northern); Florida Southern; Georgia, Southern & Florida; Atlantic Coast Line; Florida East Coast; Seaboard Coast Line and Family Lines. Amtrak also leases trackage from CSX and has scheduled stops at the Palatka Depot. Some other railroads were: Palatka and Heights Street railway, Date Filed 05/17/1884 Palatka Street Railway Company, Date Filed 05/17/1884 St. Augustine & Palatka Railway, Date Filed 10/19/1885 Palatka & Indian River Railway, Date Filed 02/04/1882 Ocala Northern Railroad Company, Date Filed 09/02/1909 Palatka and Sanford Railroad Company, Date Filed 12/19/1881 Palatka, Welaka and Lake Railroad Company, Date Filed 04/02/1888 Palatka and Lake Shore Railway of Florida, Date Filed 05/17/1889 The Palatka and North Western Railway Company, Date Filed 06/21/1888 Palatka and Ocklawaha River Railway Company, Date Filed 07/01/1885 The Palatka Orange Spring Railway Company, Date Filed 06/04/1870 Interlachen, Jacksonville and Ocala Air Line Rail Road Company, Date Filed 03/22/1886 Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West Railway, Date 02/19/1878 |
PLEASE NOTE!
The Palatka Railroad Preservation will be open for National Train Day Open House Event on Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Union Station, Palatka's Train Station. Society members will operate both HO scale model railroads - Rails of Palatka and Railrodeo. Join other railroad enthusiasts to talk about railroads, trains, or model railroading. There is no admission fee. ______________________ David Browning Railroad Museum is open Monday - Friday, 9AM - 5PM for self guided tours, except holidays. Open House Events are scheduled quarterly. Revisit our website, where we will announce activities as they are scheduled. Our activities require members and volunteers to be available on select days/times to operate the layouts and greet guests. If you have any interest in railroads, history, or model railroading, we invite you to partner with like-minded people. Even if you can only spare a few hours each month, we still encourage your involvement. See the 'About Us' tab on the Home page. April 8, 2015 This day in Putnam County In 1887, railroads in Putnam County and their assessed value were: St. Johns and Halifax River, main track, 4 miles, $1,200. Palatka and Indian River, main track, 25.17 miles, $1,511.02, side track 1.5 miles, $1,750. Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West, main track 15 miles, $105,000. Side track, .5 miles, $1,750. Florida Southern, main track, 28.79 miles, $143,000, side track, 2.5 miles, $6,250. The museum is open daily while the Ride Solution bus station is open.
Please see our calendar for more information about happenings! Contact us:
Drop us a note here 386-328-0305 Palatka Railroad Preservation Society 222 North 11th Street Palatka, Fl. 32177 
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