Palatka Railroad Preservation Society

Mainline Report
 
During the January Board meeting the officers and directors talked about many things that should be done, as well as discussing things they would like to see accomplished this year.
 
On the top of the “To Do” list was Railrodeo maintenance. This includes addressing track concerns (areas of poor electrical properties), animation problems, repairing worn or damaged scenery, and bringing rolling stock up to standards. 
 
Also discussed was the Palatka layout. Some of the current plans are additional throttle locations, remote control of inaccessible turnouts (purchasing necessary machines), and continuing scenic work.
 
Other items were completion of the 501(c)3 application, look into insurance for exhibits/layouts, and members rolling stock listing.
 
Please invite anyone you know that might be interested in any of the aspects of Palatka Railroad Preservation Society to visit one of our Open House Events or 4th Tuesday Members Meeting. Of course guests are also welcome to see what we do any time we are at the train station or go with us on a field trip. Remember, the more members we have the sooner we can achieve our goals.

 
            Howard Blasczyk, President

Did You Know?
The first railroad in this area predates the “War Between the States”. In 1858, the St. Johns Railway was incorporated to construct a railway to connect Tocoi Landing on the east bank of the St. Johns River with St. Augustine, a distance of about 15 miles.
 
By the time Fort Sumter, South Carolina, had fallen, a few miles of track had been laid. The original tracks were wood stringers topped with thin strips of iron. During the “War Between the States”, accounts indicate the rails were pulled up and the original steam locomotive destroyed by Union soldiers.
 
After the war, tracks were re-laid with iron and service resumed with “horse power as well as steam”. Around 1876, under William Astor’s ownership, two small wood burning locomotives were purchased along with new freight and passenger cars.
 
By 1886, the line connected with the St. Augustine & Palatka Railway and was operated jointly with it. By 1889, business on the St. Johns line had decreased to the point that trains consisted of 2 or 3 boxcars and ran  only three times a week. The occasional passengers would have to ride among the freight.
 
Ownership of the St. Johns Railway transferred to Henry Flagler in the 1890s.

Our most recent acquisitions were donated by Matthew Conner. They include three mounted photos of British locomotives, a Florida East Coast sign, as well as other items.

Matthew is one of our frequent museum guests. He comes with his father and is our youngest donor. A special thanks to Matthew for his donations.

How about some history?
Florida East Coast Railway:
mileposts  40 to 62

“FORGOTTEN EAST COAST”
A portion of the original mainline of Florida East Coast Railway was once part a company that bore the name of St. Augustine and Palatka Railway. A sketchy history of the line must be obtained from news accounts as documentation is limited.

The St. Augustine & Palatka Railway Company was incorporated in 1885 or 1886 by William Astor. It was a 22-mile standard gauge line running from Tocoi Junction (a few miles west St. Augustine), on the old St. Johns Railway, to East Palatka. When completed, it provided a continuous route from East Palatka to St. Augustine.
 
The following companies were involved in construction:

      W. D. Burtchnell & Co. ------- clearing & grading
      Morgan, Reynolds & Co. ---- clearing & grading
      W. G. Hawkins ----------------- bridge construction
      Curry Brewton -----------------  bridge construction
      Morgan, Reynolds & Co. ---- bridge construction
      W. D. Burtchnell & Co. ------- tracklaying
      Joseph Hawthorne ------------ tracklaying
 
The first scheduled train operated from East Palatka into St. Augustine on May 31st, 1886, using the St. Johns Railway for the last few miles.
 
The annual report of the St. Augustine & Palatka Railway Company for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1888 filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission gives the following financial information:

      Outstanding capital stock --------------- $225,000
      Investment in road & equipment ------ $225,000
 
A news account on President Grover Cleveland’s visit to Palatka on February 23rd of 1888, gives a little history on the line and lack of connections between rail lines. He came from St. Augustine to East Palatka via the St. Augustine and Palatka Railway. He had to cross the river to Palatka via steamship – the railway bridge wouldn’t be constructed until latter that year.
 
During 1889, the property of the line was conveyed to the St. Augustine & Halifax River Railway Co., which was leased to the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Indian River Railway Co. The property, rights and franchises, including track, were deeded to FEC April 4th, 1896.
 
The line between Hastings and East Palatka was abandoned in the early 1980s. The line between Tocoi Junction and Hastings was abandoned in 1988.

Mainline Report

 This year’s RailFest was another successful event. I believe it was one of our best, even though our membership was down somewhat this year. I think the effort that went into the Palatka layout really paid off. Many of our regular visitors noticed. I would like to thank all of our members and anyone who had a part in RailFest 2009 for their help. We need to incorporate the aspects that were successful next year’s RailFest and be sure to make adjustments in our problem areas.

 Please encourage anyone you know that might be interested in any of the aspects of Palatka Railroad Preservation Society to visit one of our Open House Events or 4th Tuesday Members Meeting. Of course guests are also welcome to see what we do any time we are at the train station or go with us on a field trip. Just a reminder that November 1st begins our new membership year and the more members we have the more we can accomplish.

 Hopefully over the next year we can incorporate many of the things we have tried in the past year, i.e. have a historical presentation and model RR clinic each quarter. In addition to running trains, I would like to see us have an “Operating Session” each month. Also we need to get out more, i.e. tour other layouts and museums as a group. I would also encourage our members to consider being guests at other RR and historical organizations’ activities.

Howard Blasczyk, President

 

Did You Know?

The first transcontinental railroad to join the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was not completed at Promontory Point in Utah in 1869. The joining of these oceans by rail occurred much further south in 1855. It was not the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads but the 47-mile Panama Railroad that became the first transcontinental railroad in the Americas.

The railroad was originally constructed to 5’-6” gauge. The first rails were of the inverted “U” type. The original construction cost was $6.5 million. Much of the original railroad was relocated due to the route of the Panama Canal. The relocation cost $9 million. The line was re-gauged to 5’-0” which remains to this day.

The David Browning Railroad Museum has a Panama Canal railroad exhibit that displays some of the early rails and spikes utilized on the line.


MUSEUM ACQUISITIONS A Lionel O-27 gauge train set from 1976 with structures, donated by Steve Banton

An American Flyer (A. C. Gilbert) S-gauge train set from 1955, donated by Steve Banton

The “B&O Royal Blue” circa 1938, Pacific P-7 #5304 crossing Thomas Viaduct over Patapsco River in Maryland, a framed color print on loan from Walter Corkran (the artist)

Other color prints on display by Walter Corkran are Pennsy “sharknose” #9591 at Kendall Tower (Selkirk, NY yard), ACL RPO #11, and St. Petersburg station

Florida East Coast Railway:
mileposts   37 to 87
“FORGOTTEN EAST COAST”

     Approximately fifty miles of the original mainline of Florida East Coast Railway via East Palatka (between St. Augustine and Bunnell) no longer exists. Located between milepost 37 and milepost 87, it was the route that all trains used for thirty years. All trains bound for the Keys passed through East Palatka until the Moultrie Cut-off was completed. Its shorter route (by only 20 miles) allowed many trains to bypass East Palatka. However, passenger service remained on this line almost until the F.E.C. discontinued its passenger service. Freight service was provided up to the time the line was finally abandoned.

     On the east side of the St. Johns River, the St. Johns & Halifax Railroad was originally a 3-foot logging railroad from Rollestown to the Halifax River. Incorporated in 1881 by Utley J. White, it reached Tomoka in 1886 and was extended south to Daytona by 1887. The Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railway, a 36-mile narrow gauge railway, was completed from Jacksonville to St. Augustine’s outskirts by mid-1883.  

     The St. Augustine & Palatka Railway was incorporated in 1885 by William Astor and his son. It was a 22-mile standard gauge line running from Tocoi Junction, on the old St. Johns Railway (a few miles west St. Augustine), to East Palatka. It provided a continuous route from East Palatka to St. Augustine, albeit by different rail gauges. When the St. Johns & Halifax Railroad, which ran from Rollestown to Daytona, became the St. Johns & Halifax River Railway in December of 1888, it connected at East Palatka with the St. Augustine & Palatka Railway. This permitted rail travel on the east coast of Florida from Jacksonville as far south as Daytona.  
     The San Mateo Branch was abandoned in December of 1942. Next came the Palatka Branch which included the St. Johns River bridge (1.8 miles), and operation under trackage rights of Atlantic Coast Line rails (0.79 miles between the west side of the bridge and Union Station). The last movement over the Palatka Branch occurred in November of 1948. The original mainline between East Palatka and Bunnell was abandoned in 1972. The line between Hastings and East Palatka was abandoned in the early 1980s. The line between Tocoi Junction and Hastings was abandoned in 1988.