RAILROADS & RAILROAD STATIONS

GROUPS & PLACES FOR RESEARCH

OVERVIEWS OF RAILROAD HISTORY

RAILROAD COMPANIES

SPECIFIC TRAINS

TRAIN STATIONS

MISCELLANEOUS INFO

GROUPS & PLACES FOR RESEARCH

• RAILWAY & LOCOMOTIVE SOCIETY -- Contact info & description is given for the Southeast Chapter, which is based in Jacksonville.  Among other things, the chapter focuses on current & historic railroad events.  NOTE:  When you get to the web site, scroll about 1/2 down the page.

• FLORIDA RAILS ONLINE MUSEUM -- Quote from website: "This collection is dedicated to the passenger trains to, from and within Florida and the railroads that operate them. Including photos and artwork, timetables, consists, history and more as time and resources permit!"

• RAILROAD ASSOCIATIONS, MUSEUMS, & PRESERVATION -- Homepage for RailroadData.com.  It provides many things, including info & links for railroad history associations, museums, & preservation groups.  Over 4,000 railroad links are given.

• RAILROAD ASSOCIATIONS -- List & description of US railroad history associations.  Furnished by RailroadData.com.

• VARIOUS RAILROAD ASSOCIATIONS -- Links for various railroad history associations in the South, including Florida.  From the homepage for the Georgia Southern & Florida Railroad Historical Society.

• MODEL RAILROAD CLUBS IN FLORIDA -- Contact info for model railroad clubs around Florida, including the Gateway Model Railroad Club in Jacksonville.  These clubs could sometimes help to locate sources of info for railroad history.

• "FLORIDA RAILROAD ATTRACTIONS" -- Provides contact info for museums, model railroad displays, diesel & steam excursions, etc.

• TOURIST RAILROADS & RAILROAD MUSEUMS -- List & description of Florida tourist railroads & railroad museums.  Furnished by RailroadData.com.

• STEAM LOCOMOTIVES ON DISPLAY -- Web page entitled "Florida Steam Locomotives."  Shows the locations of steam engines that are on display in Florida, including at least two in the Jacksonville area.  From SteamLocomotive.com.

• "COLLECTING FLORIDA RAILROAD & TROLLEY MEMORABILIA" -- Article from Antiques & Art Around Florida. 

OVERVIEWS OF RAILROAD HISTORY

• FLORIDA RAILROAD HISTORY -- A historical overview from MyFlorida.com.

• FLORIDA RAILROADS -- Website called "Florida Rails: Passenger Trains to the Palms."  Provides lots of info.

• FLORIDA RAILROADS, LATE 1800s -- "The Floridians: A Social History."  Includes a section entitled "Florida of the Railroad Barons."

• NOTHEAST FLORIDA RAILROADS, 1800s -- Florida Times-Union article called "Remembering the Glory Days of the Railroad," by Mary Jo McTammany.  Provides info about train trips & the building of railroads in Northeast Florida during the 1800s.   

• FLORIDA RAILROAD HISTORY -- Article from Those Classic Trains entitled "The Florida Trade."  Provides historical info about Florida railroads, including some in Jacksonville.  NOTE: When you get to this webpage, be sure to see the links at the bottom.

• FLORIDA HISTORY ON THE RADIO -- Listen to an audio report entitled "Early Railroads in Florida." Provided by the Florida Humanities Council.  NOTE: When you get to the webpage, click on the heading "Last Month's Programs."  Keep clicking this heading until you get to the page that contains the audio report you want. 

• JACKSONVILLE RAILROAD HISTORY -- Info Jacksonville's railroad history  about  can be found in the book History of Jacksonville Florida and Vicinity 1513 to 1924 (by T. Frederick Davis, 1925).  Go to pages 341-357.  The entire book is online at the website for the Florida Heritage Collection.  STEP #1 -- When you get to the website, use a keyword search for the following words: "Jacksonville" "vicinity". This will retrieve the book.  STEP #2 -- Click on the link "Electronic resource (JPEG)."  This will retrieve the screen that allows you to choose a page number. STEP #3 -- Go to the bottom of the screen & select a page number.  This will open the book at that page.

• 1891 -- FIRST RAILROAD BRIDGE ACROSS ST. JOHNS -- Info about the opening of the first railroad bridge across the St. Johns River at Jacksonville in 1890  can be found in the book History of Jacksonville Florida and Vicinity 1513 to 1924 (by T. Frederick Davis, 1925).  Go to pages page 351.  The entire book is online at the website for the Florida Heritage Collection.  STEP #1 -- When you get to the website, use a keyword search for the following words: "Jacksonville" "vicinity". This will retrieve the book.  STEP #2 -- Click on the link "Electronic resource (JPEG)."  This will retrieve the screen that allows you to choose a page number. STEP #3 -- Go to the bottom of the screen & select a page number.  This will open the book at that page.

• FIRST RAILROAD BRIDGE OVER ST. JOHNS -- Histories of Jacksonville's local bridges, including the railroad bridge.  Info provided by the City of Jacksonville.

• 1916 -- TRAIN TRAVEL TO BEACH -- Florida Times-Union article entitled, "Trains a new idea? Sure, back in 1916," by Bill Foley. Tells about train travel to Pablo Beach.

• TRANSPORTATION STUDY 1960 -- Jacksonville - Duval County Transportation Study (1960) either is or will be available online in its entirety.  It is being provided by the Florida Heritage Collection.

• RAILROAD MAPS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA -- Maps from a variety of time periods, from the Library of Congress.  Can be enlarged to show Jacksonville area.  NOTE: When you get to the web site, just click on "Florida" near the bottom of the page.  And when you want to zoom in on a specific part of the map as much as possible, do the following:  (1) Point & click on "Full Size."  (2) Point & click in the circle nearest "Zoom In," which is located at the map's bottom. (3) Click on "640 x 480" to enlarge the view as much as possible on screen. (4) Point & click on the part of town on which you'd like to zoom in.   After you do all of this, the area on which you are focusing will be greatly enlarged.  

• OLD RAILROAD COMPANY SLOGANS -- Dozens of slogans, including some for old Florida railroad companies.  From "Webville and Hypertext Railroad Company's Main Yards." 

• FLORIDA HERITAGE COLLECTION -- Info about the subjects on this webpage may be available at the the marvelous "Florida Heritage Collection." This website gives full-text, online copies of hundreds of Florida books.  NOTE: When you get to the website, you can search in different ways.  These searches include by "Florida Themes" or by "Florida History Timeline."  You can also search by "Florida County" and by "Keywords."  With keyword searching, just type in "Jacksonville," "Duval County," or other keywords, such as words from a title.  ALSO NOTE:  Many of the individual Jacksonville items in the Florida Heritage Collection are listed in JacksonvilleStory.com, the site you're now in. However, Jacksonville info can often be found in books about Florida in general. Many of theses books are at the Florida Heritage Collection website.

RAILROAD COMPANIES

• WEB SITES FOR VARIOUS RAILROADS -- Lots of links to railroad web sites.  Includes railroads that served Jacksonville.  From the website provided by Those Classic Trains.

• VARIOUS FLORIDA RAILROADS -- Website called "EL and Other Fallen Flags." Offers photos, maps & operator manuals.  Includes Seaboard Air Line, Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Coast Line, and Florida East Coast railroads.

• ATLANTIC COAST LINE & SEABOARD AIR LINE RAILROADS HISTORICAL SOCIETY -- Homepage for this organization.  Provides historical info & many links.

• CSX CORPORATION -- History of CSX Corporation, a major railroad that is based in Jacksonville.  From the company's website.

• CSX TRANSPORTATION -- Profile & brief history of CSX.  From the book Jacksonville: Reflections of Excellence, from Towery Publishing, Inc.

• CSX RAILROAD -- Website called "Florida Color."  Provides marvelous color photos of the CSX Railroad.

• FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD -- HENRY FLAGLER -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "Flagler Built a Railroad, Invented Florida," by Simon Barker-Benfield.  Tells about Henry Flagler, who opened Florida's eastern coast by rail. 

• FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD -- Historical info, from an article entitled "The Little Railroad that Could," by Anthony Young, from ThePointSpread.com.

• FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD -- Historical info & links.   From a website with the heading, "FECRailway.com: The Official Florida East Coast Railway Unauthorized Web Page."

• FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD -- History article from Those Classic Trains.

• FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD -- A historical overview from the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum.

• FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY -- Colorful web page from GetCruising.com. 

• FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY -- Listen to an audio report entitled "Mr. Flagler's Railroad."  Tells about the company established by Henry Flagler.  Provided by the Florida Humanities Council.  NOTE: When you get to the webpage, click on the heading "Last Month's Programs."  Keep clicking this heading until you get to the page that contains the audio report you want. 

• GEORGIA SOUTHERN & FLORIDA RAILROAD -- A web page entitled "A Pocket History of the Georgia Southern & Florida."  

• GEORGIA SOUTHERN & FLORIDA RAILROAD -- Home page for the Georgia Southern & Florida Railroad Historical Society.

• SEABOARD AIR LINE -- Website entitled "Seaboard Air Line Through the Heart of the South."  Is an "unofficial home page" for the railroad.

• SEABOARD AIR LINE -- SEE ALSO "THE ATLANTIC COAST LINE RAILROAD."

SPECIFIC TRAINS

• LOCOMOTIVES IN JAX, 1920s & 1930s -- This website provides about 50 photographs of train locomotives in Jacksonville.  The pictures date from the 1920s &  1930s. The website is maintained by the Colorado State Library & other Colorado collections.  NOTE:  When you get to the website, type in the word "Jacksonville."  This will recall the Jacksonville train photos.   

• THE FLORIDA SPECIAL (TRAIN) -- Webpage called "The Florida Special."  Tells about a train that traveled to Florida during the late 1800s & early 1900s.
  

• ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "Millennium Moment: Nov. 26, 1933," by Bill Foley.  Tells about the origin of the celebrated train, the Orange Blossom Special, in 1933.  BACKGROUND INFO:  The Orange Blossom Special was Florida's first & only fully air-conditioned train.  It made stops in Jacksonville.  

• ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL -- Florida Times-Union article called "Jacksonville's Millennium Moment: Nov. 26, 1933," by Bill Foley.  Gives info about the Orange Blossom Special.

• ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL -- From a website called "2000 Singlehanded TransPacific Yacht Race."

• ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL -- From a web page called "Stories: Orange Blossom Special & Tropical Holidays."  

• "ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL" (SONG) -- Info about the Jacksonville origins of the classic fiddle song "Orange Blossom Special."  From Azstarnet.com. 

  TRAIN STATIONS

• JAX TRAIN DEPOT HISTORY -- Info about the history of Jacksonville's railroad depots   can be found in the book History of Jacksonville Florida and Vicinity 1513 to 1924 (by T. Frederick Davis, 1925).  Go to pages pages 356-357.  The entire book is online at the website for the Florida Heritage Collection.  STEP #1 -- When you get to the website, use a keyword search for the following words: "Jacksonville" "vicinity". This will retrieve the book.  STEP #2 -- Click on the link "Electronic resource (JPEG)."  This will retrieve the screen that allows you to choose a page number. STEP #3 -- Go to the bottom of the screen & select a page number.  This will open the book at that page.

• TRAIN STATIONS IN JAX -- Interesting article from Those Classic Trains.  Gives historical info & pictures in regard to Jacksonville's early train stations.

• RAILROAD STRUCTURES IN DUVAL COUNTY -- List & brief description of railroad structures in Duval County.  Furnished by the Railroad Station Historical Society, Inc.

• DEMOLITION OF TRAIN STATION IN 1918 -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "Millennium Moments: February 19, 1918," by Bill Foley.  Tells about the demolition of Jacksonville's railroad terminal in 1918.

• JACKSONVILLE  TERMINAL (PRIME OSBORN) -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "Millennium Moment: Feb. 19, 1918," by Bill Foley.  Tells about the opening of a new Jacksonville railroad station in 1918.  After being renovated, the station is today's Prime Osborn Convention Center.

• JACKSONVILLE TERMINAL (PRIME OSBORN) -- Old photo of the Jacksonville Terminal in about the 1920s.  From the Florida Department of Transportation.

• PRIME OSBORN CONVENTION CENTER -- About 12 contemporary photos of the Prime Osborne Convention Station. From an unnamed personal webpage.

  MISCELLANEOUS INFO

• PUBLICATION FROM 1902 -- "Florida East Coast Railway and Hotels" (a publication from 1902) either is or will be available online in its entirety.  It is being provided by the Florida Heritage Collection.