Eastern Railroad Discussion > Port of Miami and the FEC

Right now on the Port of Miami webcam the FEC bridge to the Port of Miami is showing the bridge on its way down. Looks like I am going to see the FEC going out to the port. portofmiamiwebcam.com

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/14 07:56 by livesteamer.

Update: the FEC is moving out on the bridge right now and the radio chatter from the commercial boat operators is incredible....nothing but complaints about the bridge closing "in their face", not being listed on the "Notice to Mariners" and no posted schedule for closing. One captain plans on filing a formal protest on Monday.

Question for the FEC fans: is this bridge controlled locally at the bridge or from FEC dispatcher center.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/14 08:12 by livesteamer.

After 40 minutes, radio chatter is getting intense--commercial captain now is calling Coast Guard for aid. FEC is moving off island after dropping cars on the Port.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

Thanks for that.

I popped in for a bit. Kind of petty, yet amusing. Especially when someone broadcast a clip of a baby crying (Apparently to mock the main complainer)

The baby crying is "priceless". Bridge now open after about 50 minutes.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/14 08:41 by livesteamer.

Good....the hell with the boaters....

They got used to it being in the UP position for YEARS while nothing was going on. Dodge Island and the Port of Miami are now open to the Gateway to the World and not just Cruise Ships.
FEC is lined up to move a lot of traffic in and out of south Florida. Most of the traffic now is loads in and empties out. Now there will be some more loads heading out to the rest of the country. Other Ports on the east Coast are getting ready also but the Port of Miami is ready now and FEC is ready to carry it north instead of just bringing stuff in!
Mike

So, my question is -- where is the bridge controlled from--the bridge itself or from FEC dispatcher center?

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

livesteamer Wrote:
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> After 40 minutes, radio chatter is getting
> intense--commercial captain now is calling Coast
> Guard for aid. FEC is moving off island after
> dropping cars on the Port.


There's similar uproar in Stuart when the FEC draw bridge goes to the down position.

For years, the protocol was
--honking blinking ten minutes before the bridge goes down
--more honking five minutes before
--bridge goes down nine minutes before the train
--bridge goes up about two minutes after the train passes

so the bridge would be down about 15 minutes. the admirals were very upset their yachts (and there are some real beauties) would be delayed.

The policy has become much more erratic recently. It's not unusual for the bridge to be down 30-35 minutes before the train. the admirals are even more upset. This bridge is controlled from Jacksonville, I believe. So is the bridge in Tequesta.

In today's situation, the bridge started down about 15 minutes prior to the train arrival and remained down while the crew dropped cars at the Port and completed their run around work. Bridge waited for the light engine movement off the port island. Total time was right at 50 minutes and the result was one very irate commercial captain who was apparently making deliveries to one of the 7 cruises ships in port this morning. What is also important to note, the FEC's track that heads out to the port also crosses several downtown Miami streets including street access to the Port. My guess is the crew does not move toward the Port until they bridge is "down and locked" so as to not tie up downtown Miami.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

This reply is a bit off-topic because I am going to refer to movable highway bridges and not railway bridges, but nonetheless: I agree with the sentiments expressed here - poor Admirals, etc. However, I've been on both sides of the equation on this one, and believe me if you've got a vessel of any size, maneuvering and backing and filling while waiting for a movable bridge, esp. in a current and with a bit of wind, ain't no fun. Much more difficult and problematic than sitting in your auto, simply waiting for the dang bridge. When the two bascule bridges were replaced with high-rise bridges in my coastal town, it was so much easier, so much more pleasant for both marine and vehicular traffic. Too bad for the Miami skippers, the FEC will never build a high-rise for their port trains!

Boat captains are spoiled brats. Screw them, no sympathy from me.

In especially south Florida there are quite a few draw bridges across the Intercoastal Waterway that see a LOT more auto traffic than boat traffic. It used to be they would open on demand tying up traffic all the time. The DOT got with the Coast Guard a while back and they set up times that the bridges would open. Most open on the hour and half hour. Most of the boaters know this and plan accordingly. I've spent a lot of time (though not recently) at Stuart and Jupiter Bridges. The boaters there know when the bridge goes down there it a train going to be there shortly-within 10-15 minutes. As soon as the train clears the block the bridge goes up and the channel light turns green. There is a "traffic light" for the boaters - green: clear channel, red: bridge is in "count down mode" with warning sirens (every minute for 10 min) or is down and locked. On nice warm days there is some "nice" scenery on some of the waiting boats.

When the Port of Miami started upgrading a couple years ago there was talk of putting a tunnel under the Intercoastal Waterway. It wasn't "talked" too long though from what I heard though. Not that it couldn't be done if you had LOTS of $$$$, it's kinda difficult to build a tunnel in the sand when the land is only a couple feet above sea level if that!! There has been a rail bridge connecting Dodge Island (Port of Miami) across the Intercoastal to the FEC for years. It wasn't used for quite a few years, but it's been in place for when ever they modernized the Port. The boaters probably didn't even notice the bridge since it's been in the up position for years. I believe the auto bridge next to the rail bridge is a draw bridge that all they have to do is "blow their horn" and it opens for them. Not sure if its on "hour and half hour" timing. Most of the newer bridges being built now days are "high level" so the boaters don't have to wait and neither do the autos.
FEC now has direct access to the Port. In the past containers were trucked from the Port out to the FEC yard in Hialeah where they were trans loaded from truck to train. Now they can be loaded directly onto the rail cars saving double loading, plus cutting down some truck traffic on already crowded roads in Miami.
I haven't been in downtown Miami in a while, but really don't have much desire to go down there any more. I would like to go just to see what has been done in the last few years, but it can wait, I don't miss it THAT much.
Not to make anybody mad, but you almost need a Passport to be in Miami anymore. It's a whole nother world down there!! Especially when you go into a McDonald's and the whole menu is in Spanish.
Got to go
Mike

Port of Miami has a high level bridge for access to cruise port. The highway drawbridge is out of service. One question still remains: why leave the drawbridge down for the 30 minutes crew was working the port?

Posted from Android

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/14 20:25 by livesteamer.

lapklub wrote:

Not to make anybody mad, but you almost need a Passport to be in Miami anymore. It's a whole nother world down there!! Especially when you go into a McDonald's and the whole menu is in Spanish

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Not to make you mad either, but your statement does not apply in the part of Miami that I live in.

Thanks for posting this. How often does FEC visit the port?

I like watching the webcams of ships. Another good one is: http://www.nola.com/rivercam/
River traffic at New Orleans and once in awhile there are trains on the New Orleans Public Belt in the lower left.

lapklub Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When the Port of Miami started upgrading a couple
> years ago there was talk of putting a tunnel under
> the Intercoastal Waterway. It wasn't "talked" too
> long though from what I heard though. Not that it
> couldn't be done if you had LOTS of $$$$, it's
> kinda difficult to build a tunnel in the sand when
> the land is only a couple feet above sea level if
> that!!

> Mike

There is a tunnel to Dodge Island...just not for trains. Check it out here: http://www.portofmiamitunnel.com/

Thanks to info from DTrainshooter their IS a tunnel to Dodge Island!! I guess I've been out of touch with things down there. I think I remember there was talk about a Rail tunnel but I guess that is the one that didn't go.
I didn't realize they actually built it. Learn something everyday!!
Mike