Eastern Railroad Discussion > With apologies to aussiehinz...

Last month, pursuing a business opportunity, I made a move from midtown Manhattan to southeast Florida.  Being used to the city life, my wife and I, after researching and heeding some local friend's advice decided to look for apartments in downtown West Palm Beach.  Yes, compared to New York, WPB is a village, but it still has quite a bit to offer, and its proximity to the posh Palm Beach and world-class beaches don't hurt either.

Anyway, after looking at a bunch of apartments and not really seeing anything we liked, we found a nice one in downtown, with a great "bonus" (for me at least) - it's right next to the FEC, and has a 40-foot wraparound deck facing the tracks!  After making sure my wife was okay with the tracks being in such proximity (and letting her know that WPB is a "quiet" zone), we made the move.

So far it's been great - Okeechobee Blvd bothers me WAY more than the trains - so many people down here with muscle cars thinking they're tough by revving their ridiculously loud automobiles.  But I digress...  

FEC has basically two daylight (during the winter) trains - 109 southbound in the morning and 202 northbound in the mid-afternoon.  Sometimes a late-running 117 will make an appearance just after sunrise.  Of course there are many more at night - my favorite is a northbound rock train that passes around 9pm which always has standard cab units, and is usually working pretty hard hauling their heavy trains.  I've now gotten used to screaming GE's going by our window in the middle of the night - I rarely wake up from it any more.  To keep the days from being dull during the freight train lull, there are two Brightlines an hour (one SB, one NB).

So without further ado, I'll share with you a few views from "MH" Tower, Florida style!!!  Aussiehinz, hope you know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

1.  Looking north from my balcony, a rail train crosses Okeechobee Blvd on a dark day.
2.  Looking south in the afternoon, northbound 202 passes Woodlawn Cemetery just south of Okeechobee Blvd.
3.  Here is the building where "MH" tower is located - my vantage point is circled in red.  This is 109 with its usual contingent of LNG-fuled GEs heading south in the morning.

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Thanks for viewing!

Rob Benkovitz
West Palm Beach, FL

Some people just have all the luck!

Well you dont have to worry about your neighbor's accross the street having a big party !!!

Great view, Great pics....

Great view from the new place.  While I really like the elevated pics, for me Photo 3 with your building in the background is a perfect composition.

Rich

Cool photos brother.  Looking forward to visiting the Tower in April.

Very nice! I wish my view was that wide open of the Reading Line!!
Dan

Posted from iPhone

Wow - nice location and photos.
RWJ

Very nice!!

scoobydoobydoo Wrote:
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> Well you dont have to worry about your neighbor's
> accross the street having a big party !!!

Yeah, the neighborhood to the southeast of me is kind of dead...

Really nice location and perspectives! 
GK

You won twice with this move-You got the train's and the wife is happy.Thats an A+.

Posted from Android

You have a real nice vantage point.  You're not going to have the problem with some hi-rise buildings . They can't build anything in front of you to block the view!  
I grew up down the tracks a few miles in Lake Worth. I would hear trains come through especially at night and you could hear them blow at all the crossings coming through Lake Worth and then on south through Lantana, and then just fade into the night.  I loved it!!
This was also way before anyone had dreamed up "quiet zones".  I remember way back people would buy a house next to the tracks and then complane to the City about the noise.  Most were told the tracks had been there since the early early 1900's, so live with it or move.
Where your condo is I remember when it was nothing and just houses.  West Palm Beach decided to make "City Center" and bought everyone out and mowed it all down and the rest is History.  The Harvey Building on the corner of Olive and Datura used to be the tallest building in West Palm Beach for years. 
It now where compares to NYC for conjestion but Palm Beach County got too crowded for me and my wife and we moved to the Mountains of North Carolina. (It's begining to get crowded here now).  We still come down once a year or so to visit family.  I remember Before I-95 was built and Military Trail was WAY OUT there.  I could go on.  I hope you enjoy your new home.  Good luke and ENJOY your great view!!
Mike - Formerly of Lake Worth, West Palm Beach and Jupiter

Thanks for sharing. Looks like the natural gas choice is still going stong for FEC. Interesting. 

Mike ONeill
Parker, CO

Great set of photos!!

There's a four lane divided highway to the right of the train in photo 1.  It's not there in picture 2.
Left turn markings on that road might indicate that everything bears left and perhaps continues 
on that road for a few blocks and bears right to become the road on the other side of the cemetery
in picture 2?
Frank30

Frank30 Wrote:
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> There's a four lane divided highway to the right
> of the train in photo 1.  It's not there in picture 2.
> Left turn markings on that road might indicate
> that everything bears left and perhaps continues 
> on that road for a few blocks and bears right to
> become the road on the other side of the cemetery
> in picture 2?

Yes - road is Quadrille Blvd which ends at Okeechobee Blvd.  Road on the other side of the cemetery is Federal Hwy (US 1).

I lived 80' from double tracks for 15 years.  You will love it!

Congratulations on Image of the Day! 
You have a great vantage point to sit on your balcony and watch trains.  I can't tell from the shot of your building, but can you see to the west and see TriRail on the former SAL,SCL, CSXT tracks, or is blocked by trees and buildings?
On another note you can drive about 50 miles to the west and be in another world in Sugar country out by Lake Okeechobee.  Or  just sit on your balcony and let the trains come to you!
Mike-now in the mountains of NC 

lapklub Wrote:
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> Congratulations on Image of the Day! 
> You have a great vantage point to sit on your
> balcony and watch trains.  I can't tell from the
> shot of your building, but can you see to the west
> and see TriRail on the former SAL,SCL, CSXT
> tracks, or is blocked by trees and buildings?

I can partially see the SAL from my northward-facing balcony - I can see the top of the SAL station, and the overpass across the tracks.  I've attached a picture of what I can see of the station (tower left-center) and overpass (right-center).  Taken with a 300mm lens.  

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