Eastern Railroad Discussion > FEC north end information

I will be in Central Florida next month on business. I may have a day to spend a little trackside time on the FEC.

I read DJ-12s post of last month about Cocoa and surrounding area. https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4516516,4517172#msg-4517172

What is Jacksonville like? Does much run in/out during the daylight? Suggested locations?

Are the radio channels still AAR 044/028 (160.770 train-dispatcher/160.530 simplex-dispatcher transmit base), AAR 080 (161.310 yard)?

Thanks in advance,

daniel

Most of the FEC-powered trains run between Bowden Yard on the south side of Jacksonville and points south. You may catch an FEC transfer running north of the yard if you're lucky, and if you're super lucky you'll catch road power in town, perhaps fetching an ethanol train or something, but I don't know how often that happens. Most of the interchange runs from NS and CSX use those roads' power (including foreign locos if applicable).

The most scenic spot on the north end of the railroad is the San Sebastian River bridge in Saint Augustine and the salt marsh immediately north of that bridge. You could spend a whole day there and not shoot the same angle twice. You'll usually see two or three northbounds right around and after sunrise -- 218, 226, and 230 -- followed by 210 in the late morning/midday hours, 101 in the early-to-mid afternoon, and 107 around 6 p.m., plus 105 after 101 if they run a 105. On some days you might even catch 117 before sunset this time of year if you're lucky. The 905 local also comes down most weekdays to work the "old main line" spur west of town and go to customers farther south toward Bunnell.

Between Saint Augustine and Bowden, there are passing sidings at Magnolia (by the Saint Augustine Airport) and Bayard (along US-1 a few miles south of Bowden), while "Sunbeam" is the interlocking at the south end of Bowden Yard at Sunbeam Road where double track through the yard ends and CTC signalling begins. The railroad is almost arrow-straight from North Magnolia all the way to Sunbeam and it's fairly well hemmed in by trees on the west side, so there aren't a lot of very exciting photo locations in this section, especially once the sun swings to the west side of the tracks. There is a local road on the west side of the tracks in the Magnolia area so that's a decent place to hang out and watch signals until something gets lined up, but be aware that you're near the county jail so don't point cameras in that direction if you don't want unwanted police attention. South of the curve on the west side of St Augustine is a serious tunnel-o'-trees most of the way to Bunnell, although there are a few crossings where you might be able to do -something- if you're inclined to go hunting. Possibly the best of these is at Colfax, which the first sideroad off US-1 south of its I-95 interchange down south of Saint Augustine.

T-Patch pretty much sums it up. I will add only the following:
-Other angles along the marsh north of the bridge in St Augustine for the early morning northbound fleet can be had in the morning from the Zaxby's parking lot and another couple of pullouts along 101. This whole area seems to be attractive for homeless individuals and those visiting the liquor store south of the bridge. I've never had any issues but it pays to stay alert.
-There is a pretty good angle on the south side of Bunnell for 101 in the early afternoon, although this time of year the chances of getting nose light there are diminishing.
-Driving 1 hour south from St Augustine also allows shots at Daytona Beach, the best of which are had at the Daytona Beach Golf Course in the afternoon. The golf course seems fairly lenient of the stray photog. on the course, but when I've done this I'm rarely there very long before the train and don't hang around. Obviously, it helps if you don't wander blithely up or across the fairways where playing customers are playing. It is possible to shoot 101 at St Augustine and beat them to Daytona without driving like a madman provided you don't dally leaving St Augustine AND everything goes perfectly right trafficwise on I-95 and the feeder roads you need to take.

Thank you Mr. Patch and DJ-12 for the detailed information.

d.

If you have the ability to monitor ATCS the entire mainline is covered by internet servers so you can tell exactly where the trains are.

RFandPFan Wrote:
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> If you have the ability to monitor ATCS the entire
> mainline is covered by internet servers so you can
> tell exactly where the trains are.


ATCS is no longer functional for much of the railroad south of West Palm Beach, but this is not a problem for railfanning the north end of the railroad.