Hustling Toward Evercane
Day 2 of the festivities in the south Florida canelands finds US Sugar Corporation's recently restored 4-6-2 Pacific number 148 at the head of the eight car AAPRCO 'Sugarland Limited' special (plus SCFE's baggage car) operating on rails now belonging to modern day shortline South Central Florida Express.
This day's excursion saw the passenger special run from Clewiston to the runaround at Marcy just south (compass west) of the CSXT Auburndale Sub diamond before running around and being towed back by a diesel that had been staged there. After clearing Sugar Junction they got up to track speed and are seen making close to 40 mph as they sail over a small canal just north of the Evercane Road crossing at MP 951.8 (historic ACL mileage measured from Richmond) on the SCFE's mainline. Alas I and the other photographers got a little cloud dinked at the last moment here, but fortunately on Day 3 I'd get a chance at redemption here since this short stretch of the mainline was retraced on their way to Keela Junction enroute to the rare mileage Okeelanta Branch trip on Monday.
Clean burning (it's fired with used restaurant vegetable oil and this is one of the few times I saw it really smoke s) 148 was built for the Florida East Coast Railway in 1920 at Alco's Richmond Works and served for the FEC for 32 years including operating over the famed 'Overseas Railroad' to Key West until that line was wiped out by the 1935 hurricane.
From 1952 to 1968, 148 was owned by US Sugar for use on their private cane hauling railroad. Later used in excursion service on the Black River and Western and Morristown and Erie Railroads it then languished with different owners for decades until being repatriated to Clewiston and restored over a four year period.
To learn more check out the home page of the Sugar Express, the company's planned tourist train operation: sugarexpress.com/history/
And to learn more about the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners and this special check out this link: www.aaprco.com/travel-opportunities/aaprco-2021-sugarland...
Hendry County, Florida
Sunday April 24, 2022
Hustling Toward Evercane
Day 2 of the festivities in the south Florida canelands finds US Sugar Corporation's recently restored 4-6-2 Pacific number 148 at the head of the eight car AAPRCO 'Sugarland Limited' special (plus SCFE's baggage car) operating on rails now belonging to modern day shortline South Central Florida Express.
This day's excursion saw the passenger special run from Clewiston to the runaround at Marcy just south (compass west) of the CSXT Auburndale Sub diamond before running around and being towed back by a diesel that had been staged there. After clearing Sugar Junction they got up to track speed and are seen making close to 40 mph as they sail over a small canal just north of the Evercane Road crossing at MP 951.8 (historic ACL mileage measured from Richmond) on the SCFE's mainline. Alas I and the other photographers got a little cloud dinked at the last moment here, but fortunately on Day 3 I'd get a chance at redemption here since this short stretch of the mainline was retraced on their way to Keela Junction enroute to the rare mileage Okeelanta Branch trip on Monday.
Clean burning (it's fired with used restaurant vegetable oil and this is one of the few times I saw it really smoke s) 148 was built for the Florida East Coast Railway in 1920 at Alco's Richmond Works and served for the FEC for 32 years including operating over the famed 'Overseas Railroad' to Key West until that line was wiped out by the 1935 hurricane.
From 1952 to 1968, 148 was owned by US Sugar for use on their private cane hauling railroad. Later used in excursion service on the Black River and Western and Morristown and Erie Railroads it then languished with different owners for decades until being repatriated to Clewiston and restored over a four year period.
To learn more check out the home page of the Sugar Express, the company's planned tourist train operation: sugarexpress.com/history/
And to learn more about the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners and this special check out this link: www.aaprco.com/travel-opportunities/aaprco-2021-sugarland...
Hendry County, Florida
Sunday April 24, 2022