Nomad of Mid-America
From Corn Fields to Cane Fields
Harvested sugar cane yields freshly plucked from the fields of south central Florida bordering the bottom banks of Lake Okeechobee have found their way into the customized cane cars of the South Central Florida Express and are heading for processing into the granulated sweet stuff at US Sugar's mill facility at the railroad's base of operations in Clewiston. A few moments prior, the operator (perhaps a roaming conductor?) had swung the swing span of this bridge across Caloosahatchee Canal back for rail movement after yielding the right-of-way to a swift moving yacht, a move unique but also rather common to this railroad due to its conflicts with numerous active waterways. Providing the pulling power is GP11 #308, a Paducah-rebuilt veteran more synonymous with hauling Midwestern crops through the Heartland during its tenure with the Illinois Central, though still looking sharp in dazzling yellow and grey dress well into its "retirement" down in the Sunshine State.
From Corn Fields to Cane Fields
Harvested sugar cane yields freshly plucked from the fields of south central Florida bordering the bottom banks of Lake Okeechobee have found their way into the customized cane cars of the South Central Florida Express and are heading for processing into the granulated sweet stuff at US Sugar's mill facility at the railroad's base of operations in Clewiston. A few moments prior, the operator (perhaps a roaming conductor?) had swung the swing span of this bridge across Caloosahatchee Canal back for rail movement after yielding the right-of-way to a swift moving yacht, a move unique but also rather common to this railroad due to its conflicts with numerous active waterways. Providing the pulling power is GP11 #308, a Paducah-rebuilt veteran more synonymous with hauling Midwestern crops through the Heartland during its tenure with the Illinois Central, though still looking sharp in dazzling yellow and grey dress well into its "retirement" down in the Sunshine State.