The Orange Belt Route
Florida Southern’s Narrow Gauge Years
1879-1896
By
Donald R. Hensley, Jr.
©2010
The
Florida Southern was the largest of the big three narrow
gauge (36 inch gauge) systems in Florida, with many more miles of track
and
more equipment than either the South Florida Railroad or the Orange
Belt Railway. It
was built and motivated by compromise and
gentlemen agreements as it snaked its way south from Palatka towards
Charlotte
Harbor beating its longer lived competitor, the Florida Central &
Peninsular Railway to large amounts of land grants. But a road
that calls itself
the Orange Belt Route did live and died by that fragile citrus fruit.
Click on the photo of Florida Southern Ry # 2 in Gainesville for more.
As always, Please let me know what you
think , contact me here by emai1.
Tom Lawson's new book Locomotives of Southern Iron &
Equipment is out and available through him directly. Click here
for more info.
