FLORIDA EAST COAST
A rarity in today's rail environment, the Florida East Coast has continually operated since the late 1800's as an independent company, though NS takeover rumors swirled in the mid 1990's. The line struggled for much of the 1950's and endured a bitter strike starting in 1963 and then became an early advocate of two man crews, cabooseless trains and concrete ties. The line is not the easiest to shoot for railfans as many of the trains run at night and those that run during the day are fast and not conducive to chasing to obtain multiple shots.
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GP9 #651 brings a southbound transfer from the CSX across the St.John's River bridge in Jacksonville, FL on it's way back to Bowden Yd. on December 2, 2001. Only a few GP9's were still running as their time on the system was coming to an end. |
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GP38-2 #507 is southbound with local train #910 at Cocoa, FL on March 13, 2009. FEC's small fleet of 11 GP38-2's is most often found in local and switching service. |
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GP40 #401 and GP40-2's #427 and 432 bring train #202 northbound through Sunbeam, FL on December 2, 2001. In a few more miles the train will be ending it's run in Bowden Yard |
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GP40 #410 is on train #925, switching an aggregates facility at Stuart, FL on April 19, 2002. This unit was one of the first repainted into the new blue scheme with the name spelled out on the long hood and the logo on the nose instead of stripes. |
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Lined up at the New Smyrna Beach, FL shops on April 20, 2002 are GP40's #405 and 451 and GP9's #651 and 655. |
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GP40 #401 and GP40-2's #427 & 432 have southbound train #101 temporarily in the siding at Bunnell, FL on December 1, 2001. Train #101 is a good bet for the photographer as it gets out of Jacksonville in the early afternoon. |
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GP40-2 #437 is on local train #921 as it crosses Crane Creek in Melbourne, FL on April 19, 2002. This train is southbound back to it's origin terminal of Fort Pierce, FL. |
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GP40-2's #421 & 424 bracket GP40 #2000 in the heritage streamliner colors as they bring train #226 north across the San Sebastian River in St. Augustine, FL on December 13, 2008. |
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GP40-2 #425 pulls train #930 off the main and onto the K-Line at Fort Pierce, FL on February 18, 2010. At the head end are a string of Tropicana juice cars on their way back to the Tropicana plant on the west side of town. |
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GP40-2's #425 & 420 bracket one of the ex UP SD40-2's still in UP lettering, on a southbound at Woodlawn, FL on April 20, 2002. |
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GP40-2 #412 leads a transfer run over the St. Johns River drawbridge in Jacksonville, FL on December 8, 2002. This bridge is one of my favorite places to photogragh the FEC and offers numerous angles from ground level and from above on the adjacent highway bridge. |
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GP40-2 #443 shows off the last version of the blue colors now worn by most FEC 4 axle power. Taken at New Smyrna Beach, FL on March 12, 2009. |
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GP40-2m #445 is one of several painted in the 100 year anniversary FEC Speedway scheme. Here she leads a string of Tropicana juice reefers north across the St.Johns River bridge as viewed from the sidewalk of the adjacent highway bridge on April 21, 2002. |
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GP40-2m #449, GP40 #410 and SD40-2 #712 power intermodal train #101 south over the San Sebastian River in St. Augustine, FL on December 8, 2002. To the left of the locomotive one can see the rear of the long train arcing back along the river. |
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Six axle power arrived on the FEC in the form of a group of ex Union Pacific SD40-2's that they have relettered but otherwise left in armour yellow. Here #704, 701 & 706 bring train #101 south at Sunbeam, FL on December 2, 2001. |
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A trio of SD40-2's, #706, 706 & 701 lead a northbound aggregates train over the St. Lucie River at Stuart, FL on July 19, 2002. In the background is the Highway 1 bridge. |
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Same power, same train, next day, at Hobe Sound, FL (July 20, 2002). |
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SD40-2 #706 brings the northbound train over the drawbridge spanning the St. Lucie River at Stuart, FL on July 20, 2002. |
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SD40-2's #707 & 715 lead SD70M-2 #104 in the Rail America colors as they fly by with southbound T#101 at Scottsmoor, FL on March 12, 2009. |
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SD70M-2 #100 and SD40-2 #703 pull T#101 south through Pineada, FL on March 13, 2009. This first order of four SD70M-2's were all delivered in this attractive new FEC scheme prior to the Rail America takeover. |
SD70M-2's #103 and #106 are on T#101 just out of Bowden Yd. and picking up speed, southbound at Sunbeam, FL on October 30, 2010.