The Electric 7" A Streetcar Proposal On A Shoestring

[Ocklawaha]

The land is owned by the City of Jacksonville.  Where it's not, you can use the right-of-way of nearby local streets. In this case, there shouldn't be a cost for land. I think the major hurdle would be getting across Norfolk Southern's active Springfield line and getting a city leader to publicly push the concept.  Significant grading changes and the modification of the bike trail currently being constructed would have to be addressed as well.

Shouldn't be a big problem, it is done all of the time considering the streetcar is just another 'bus' crossing the tracks, albeit a much more attractive 'bus'. The fact that none of the railroad trackage in that area of the city is in any way a main line. The Norfolk Southern Railway line is only used by a mid-day switch job. If future 'commuter rail' became a reality on the 'S' then doing as most other light-rail cities and building a streetcar overpass becomes a possibility at some distant date.

Louisville and Nashville railroad / streetcar crossing Memphis



Saint Louis-San Francisco Railroad/streetcar crossing Memphis



CSX railroad / streetcar crossing in Tampa



Another view of the Tampa streetcar / railroad crossing

[thelakelander]

I know if can be done but there were significant liability issues with this in Tampa.  It almost blew up the entire proposal a decade ago.  Do you suspect that dealing with NS won't be as difficult as dealing with CSX?

[Ocklawaha]

Correct, NS is usually far more open to civic or public projects, they operate a steam locomotive program with excursions that serve as ambassadors for the company. NS President also recently said that future passenger train operations over the NS will be owned and operated by NS! The Norfolk Southern people have also just turned out 27 new diesel locomotives in the paint schemes of all of the different railroads in their 'family tree'. Something done to the delight of railroad buff's around the world (IE: If you are too young to have ever seen a 'Lackawanna Railroad' engine pulling a train NS has you covered). So yes, NS like the FEC, is a completely different animal. That said, consider to that CSX is the home team so we might get a bit more consideration from them if it's ever needed.

Courtesy of Norfolk Southern

[BackinJax05]

^^ I hope not, but NS can be pretty pig-headed at times.

[mtraininjax]

Ock - I was at the NRHS steam event in 1994 and had the delight of seeing the 611 and 1218 pull us with a GP40 in Southern livery green, and it was an awesome trip, the run-bys, I love seeing the Southern Green and seeing Southern Boxcars still roll by to this day. I wish CSX would put out an AC44W in Monon livery.

[Ocklawaha]

Agreed, I'd love to see a CSX job in Tavares and Gulf, Charleston and Western Carolina, Georgia, Atlanta and West Point, Clinchfield and most of all, ATLANTIC COAST LINE and SEABOARD AIR LINE, colors. Talk about a rainbow train!

BUT MEANWHILE BACK IN JACKSONVILLE, WE NEED THIS STREETCAR!

[Kiva]

I think the main problem will be the City Council. It looks like we have plenty of volunteers, we can probably raise money, but without politicians on board not much will happen.

[shel777]

I'd LOVE to see this happen!  Some nice, old yet reliable PCC cars would bring quaintness, along with quality. Just my opinion, though. I would love to find someone with whom to rediscover the old Jax trolley tracks!

[Ocklawaha]

I'm your huckleberry shel777, glad to give you or anyone else a guided tour of some of the highlights. These are seen in the little quaint business districts scattered around town. With the exception of some scars on the Grand Avenue Bridge, and Aberdeen Street, and a couple of abandoned tracks in the Tallyrand area, there is nothing to see of the old tracks. As for streetcars themselves, all we know for sure is that two calls have come into the JTA switchboard over the last 10 years or so. One identified some old streetcars apparently built into a house or out building somewhere in San Marco, the other around Beaver Street. We had 5 beautiful cars remaining that we visited as of 1984, all of which were destroyed in what might have been some misguided attempt by the JTA 'Skyway bug executives,' who thought that the presence of streetcars would kill chances of Skyway funding. Meanwhile the streetcar barns in Brooklyn were razed because "They got in the way of the Acosta Bridge Ramp's." Then JTA had an epiphany, they wouldn't have been in the way after all (giggle - giggle) so they built a Skyway maintenance barn on the same site. AMAZING!