Dumb questions for the rail experts

[Coolyfett]

Ive been "googling". Im reading a lot of the post and articles but I'm not understanding which rail is what.

Please correct me...

The A Line is the track parallel to I 17-Roosevelt-Park Ave right?

When this line continues across the river parallel to US 1- Phillips Hwy is it still the A Line?

Being that there is 3 sides of town (eastside is a neighborhood NOT a side of town) which lines go in what direction? Two rails go south parallel to I 17 & US 1,  One rail that I know of goes west parallel to Beaver Street & I 10, and I don't know what rail goes to the north...Im guessing this is what everyone is calling the S Line??

Can someone clear this up....Id like to understand.

[Ocklawaha]

No such thing as a dumb question...

First consider railroads as steel highways, each VERY protective of the traffic they handle. In fact today there are few cities called "GATEWAYS" in the lingo, where cars can even be exchanged... We are one of those places.

I will start from Union Terminal to the Southside and sweep around the map like a clock...

From Union Terminal, over the river, San Marco, Phillips Highway, St. Augustine....Miami
THE FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY, HQ JACKSONVILLE

From Union Terminal, south along Roosevelt, to NAS, Orange Park, Palatka, Orlando...Tampa
CSX "A" Line

From Union Terminal, due west along Highway 90 and I-10 to Baldwin, and Hence SOUTH to Ocala, Tampa, Miami
CSX "S" Line

From Union Terminal, due west along Highway 90 and I-10 to Baldwin, and Hence WEST to New Orleans
CSX Gulf Coast Route

From Union Terminal, Northwest into South Georgia, Valdosta, Macon, Atlanta, Cincinnati
NS Mainline

From Union Terminal, North and slightly NW, along US 1, Callahan, Folkston, New York / or Folkston West to Chicago
CSX Mainline

From Union Terminal, West then North, East of Edward Waters,  to about 10 Th,Hence EAST to behind Shands, into Springfield Yard (East of Liberty Street and North of 8th) hence Northwest from Swisher to Gateway Mall is the HISTORIC "S" LINE we write so much about. Track is gone, but City owns the Right of way.

From Union Terminal via the historic "S" (now gone) hence north along main, from the Springfield Yard to North Main, Busch, Oceanway, Yulee
CSX Kingsland Subdivision (once a through mainline to New York)
Today Springfield is a very good place to watch trains, as all but the FEC still cross through here to get at the port.
CSX no longer has the old "S" access but they do have a long diagonal that runs from roughly Evergreen Cemetery Southwest through Grand Crossing, Paxon and pops out way out on west US90. Norfolk Southern also has a long tap line that rolls in from Grand Crossing, in places less then a block from the old "S" line.

Talleyrand Terminal Railroad, handles much of the traffic from Springfield Yard into the Terminals due East, it is a busy shortline.

JAXPORT Railroad, handles the switching on Blount Island, Another Shortline

FIRST COAST RAILROAD, handles the switching from Kingsland, GA to Yulee and Fernandina Beach. Another Shortline.

CSX also operates two cut-off's in Western Duval County.

The Central Florida Mainline, branches off in Callahan and cuts off to Baldwin, so North-South freight can bypass Jacksonville

Another Cutoff roughly along Jones Road, in the West side, also connects the North-South Mainline from a point North of Amtrak's Station, to out at US-90 West and I-295, This accesses a monster hidden intermodal yard out in the boonies.

Norfolk Southern Intermodal yard is Northwest of Grand Crossing and can be seen from the edgewood overpass

Florida East Coast Intermodal yard is off Phillips Highway down south of University Blvd.

Hope this helps, put names on your map.

Ocklawaha

[Coolyfett]

Thanks Ock!!! You know your stuff. Some of  your terms ill come back and ask about I just read your post twice. lol.

According to what I read and what I see out here in the streets, Amtrak uses the CSX A Line, CSX Gulf Coast Route & CSX Mainline. This is where I think I see the Amtrak passing through

Am i correct?

[Ocklawaha]

Yes, though currently we have no Amtrak service on the Gulf Coast Route or down through Ocala... After the state invested several Million in the Ocala Transportation Center at UNION STATION! They then sat on their hands while Amtrak choked for funds, wiped out all service to the Center of the State North of Orlando!

On April 1, 1971, we had some 38 destination departures from Union Station daily...

Amtrak came to the rescue "Government Style" and on May 1, 1971 we had 16 (two of them limited seasonal trains)

When Jimmy Carter Was President we went to, 6

Under Reagan- and Governor Chiles years, we saw it climb slightly to 10

Under Bush down to 4

I just don't know how much more success Amtrak is going to able to stand with all the funding they're getting from the Federal Government. BTW, same type of dedication to rail over at JTA, same boss, same funding ideas, different address... Myrtle rather then Pennsylvania Avenue.

Ocklawaha