Retired rail employees fight to preserve old train in Jacksonville

[Dog Walker]

If you watch Masterpiece Theater or Harry Potter movies you will see some wonderful old English steam engines and trains.  It is my understanding that these engines and trains are restored and run by volunteer groups (probably with some gov't funding) and that they make a good deal of money by renting them out for these productions.

Can anyone remember the last time you saw a steam engine in an American movie?

It is obvious that diesel/electric locomotives are more efficient than the old steam locomotives, but they are boring in comparison and not photogenic at all.

[jbroadglide]

JHenry, is that the caboose sitting by the old depot?  How much work needs to be done to it?

[JHenry459]

jbroadglide:
Yes, its the ACL caboose sitting beside the Callahan Depot. It and the depot was moved to their present location in 1987 as part of a major depot restoration project. Unfortunately for whatever reasons, the caboose was never converted into the usable space that was planned for it. Down through the years the rail car sat idle and neglected and unused except for storage. Its roof leaked for countless years, destroying most of the ceiling and flooring.  In 2006 the West Nassau Historical Society began several major fund raising projects starting with the 2006 Railroad Days Festival. After repainting the inside and outside of the depot and converting the main freight room into the West Nassau Museum of History, the group has refocused its resources on the caboose. In May of 2008, volunteers repainted the rail car by hand: replacing the faded battleship gray used by CSX during its 1980s "Family Lines" era to the bright fiery red of today.  (The Rail Purist may argue that the true ACL caboose was orange and not red, but that is a whole nother story) We are currently working in the interior of the east end which took the brunt of the elements.  We had to remove the entire flooring, walls and ceiling of that end in order to rebuild from scratch. With the dog days of summer in full swing, the progress is slow but nonetheless moving in the right direction. Fortunately, the center cupola section seems to be in good shape and the west end still has the old stove, water closet, and generator.  Only 20 percent of the west end flooring and 60% of the west end walls and ceiling were lost.  Our goal is to have it ready for visitors by the time our 5th Railroad Days Festival in March 2010 rolls around.  The Museum is open the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month from 9AM to 2PM. We have a fund raising dinner planned the next Museum Day, August 22nd, starting around 10:30 or so.  We also have a fund raising yard sale and farmers market planned for Saturday, September 12th. Couple of us may be inside the caboose working for a couple hours until it gets hot on these days, so stop by before noon and say hello and take a look inside.  I will try to post a pic of it here soon

JHenry459

[jbroadglide]

Heres hoping the discussion about rebuilding the Gross cutoff doesn't happen or its gonna go right through the middle of the depot and the caboose if memory serves me correctly. I applaud all your efforts at getting it restored. I belong to the ACL/SAL Railroads Historical Society and our next annual meeting in Jax is Feb 19-21, 2010. I may mention to attendees to take a ride to Callahan and have a look at it and the depot that weekend.
Thanks for the info
JB

[Ocklawaha]

If you watch Masterpiece Theater or Harry Potter movies you will see some wonderful old English steam engines and trains.  It is my understanding that these engines and trains are restored and run by volunteer groups (probably with some gov't funding) and that they make a good deal of money by renting them out for these productions.

Can anyone remember the last time you saw a steam engine in an American movie?

It is obvious that diesel/electric locomotives are more efficient than the old steam locomotives, but they are boring in comparison and not photogenic at all.

Biloxi Blues? At least I think that was the movie. Interesting point though, the COJ could probably make some bucks if good old 1504 was restored.

Perhaps our first assignment should be The History Channel. History Channel doesn't play that many movies but EVERY SINGLE TIME they do a railroad scene they screw it up bad. Watch the special on Oil - with all the little 4 wheel cars on the Dutch Railways. Watch the segment on Galveston and the great flood, all those poor folks were on trains from the UK trying to get around Texas. Boy did THEY miss their train.

OCKLAWAHA

[Ernest Street]

Don't forget the great Locomotive chase scene in "Stand by me"....When the stack smoke was blowing up over the trees before they heard it...got my adrenaline up!

[JHenry459]

gbroadglide:
The depot/caboose is definitely sitting on the abandoned 1856 Florida Railroad bed and would be affected if indeed CSX did decide to use the entire length of bed from Gross to Callahan.  Personally I would love it if they did run it thru Callahan because then they would have to move the depot somewhere and I would love to see it on the Southwest side of the CSX main line/Baldwin sub split.  We could set the depot up like the "Point of Rocks" station in Maryland, complete with clock tower and observation platform. However, there would be stiff opposition from many including FDOT because of  the traffic congestion it would cause, especially at the US 1/US 23  and CR 108 grade crossings. I look for a compromise where CSX would run their track from Gross to a point mid way to Callahan then follow the FPL power lines westward to the CSX main line a couple miles north of Callahan. At that point we could negotiate turning the rest of the bed into a trail.

Every several years a movement stirs in Nassau County to convert the Gross Line into a rail trail. Unfortunately, it ususally hits a road block and fizzles out.  The movement is back again and with CSX showing an interest to put in a much needed rail link from Nassau to the new ports of Jax, there may be some progress in getting a trail in Nassau this time around. 

I have dealt with the ACL/SAL Historical Society in the past and you guys are great. Several members came and set up a table inside the Callahan Depot at the first Railroad Days Festival in 2006. I love to stop by your booth at the Rail show at Prime Osborn every February: the ACL/SAL calendar always has a old photo of Callahan (or one year Crawford or Hilliard) and I have several of Goolsby's prints of the Callahan trains. Ted Strickland stopped by last year with a couple of members while I happened  to be at the depot and I showed them the inside of the station.  Let me know if your group decides to make a trip to Callahan and we will meet you at the depot.  We have another project in the works besides the caboose: We were given 2 wheel axle assemblies that were found buried just east of Callahan. They date to around 1905-1910. We are having them sandblasted, primed and painted and will have them back on the depot grounds by early September. We will probably make some benches to set on top of them so they can be enjoyed without altering them.

Hope to see you soon
JHenry459

[Timkin]

Pretty neat story... Its kind of a shame the Locomotive ( Is that the correct term for this "train" ?) was not placed under some sort of shelter.   Hope it does get a new paintjob at least.  Pretty cool, Stephen, that your uncle did a renovation on it once.. I remember when this one sat elsewhere...seems like closer to the river?? that was long ago... I was a young child then.

[peestandingup]

Funny you brought this back up. I was passing by the Terminal just this morning & decided to go snooping for the 1504 Locomotive.



I can't believe they've got it just sitting there out all to itself away from everything. No one passing by it, looking at it, nothing.

I mean, a parking lot?? I got to thinking about it. That's insulting to a steam locomotive. It's kinda like they're purposely trying to by socking it there in a place that was built for automobiles, being surrounded by the things that killed it.

[Timkin]

Its the mentality of days gone by... a Beautiful Old Locomotive that should be a focal point ,,,not an afterthought.

[Dashing Dan]

Here are a couple of pictures of 1504 that I took myself, sometime around 1974.  At that time the locomotive was in front of the SCL (now CSX) building, and it was a very well maintained landmark.  

It really should go back to someplace near the CSX building, or

Maybe it could be put back into running condition?

[Timkin]

Sorry to hear about your Uncle, Stephen.  Does Ock know of some possibilities?  He commented about something possibly being cracked on the the locomotive?  I cannot remember..

Anyway... to the above pictures... This was near SCL?  Thats what I kind of remember as a child..that it was much closer to the River.. also all of the old buildings in the background,and the First Federal logo.......all gone .

But I agree , the Piece should be moved from Prime Osbourne...unless of course it became a Train Terminal again, and then it should be moved to become some sort of focal point.

[Dashing Dan]

When the CSX building first opened, the area in front of the building was set up so that the building was the backdrop for the locomotive. 

I regret that I didn't take a picture from that angle, but I know where I could find a picture like that.

[Ocklawaha]

The effort seems more geared to getting her up and outta there and back on track for a FULL restoration. I had heard for years that she has a cracked frame, then more recently that she doesn't. If true, she's not going anywhere but another pedestal. The exciting part if false, take a look at the height of those driving wheels! This is no "old work horse," she is a RACE HORSE. Put back in operating condition running that engine on various special trains, excursions etc. could be the east coast equivalent of the famous Southern Pacific Daylight engine that the City of Portland OR, sent around the nation pulling the 1976 FREEDOM TRAIN. What a visible ambassador for the City of Jacksonville, CSX, the railfan community, and various local clubs and historical societies.

"Okay, Ock... just how fast can an old steamer go?" Well y'all, she could scorch the ballast and depending on how the shop force turned her out, she would have no trouble breaking the 100 mph mark. If tuned for speed on today's glass smooth track, she could even set a record which hovers between 120-130 for steam locomotives worldwide.

As for her days in front of the office building, up in freight car tracing some early day I.T. genius set up the system so when the numbers 1504 were entered the computer lit up with..."LOOK OUT THE WINDOW STUPID!"

OCKLAWAHA

[Timkin]

Ock... who owns the Locomotive Now? the City?  and do you know of someone who could bring her back to life?