RAILFAN GUIDE

Jacksonville Division

Wildwood Subdivision — BL

“The S-line”

Baldwin to Zephyrhills, FL

155.7 miles Baldwin diamond to Zephyrhills

Radio: JA dispatcher channel 54 (160.92)
Road channel 66 (161.1)
Baldwin yard ch. 82 (161.34), 12 west yard, 50 east yard

Revised 2024.01.23

Legend

Notes

Note 1: 2013.11.11 — CSX has undertaken the upgrade of the S-line to handle increased traffic after selling the A-line to the Central Florida Rail Corridor for commuter traffic. Sidings have been lengthened, crossovers have been added, and signals and defect detectors have been changed to accommodate the increased network load.

Note 2: 2013.11.13 — The 4 mile long siding between Saint Catherine to Rock Pit including the Rerdell double crossovers was started in late 2012 and completed by the Summer of 2013. The mileposts of St. Catherine on the north end and the Rerdell crossovers are known to be accurate, but the name and milepost of the south end of the siding remain a mystery. The exact location of the signal called "Route 50" is also uncertain. Accurate information is welcome and will be posted on this railfan guide. Send e-mail updates to bote.prodigy@gmail.com

Note 3: 2013.11.13 — Saint Catherine marks the place where the Seaboard Air Line north-south railroad crossed the Atlantic Coast Line east-west Ocala district which ran from Brooksville through Croom (crossing the ACL's busy West Coast sub), St. Catherine, Webster, Center Hill, Leesburg, Ocala, Gainesville, and ultimately connecting at Burnett's Lake with the ACL main from Dunnellon to Jacksonville. Once the ACL-SAL merger in 1967 made this section redundant, it was abandoned in the early 1970s along with the connecting track that went from a west-facing switch on the ACL, across U.S. 301 to a north-facing switch on the SAL.

You can get there by turning east off U.S. 301 onto County Road 738A up and over the tracks, taking an immediate right to the south to parallel the tracks. At the point where the road curves left you will be perpendicular to the ACL right-of-way. This lies right smack at milepost 780.0 on the Seaboard.

The Florida Northern Railroad, a Pinsly company, now operates what is left of this track running from approximately Candler, across the diamond at Ocala, and up to Lowell at CR329.

Note 4: 2013.11.16 — To continue pacing trains south on the Vitis sub to Lakeland hang a left to go EAST across the tracks at Melrose Avenue/Berry Road/CR35 Alternate. When you come to a T-intersection with CR54 turn left to go EAST. Drive 6+ miles and turn RIGHT on Rockridge Road south. Keep winding your way through the countryside to another T-intersection and turn RIGHT on Scrotum Loop Road. Follow it around to the south until you converge with the tracks. There's about 1.5 miles of paceage along here with the A.O.C. Chemicals industry track crossing Kathleen Road just before it diverges again. Stay on Kathleen Road all the way into Lakeland.

Note 5: 2013.11.16 — To continue pacing trains south to Ocala, turn left to go SOUTH on CR200A to Sparr and Anthony after stopping in at The Orange Shop back in Citra. You'll pick up the tracks south of CR329 in beautiful downtown Sparr. It's a short stretch next to the tracks, but it's old Florida into Ocala.

Note 6: 2024.01.20 — Baldwin diamond restored, but nobody knows why since the panhandle line was sold to FG&A and with no practical hope of Amtrak resuming service through here. The OWLS diamond reduces the wear and tear on north-south jobs.

Note 7: 2023.10.24 — South Lacoochee switch has been removed, rendering it a storage track. Cal-Maine has not received a grain train in years.

Bote's Notes

Notes for my railfanning research expedition. This is the best place to put them, right out in plain view where I can find them.

B2: S664 — Confirm Smurfit-Stone plant off CR218

B9: S763 — Turnpike crossovers, confirm milepost