RAILFAN GUIDE

Notes

Note 1: In late 2011 and through the first half of 2012 the Florida East Coast Railway greatly improved the “Port Lead” which was the original mainline to downtown Miami and on to the Key West Extension. It had been downgraded to excepted track, but now boasts concrete ties, continuous welded rail, and a passing siding just north of the old Buena Vista yard. The drawspan crossing over to Dodge Island was also rebuilt to permit ready access for trains to haul containers directly from the cargo docks.

As part of this rejuvenation the Little River wye was restored to allow movements from any direction to any direction. Previously the double track mainline forming the former north leg of the wye swung from compass southbound around to due west to head to Hialeah yard with the Port Lead remaining connected to the northbound main at the top of the wye. As part of the rebuild the south leg has been reconnected from the apex of the wye curving south to the Port Lead to head downtown. The former hand-throw crossover just compass west of the wye has been upgraded to a 30 m/h power crossover as part of the wye interlocking to allow northbound trains coming up from the Port of Miami to crossover to the southbound main and head to Hialeah yard.

Additionally, this interlocking has been added to the CTC system, where it had been ABS before the project began. The dispatcher controls all interlockings at the wye and the crossover on the Little River branch. The rest of the main from the CSX Iris double diamond west to Hialeah yard remains ABS, with directional running remaining in place from North Miami all the way to Hialeah yard.