Speedway to Sunshine: The Story of the Florida East Coast Railway

Front Cover
Boston Mills Press, 2003 - Transportation - 347 pages

Speedway to Sunshine is the history of one of America's most exciting railroad lines, the Florida East Coast (FEC). It details how the FEC began and how it survived booms, busts, bankruptcy, sabotage, and hurricanes to become one of America's most admired rail lines. Illustrated with 400 photographs, this fascinating book chronicles the FEC's unrivaled rail-blazing events, from its inception, through the construction and destruction of the famous Key West Extension, to the line's post-war metamorphosis.

There are extensive appendices on train names, schedules, passenger agents, locomotive rosters, mail service, freight equipment, passenger equipment, intrastate connections, and track layout.

 

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS
9
The Predecessor Railroads
17
Confluence and Catalyst
47
Gentlemen The Railroad Will Go to Sea
67
Respite
93
Boom Bust and Bankruptcy
99
Struggle and Recovery
117
War and Almost Prosperity
131
Diversification
179
Centennial
187
2000and the 2000
195
Romantic Reminiscences
209
Appendix la All Time Listing of Passenger Train Names Used
227
All Time Roster of FEC Locomotives
234
Appendix 3a Construction Material Used in Building
285
Passenger Equipment
293

The Old Order Changes
141
Use Stations and Ride Trains at Own Risk
149
Confusion to the Enemy
163
FECs Intrastate Connections
320
Information on Primary Sources
341
Copyright

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About the author (2003)

Seth Bramson 's interest in the Florida East Coast Railway began at the age of three, when his father took him to Miami's Buena Vista Yard each Sunday. Today, he owns the largest collection of Florida East Coast and Florida transportation memorabilia and is known in railroading circles as Mr. F.E.C.

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