Re: florida and southwestern

Florida had a relatively large network of narrow gauge lines, but they are among the most poorly documented.

Hilton's American Narrow Gauge Railroads, which purports to list every narrow gauge common carrier makes no mention of a Florida Southwestern or Florida & Southwestern which certainly doesn't mean it never existed....it may have been built as a "dummy line"; a lightly-built local carrier akin to a street railway and never achieved common carrier status. These small lines were ubiquitous, often short-lived, and many disappeared with scarcely a trace except possibly for a mention in some musty county land office archive. St Augustine was served by a narrow gauge; the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Halifax Ry, but it went north to Jacksonville. There was a standard gauge Jacksonville & Southwestern, but this is unlikely to be what you're looking for. The large Florida Southern narrow gauge also operated in the general area, but did not go north of Palatka.

Hilton does offer one other possibility. Under the entry for Western Railway of Florida I find the following:
Built south from Green Cove Springs to Sharon, 1883.
Reorganized 1885 as Green Cove & Midland Railroad.
Leased to Western Railway of Florida and extended to Melrose, 1890.
Sold under foreclosure and reorganized as the Southwestern Railroad of Florida, 1892.
Ceased service 1896, abandoned 1899.

Green Cove Springs looks to be about 30 miles west of St. Augustine. Might be this is the one you're looking for?
J



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2013 09:35PM by Jeff A..