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High Springs—Croom Line

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High Springs—Croom Line
Overview
Other name(s)Gainesville Subdivsion, Ocala Subdivision
StatusSome segments still operating
OwnerAtlantic Coast Line Railroad
Termini
Technical
Line length128 mi (206 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationNo
Route map
Map

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's High Springs—Croom Line was a historic rail line in northern Florida. It began at the Atlantic Coast Line's High Springs Yard, where it also connected with the DuPont—Lakeland Line, and proceeded through Gainesville, Ocala, and Leesburg before reconnecting with the DuPont—Lakeland Line in Croom (originally known as Pemberton Ferry). From Croom, the line continued west another ten miles to Brooksville, which was designated as the Brooksville Branch.[1]

History

See also: Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad and Florida Southern Railway

From High Springs to Gainesville, the line was built by Henry B. Plant in an effort to extend his railroad network further south to Charlotte Harbor. From Gainesville south, the line was built by the Florida Southern Railway. Henry Plant was unaware that the Florida Southern was building north toward Gainesville as he was building south. To prevent having competing lines, Plant made a mutually beneficial deal with the Florida Southern that essentially combined the two lines into one, connecting them in Gainesville. The Florida Southern would eventually become part of the Plant System. After Plant's death, his network of railroads was sold to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) in 1902.[2]

The Atlantic Coast Line designated the line as the High Springs—Croom Line with track west of Croom to Brooksville becoming the Brooksville Branch. It also connected with the Atlantic Coast Line's Palatka Branch at Rochelle, which ran east to the main line at Palatka. The High Springs—Croom Line was the company's only through route on the northern west coast of Florida until 1913, when the final link of the parallel DuPont—Lakeland Line was completed to the west (which would primarily be a freight route).[2]

In 1948, the Atlantic Coast Line rerouted the line in central Gainesville from Main Street to instead run along 6th Street, where they built a new depot. This rerouted segment used the former right of way of the Gainesville and Gulf Railroad.[3]

For much of its history, the Atlantic Coast Line's West Coast Champion and an additional local passenger train ran the line round-trip daily on its route from Jacksonville to St. Petersburg. Trains came in from Jacksonville via the Jacksonville—Wilcox Line at Burnett's Lake. By the 1950s, a local freight train was running the line from High Springs to Croom six days a week. A mixed train (with both passengers and freight) also ran the line from Burnett's Lake to High Springs six days a week.[1]

In 1967, the Atlantic Coast Line became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) after merging with its rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (who's main line ran relatively close to the High Springs—Croom Line. In the Seaboard Coast Line era, both the High Springs—Croom Line and the Jacksonville—Wilcox Line were designated as the Ocala Subdivision. A local passenger train would continue to use the line up until 1971 when Amtrak took over the Seaboard Coast Line's passenger operations.[4][5]

By 1982, the Seaboard Coast Line abandoned the line from High Springs to Burnett's Lake, and track south of Micanopy Junction was broken up into segments.[6][7] By 1989, track was abandoned from Gainesville to Rochelle (along with the Palatka Branch east to Hawthorne).[8]

Current conditions

Some segments of the High Springs—Croom Line remain active today and some abandoned segments have since become rail trails.

The line is still in service from Burnett's Lake to just north of Gainesville.[9] This line is now CSX's Deerhaven Subdivision.[10]

The Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail runs on the former right of way between Gainesville and Rochelle.[11]

The line is still active between Lowell, Ocala, and Candler. This segment is operated by the Florida Northern Railroad, a shortline run by Regional Rail, LLC, which crosses the S Line in Ocala.[12]

A short segment was still active near Leesburg which had been operated by the Florida Midland Railroad since 1987 (this line also used former Seaboard track from Wildwood to Leesburg). This line was abandoned in late 2000.[13]

The Good Neighbor Trail runs on the former right of way between Croom and Brooksville.[14]

Historic stations

Milepost[5] City/Location Station[1] Image Connections and notes
ARB 717.1 High Springs High Springs junction with DuPont—Lakeland Line
ARB 724.7 Alachua East Alachua
ARB 726.4 Burnett's Lake junction with:
ARB 729.7 Hague
ARB 736.0 Paradise
ARB 739.0 Teen Jay
ARB 740.1 Gainesville Gainesville original station on Main Street replaced with a new station on 6th Street in 1948.
junction with:
ARB 749.5
AS 737.5[a] 		Rochelle junction with Palatka Branch
AS 743.1 Micanopy Junction junction with Micanopy Branch
AS 745.7 Evinston
AS 748.6 McIntosh McIntosh
AS 750.2 Orange Lake
AS 751.1 Proctor
AS 753.7 Reddick Reddick
AS 756.9 Lowell
AS 760.0 Martin
AS 763.5 Kendrick
AS 768.3 Ocala Ocala Union Station junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line
AS 774.9 Welchton
AS 781.2 Candler
AS 785.2 Ocklawaha
AS 787.7 East Lake
AS 790.2 Weirsdale Weirsdale
AS 793.7 Conant
AS 795.0 Lady Lake Lady Lake
AS 799.1 Fruitland Park Fruitland Park
AS 802.7 Leesburg Leesburg junction with:
AS 808.3 Okahumpka Okahumpka
AS 816.9 Center Hill Center Hill junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Miami Subdivision
AS 821.5 Webster Webster
AS 826.6 St. Catherine St. Catherine junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line
AS 833.1 Pemberton Ferry later renamed Croom
junction with DuPont—Lakeland Line
AS 843.1 Brooksville Brooksville station still standing and is now a museum
junction with Tampa Northern Railroad (SAL)

Notes

  1. ^ From Rochelle south, the milepost numbers continue from the Palatka Branch

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Southern Division Timetable (1949)
  2. ^ a b Turner, Gregg (2003). A Short History of Florida Railroads. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-2421-4.
  3. ^ "Gainesville's Railroads". Explore Historic Alachua County. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. ^ Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Jacksonville Division Timetable (1969)]
  5. ^ a b Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Jacksonville Division and Tampa Division Timetable (1977)
  6. ^ Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Jacksonville Division and Tampa Division Timetable (1982)
  7. ^ "When Trains First Came to Central Florida". Tampa Bay Trains. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Parcel: 19801-300-000". Alachua County Property Appraiser. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Dupont, GA to Alachua, FL". Abandoned Rails. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  10. ^ CSX Jacksonville Division Timetable
  11. ^ Gainesville-Hawthorne State Park Trail
  12. ^ "Florida Central, Midland, and Northern Railroads". Pinsly Railroad Company. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  13. ^ Surface Transportation Board Decision Document
  14. ^ Good Neighbor Trail
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