Deep Lake Railroad
The Deep Lake Railroad was a historic short line railroad that once operated between Deep Lake and Everglades City, Florida.
The Deep Lake Railroad was built in 1913 by Walter Langford and John Roach, who operated a grapefruit grove near Deep Lake. The line was used to transport grapefruit south to Everglades City (then known as simply Everglades) to be sold and shipped. In 1921, entrepreneur Barron Collier purchased the line and grapefruit groves.[1] In addition to transporting grapefruit, Collier also used the line to transport pine and cypress logs to a sawmill he operated in Everglades City.[2]
The 14-mile line was narrow gauge did not initially connect with any other railroad. That changed when it was bought by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1928, who then extended their tracks from Immokalee south to Everglades City by connecting with the Deep Lake Railroad, which was heavily rebuilt and converted to standard gauge. The Coast Line also used the line for passenger service and built a passenger depot in Everglades City. This line was the farthest south the Atlantic Coast Line ever reached in its history.[2] The Atlantic Coast Line removed the line to Everglades City, including the former Deep Lake Railroad, in 1957 (though tracks that were once part of the line still exists north of Palmdale, which are today operated by South Central Florida Express). The Everglades City passenger depot still stands today along Collier Avenue. Much of the railroad's former right of way ran just west of what is today State Road 29.
References
- ^ "Deep Lake - Depth of Water & History". National Park Service. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ a b Turner, Gregg M. (December 1, 1999). Railroads of Southwest Florida. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing.