The Florida Trains
Travelers to Florida had several rail lines they could choose to get to Jacksonville. But south from there, there was only one railroad, The Florida East Coast. Owned by Henry M. Flagler, the road was founded in 1895. The simple chart here shows how all lines lead to the FEC. This chart is not at all complete, but a short summary of major name trains that carried FEC cars in interline service. Of these railroads, only the Illinois Central insisted that the FEC cars be painted in the IC’s ‘Panama’ chocolate and orange colors, (for The City of Miami). All other FEC cars in the streamline era were stainless steel by Budd or Pullman-Standard.The Seaboard eventually had lines to Miami but these were not as direct as the FEC.
Eventually the FEC consolidated north/south trains running these name trains in composite consists. Thus a FEC train would be very eclectic in appearance.
To build an accurate Florida train, you will need cars of these different rail lines to replicate a specific train. These books are a great resource for consists in specific time periods.It is for the purpose of building an accurate consist, that RailSmith is producing these Florida East Coast cars. Cars never before produced in N Scale. All-Aboard for Florida!
Read more about it:
‘From the Mid-west to Florida By Rail ‘Vol. 1 & 2 by Blardone published by the Pennsylvania RT&HS
‘Speedway to Sunshine’ by Bramson
‘Selling Sunshine’ a Kalmbach Video
