There are several Atlantic Coast Line depots that have been saved and restored. Can anyone add to this list.

Restored: Lake Wales, Florida in its original location Trilby, Florida in Heritage Park, Dade City High Springs, Florida in High Springs Plains, Georgia in its original location San Antonio, Florida on original site

Under restoration: Brooksville, Florida on original site Sebring, Florida on original site Olustee, Florida on original site

These are great places to visit when out and around. Thanks

-- Richard H Kearns (rhenryk3@aol.com), March 13, 1998

Answers

The former ACL station in Kingstree, SC (30 mi south of Florence) is owned by the town. It serves the Silver Meteor and Palm (now Palmetto). It also serves as the bus stop and contains a restaurant and Chamber of Commerce office. The loading platform is used during public festivals and events. It's a wonderful building. The town could take a bit better care of it though.

-- Don Fulton (dqcfful@netscape.net), December 05, 2002.

C&WC depots still stand at McCormick, S.C. and Owens S.C. The one at McCormick is used as a real estate office and the one at Owens is part of a feed mill/farm supply building. Also the depot in Fountain Inn stood until 1998 on it's original site used by a feed and seed and nursery supply. It was moved about 4 miles west of town, current use unknown. All of these depots were variants of the ACL standard wooden depot similar to the American Model Builders kit.

-- Steve Kamp (sakamp@hotmail.com), November 01, 2002.

At the Florida State Fair Grounds is an ACL wooden Station that once stood in Okahumpka, Fl with an M3 Caboose restored , Also there is a ACL Wooden Station in Fort Ogden, Fl. which appears to be used as a cabinet shop.

-- Bill MIddlemas (Orangebeltrr@earthlink.net), July 08, 2001.

Holly Hill, SC: ex-ACL Brick depot-restored about 2 years ago. Interior walls gutted. Interior floor of warehouse section lowered to match office section-freight doors modified accordingly. Outside walls sandblasted of white paint to natural brick finish. As I recall it looked good.

Moncks Corner, SC: ex-ACL Wood combination depot-restoration completed this fall. Asbestos shingle siding removed and underlying original wood siding re-hung in shiplap style. One of the waiting room doors blanked over. Repainted in a purplish-gray with reddish brown trim-kind of looks like the ACL gray/brown scheme. Good looking structure with interesting roof line. The town also constructed a nice recreation of an std. ACL wood fence commonly found around depots in the early 1900's.

-- Buddy Hill (palmettoLTD@hotmail.com), January 01, 2001.

Ashford, Ala. should be added to the ACL list. It has been preserved and was still used as a local railroad museum about 5 years ago when I was there. Apparently the retired ACL agent was in charge. He had displayed a nice assortment of ACL artifacts and other memorabilia. There was at least one caboose (steel cupola/bay) or maybe two on the track by the station. This depot is pictured on page 63 of Warren Calloway's ACL Diesel book. Live Oak, Fla. should be added to both the ACL and the SAL list. The ACL depot has been preserved and is used by the Suwannee County Historical Society which has a nice local museum there. It appears a substantial amount of renovation was done including the covered freight platform on the east which may have been converted into a community meeting area. The east end of this depot housed the Live Oak Perry & Gulf freight office until 1955, right after Southern bought the LOP&G and moved the office into an old Standard Lumber Company house by the LOP&G yard. (ACL controlled the LOP&G from its inception in 1903-1905 until 1928). LOP&G switched their merchandise or package cars across the ACL main to and from the ACL house track and LCL freight platform. The brick SAL depot has been moved from the south side of the old SAL mainline to a point north of and parallel to the ACL depot which remains in its original location. As of 3 or 4 years ago, the last time I was there, it was still very much intact but showed no signs of restoration or use. It was my understanding that there was a plan, subject to the one everpresent requirement: money. The SAL depot was the Union Depot for the SAL, ACL, Florida Railway (abandoned about 1916) and the LOP&G. LOP&G's passenger trains, motor cars, and mixed trains (usually never more then two or three cars) backed 1-1/2 miles through the ACL yard to its stub track at the east end of the SAL station until the last mixed trains were taken off in 1955 and the LOP&G depot was moved to the yard. One final note, not directly related to ACL/SAL depots. Southern built a small Armco metal depot near the Highway 90 crossing for the LOP&G, also adjacent to the SAL/LOP&G crossing. When LOP&G was abandoned into Live Oak in 1976 this depot and track became part of whatever the entity was at the time (SCL SBD CSXT, etc.) and was still being used as a maintenance of way building by CSXT some 3-4 years ago, enclosed by a chain link fence.

-- Russell Tedder (srtedder@arkansas.net), September 17, 2000.

I forgot to say that it was Sebring,Florida that the depot was torn down.

-- Dick Ferguson (fergusoo@Strato.Net), September 14, 2000.

ACL depot at Sebring has just been torn down in last week to week and a half.

-- Dick Ferguson (fergusoo@Strato.Net), September 14, 2000.

Tifton, Georgia has restored their station also.

-- Morris Smith (pm9414@surfsouth.com), June 19, 2000.

Regarding Ed Winstead of Rock Mount, does anyone know what other depots he has in his posession? Thanks.

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), May 17, 2000.

Oh yes, obviously Petersburg's two Ettrick depots still stand, as does Broad Street in Richmond. Charleston still has its later depot, and Fayetteville NC is in fine shape. Marc

-- Marc L. Hamel (gigsup@aol.com), April 10, 2000.

In response to Larry's response about Ed Winstead not having a depot up....in fact he does. It is the W&W Fremont depot, and looks great. He is cleaning and refinishing the original beaded interior paneling, but in natural wood finish. It is beautiful, and happily the structure is in good hands if it had to be moved or be destroyed. I hope CSX continues to use Enfield and Sanford as Maintainer's buildings so they will not be torn down. Seaboard's Rockingham depot was almost torn down recently but was saved at the last minute. Marc

-- Marc L. Hamel (GigsUp@aol.com), April 10, 2000.

The Yukon, FL depot (former ACL) is about a mile north of I-295 just off Roosevelt Blvd (US-17). It is located next to Holmes Lumber.

-- Mark V. Huband (mhuband@guarantec.com), April 05, 2000.

The Olustee depot (SAL- built 1888) is indeed still standing and has been undergoing restoration for the last few years. It's still located in town aprox 200ft north of the tracks, and currently surrounded by a temporary locked fence. My guess is it's to be used as an interpretive center of some sort. By the looks of it, it should be completed within a year.

Yukon (ACL) Fl. also exists in the Orange Park area. If I'm not mistaken, it's on Blanding Blvd about a mile south of the I-395 exit, on the east side of the road. It had been used as a drapery and fabric store, but I believe is now an insurance office.

If your in the DisneyWorld area, the ACL brick depot in St. Cloud still stands, although tough to photograph. Located downtown at 915 New York Ave, it now serves as VFW Post 3227.

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), April 01, 2000.

Pelham, Ga between Thomasville and Albany has restored the ACL depot. It 42'x 242' and is one of the nicest small town depots I have seen. Thomasville has also restored their old ACL depot.

-- Stuart Glenn (sglenn@rose.net), March 31, 2000.

The depot at Naples was built by the SAL, but when they discontinued service the ACL bought it and continued to use it till the merger

-- Bill Donahue (BillD53A@aol.com), February 21, 2000.

I have been through Olustee a number of times and I am unaware of any exsisting depot there, I'll look harder next time. As far as the Yukon (Jacksonville) staion, it is gone. I don't know if it was moved or demolished.

-- Myron Mangold (myronmangold@earthlink.net), February 21, 2000.

It's eight miles from the closest railroad, but Roduco, N.C. still has a depot.

-- Harry Bundy (y6b@aol.com), September 18, 1999.

The great looking depot at Emporia ,Va is still very much us.

-- Greg Hodges (105452.2520@compuserve.com), September 09, 1999.

See the separate item posted this morning on efforts to save the Sebring ACL station.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), September 08, 1999.

To add further to the list I e mailed this site Dec. of 98 the following depots are still standing in Florida: Dundee (ACL) recently restored and a caboose to be added soon. It is a local history museum. It is not on its original location. Sebring (ACL) is presently unused and is threatened. There was an effort to restore, but have not heard anything in the last year or so. Lake Placid (ACL) is now a local history museum. Avon Park (SAL) is also used as a local history museum. Boca Grande (SAL) is used for retail shops and offices. Naples (SAL) and then ACL is used as a community meeting center. Ft. Myers (SAL) is a hardware store. It was used less than a decade after it was built. Ft. Myers (SAL) freight station is now a used store fixture retail outlet. Others that are still intact are in Cross City (ACL), Ft. Meade (ACL), Bowling Green (ACL), Clermont, Crystal River and Tallahasse (SAL)

-- Michael Mulligan (mulliganm@juno.com), September 07, 1999.

Richard, I have a complete list of all remaining railroad stations in North Carolina. There are several ACL/ SAL stations standing. Some, such as the second Wilmington station, have sucumbed to progress. If you are interestd in the ACL/ SAL portion, let me know.

Larry

-- Larry K. Neal, Jr. (lkneal@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us), July 08, 1999.

Just to augment the list, there is a restored station in Palatka, FL that is still in use by Amtrak- part of it is devoted to a small rail historical society museum. Also, the original depot on the mainline in Deland, FL is still there, but I am not aware of any renovation that has been done or is planned. I believe the former depot in Yukon, FL (Jacksonville) is still there- its used as a post office.

-- Mark V. Huband (mhuband@guarantec.com), May 12, 1999.

Just to clarify Marc's post - Ed Winstead has dismantled a number of depots, and has the materials, but has not reassembled an actual depot as such.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), May 10, 1999.

There are still depots standing on the W&W at Willard, Burgaw, and Wallace, NC, the freight depot stands at Sanford NC as well as their Union Depot. Wilson was just restored, and I was involved in its new 10x16 foot mural. Rocky Mount is still under restoration. Wilmington sadly only has Hq Building "D" remaining. The Delco depot stands at Reigelwood. Chadbourn is awesome and beautifully restored, and the ACL frieght depot there is in short-line use. As someone suggested, you better try Buddy Hill! Also, Ed Winstead in Rocky Mount has several ACL depots on his property.

-- Marc L. Hamel (gigsup@aol.com), May 09, 1999.

Don't forget Inverness Fl. still is standing

-- dave bellman (bellman@xtalwind.net), May 09, 1999.

The ACL station in Ft. Myers, FL is presently the home of the Ft. Myers Historical Museum.It is in original location and owned by the city. The depot in Haines City,FL is on original site and used as an antique shop. The station in Wauchula, FL is still in original location and recently was awarded a large state matching grant for restoration work. The depot in Arcadia, FL is on original site, restored and has numerous tenents. The Punta Gorda, FL stations is still on original site. It had a new roof put on a few years ago and is owned by the Badcock Corp.Fort Ogden depots is being used as a carpenters shop, but I'm not sure if it was ACL or not. The depot at Frostproof,FL was being used as a Chamber of Commerce/Community Building. A few years back I photographed most of the depots in the state still standing at that time.

-- Michael Mulligan (mulliganm@juno.com), December 16, 1998.

Some depots that I can think of in addition to those already noted) are: Pollocksville, NC (plans to restore & use as town hall), Maysville, NC (being used by a milling co.), Burgaw, NC, Lake Waccamaw, NC, Whiteville, NC, Stedman, NC (used as a library, restored to a rustic nature, looks very good), Roseboro, NC, Lucama, NC. That's all I can think of at this time but I'm certain that's not all. drs

-- david r. smith, jr. (smithtrains@coastalnet.com), August 09, 1998.

Richard I live in the Dade City area and noticed a slight error in your list. Trilby Depot is not located at Heritage Park, it is located at the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City Florida. Just thought you should know

Eric Herrmann Coordinator San Antonio Depot Restoration.

-- Eric Herrmann (e.j.herrmann@usa.net), August 08, 1998.

THERE IS AN EXCELLENT WOODEN DEPOT IN THE TOWN OF ENTERPRISE ALABAMA THAT ONCE SERVED THE COAST LINE. IT NOW SERVES AS THE LOCAL HISTORY MUSEUM. THE DEPOT IS SIMILAR IN DESIGN AS THE KIT THAT AMERICAN MODEL BUILDERS DID. THE TRACKS ARE NOW USED BY A SHORTLINE CALLED THE WIREGRASS CENTRAL RR.

-- MIKE SMITH (MSMITH@WYNNSALON.COM), July 23, 1998.

The station is Ayden, NC has been restored and is being used as a community building. The Spring Hope, NC station is being used by the local library and the baggage area is being used by the Nash County Railroad.

-- Craig Strickland (cstrick@cchmp.com), July 02, 1998.

In my area they're several ACL depots still standing

Fayetteville, NC, Selma, NC, and Dillon, NC are still being used by Amtrak and they are brick stuctures. Parkton, NC is still standing and is in ok shape, Roland, NC is being used as a museum both of these are also brick structures. In Chadburn, NC is a restored wooden stucture painted brown and gray and much resembles the standard depot. Also in Wallace, NC is a wooden depot but I don't really know its condition.

-- David Lovette (David77505@msn.com), June 29, 1998.

Dick, There are several hundred SAL and ACL stations still standing,too many for me to try and list.I think that there are two lists out in cyberspace.Buddy Hill has one and one is in this computer compiled by Larry.I could print it out if you realy want it. J.Oates

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@gte.net), March 13, 1998.