Jax Terminal Crossover

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The beautiful cover of the current issue of Lines South reminds me that there was a track which cut across all the main tracks leading into Jacksonville Terminal. This is partially visible in the photo. It required some fancy trackwork indeed! What was the purpose of this track and when was it removed?

-- Jim Coviello (jcovi60516@aol.com), August 01, 1999

Answers

This track was the Seaboard freight bypass that allowed freights to move directly from West Jax yard (on the route to Baldwin) to the SAL main north to Savannah. Passenger trains took a track through Jax Terminal Station.

In recent years a short segment of the track to the northwest remained in place, connected by a switch to the ex-ACL main, to serve an industry, but it was formally abandoned just this summer.

Incidentally, the tower at this location, Beaver Street, is in its last days. Tower personnel said on Aug. 17 that the tower will be closed Sept. 3. It will probably be demolished shortly after. Much new trackwork is in progress as part of the plan to turn over control of the interlocking to CSX dispatchers. New signals are also being installed on all the approaches.

Is it true this is the last manned tower on the former ACL and SAL lines?

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), August 23, 1999.


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