When and where will the Jacksonville 2001 meeting be held? Do we need reservations in advance? Will the meeting be in conjuction with any railroad collectible shows as in the past? Thanks!

-- Richard Stallworth (ThisIsR@aol.com), November 10, 2000

Answers

We were just about ready anyway to post the following, which will also appear in "Lines for Members" in the next issue of Lines South, 4th quarter 2000, which is about to be printed and mailed - the material below doesn't mention it, but for the Feb. Jax meeting we will once again be at the Orange Park Holiday Inn, just south of Jax, as we have been the last few years. Don't register yet - wait until you receive a separate mailing that has a registration form, etc. in it. Thanks for your interest and please post any questions here.

TWO FLORIDA MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR 2001 Traditional Jacksonville Meeting in February Plus Tampa in October Florida is the place to be next year, as the ACL & SAL HS puts on two great meeting events: our regular Jacksonville event in February plus an October meeting in the Tampa area. As we have for many years, we will meet in Jacksonville in connection with the Southeastern Railroadiana Collectors show on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 16-18. Full details will be sent out in a separate mailing soon, but we tentatively plan a Sunday trip to the new Mt. Dora Scenic Railway that operates steam and doodlebug trips over ex-ACL and Seaboard trackage near Orlando. We also hope to have programs by passenger service expert Bill Howes and by author Bill Griffin, whose new book on RF&P passenger service has just been published (and is now available through our company store for $20 plus $3 s/h).

The Tampa meeting will be our official annual meeting (with board elections, etc.) and is scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 4-7, 2001. The air is clear and weather cooler this time of year. Our meeting plans include a Bone Valley bus tour, a visit to the Tropicana plant (where the Juice Train originates), a ride on the Florida Gulf Coast Railroad Museum train, plus more. Located on FloridaBs Gulf Coast, Tampa is only 40 miles from some of the best beaches in the world. The city is also headquarters for the CSX Florida Business Unit, and phosphate trains run continuously between the valley and the port.

The Tampa meeting hotel has not yet been determined but will be in the Brandon area, site of many hotels, restaurants, and the largest mall in the area. Brandon is just five miles east of Tampa (and 12 miles from the airport) at the junction of Interstates 75 and 4. It is two miles from the railroad yards and 30 miles from the heart of the Bone Valley.

Plan now to take a family vacation to one or both of these meetings and get some sand in your shoes. Watch Lines South and our web site for more details.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), November 10, 2000.