ACL Coaling Tower Questions

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I'm trying to wrap up an article on ACL coaling towers and am in need of assistance. Recent data has confirmed that a coaling tower was constructed in the 40's at Harrisburg FL (due south of Palmdale). Can any of our FL members from that part of the world help locate photographs? Possible sources include residents and local-county historical societies

The same data source indicates that the ACL coaling tower in Savannah was also constructed in the 40s as a replacement for an obselete wood tower. Can any of our members who worked in that area or anyone with access to Sanborn Fire Insurance maps confirm the date of construction and/or the type of structure located at Southover Yard in the late 20s/30s? The need for confirmation is that the tower matches other ACL towers constructed in the 20s.

Can anyone who worked the Florence-Augusta line during the steam era confirm the presence/absence of a coaling tower at Sumter SC. Wood or concrete construction? Noticed a suspicious structure in a blury photograph but need confirmation.

As always still searching for a photo of the suspected coaling tower in Sanford, FL.

Thanks in advance for any and all help, info, leads, and photos.

-- Buddy Hill (palmettoLTD@hotmail.com), February 19, 2002

Answers

Buddy, you may already know it, but a concrete coaling tower was located on the ACL at Trilby, Florida. A photograph in the Florida Photographic Collection Archives shows the Trilby station and the coaling tower astride the main line track in the background. You can access the Archives Collection at fpc.dos.state.fl.us, and enter "Trilby" for a view and copy of the photograph. Aaron Dowling

-- Aaron Dowling (aarondowling@cfl.rr.com), October 16, 2002.

Hey Buddy, I have some Sanborn maps of Southover at home in California and beleive they record a coal trestle in the days before the concrete coal dock--I'm 99% sure. No traditional wood coal dock. The same can be said of the old SAL yard at West Savannah--there was no coal dock but a long coal trestle just behind the back shop. It seems that long coal trestles were a standard fixture in the turn-of the-last-century South. - John Golden

-- John Golden (Golden1014@yahoo.com), February 24, 2002.

Buddy, I did a search of the Florida Photograhic Archives and did not find any photos for Harrisburg. However, there is a great photo of the Palmdale ACL depot. Search, "Palmdale Depot". I also did a search for Sanford Coaling Tower and found 9 photos of the Sanford depot, but no coaling tower in any of the photos.

-- Carey Stevens (ca.stevens@worldnet.att.com), February 20, 2002.

Buddy, I asked some MofW guys on the south end (florence south)and the guys said there was a water tower at Sumter.

-- V.L.Lewis (TrkInsp5F33@aol.com), February 19, 2002.

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