Ocala Rerailment

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A good friend of mine Kent Weissinger sent me this email: Did you hear about the coal train derailment at Ocala Saturday that took out a good portion of the station platform? http://www.starbanner.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041010/NEWS/41010005/1001/FEATURES01

-- Carey Stevens (castevens1@cox.net), October 13, 2004

Answers

I went down to Ocala Union Station on Sunday (10/10/04) afternoon, and took over 24 pictures. The old SAL train shed was taken out from the station to the restaurant, west of the station. There was no damage to the restored station and restaurant. All of the main line from the old (ACL/SAL) diamond to Magnolia Ave was taken out, with the siding and switch. An auto repair shop on the north side of the line was also damaged. One 100 ton hopper went into the shop, no one was injured or killed. Also the restaurant was occupied at the time, and no one was hurt. The City of Ocala will restore the train shed and damaged areas, even through Amtrak will discontinue their service at the end of October 2004. There are still 5 100 ton hoppers at the site and will taken away soon. Two were rerailed and taken back to Baldwin Yard. Allen L. Wiener, Ocala, Florida

-- Allen L. Wiener (SouRwy@aol.com), October 18, 2004.

WOW - First of all, thankful no one was injured; second, thankful the station building itself wasn't damaged.

-- Bill Parks (bparks_43@yahoo.com), October 14, 2004.

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