I just recently visited Sarasota and Venice Florida for the first time in many years. I was suprised to see how little was left of both of these lines in these areas. The old SAL line from Clark Road in Sarasota to Venice is now abandoned and scheduled to become a bike trail. All of the remaining track looks rough. I know that the Ringling Bros. Circus used to overwinter in Venice. Where have they moved to. At least Sarasota County has restored the SAL station in Venice for use as a bus station and museum. (All dressed up with nowhere to go.)
Here's a website that may answer questions about SAL and ACL. Atlantic Coast Line & Seaboard Air Line Railroads Historical Society
I've always had a curiousity about SAL diesels. Perhaps spurred along by the old Lionel I had as a child. So, for a person who never saw the RR, and lives far away- Anyone got some photos? Or can somebody tell me about the "green" paint scheme they had? Was it the last before merger? Boxcab E50
Thanks. Am looking through that site now. Was there more than one paint scheme at merger? Some locos have the green scheme I was wondering about. Others appear to be darker. Is that just color shift of film? Or weathering? Or? Boxcab E50
Boxcab, The Seaboard used a dark green scheme... however, with the delivery of the GP40's, they came in the "Jolly Green Giant" scheme. Harold
AT the time of merger (1967), Seaboard had their typical dark green + the Jolly Green Giant. After the merger, they started repainting into a black scheme, similar to the ACL scheme. Harold
I actually like that "Jolly Green Giant" paint scheme. Do you know how many different classes of engine received it? Boxcab E50
The 1966 order of GP40's and the first 4 U30B's were painted in the "Jolly Green Giant" scheme. Harold
Thanks harold! Think I will do more browsing. See what other photos are out on the 'Net. I wonder if there's a system map somewhere? Maybe showing those tracks in Florida? Or states? Boxcab E50
I'm going to revive this thread too. Whatever is left of the Seaboard Air Line in Venice and Sarasota is now part of the Seminole Gulf. A trestle leading into Venice burned some years ago and there was only one customer left so the line was abandoned, and the track taken up. (The customer uses a team tack in another town). They did a really nice job of renovating the Venice depot into a bus station. The circus moved...last I heard they took their winter break in Tampa but the trains were only there for a week. Not like the old days went they spent months in Gibsonton. All of the Seminole Gulf's trackage on that line is exempted, and they couldnt run an occupied passenger train on it. I guess that was the reason the circus moved. Seaboard Air Line had 3 paint schemes at the time of the merger. The passenger E-units were painted a very, very pale green...almost white but not quite. They had dark green trim and red striping. The standard freight scheme was pullman green (identical to GN's 'Empire Builder' green) with yellow stripes. Some units were painted in the 'Jolly Green Giant' paint scheme which was an apple green with the same yellow stripes. The U30b's, (800-814), Gp40s (600-650),and the following units: GP7 1722, 1732, 1770, 1787, 1799, 1817 GP9 1912 RS11 100, 101 were painted in the Jolly Green scheme. Additionally, switcher units were painted black with red designs and stripes.
