And they "all came from somewhere."

Somehow, I think the SAL route deserves more than that joke of a train you will be riding. Don't you just love your scheduled departure hour from Ocala?

I do this trip twice a year or so and spring for the business class car because it is usually close to empty and I get the morning paper delivered to my seat in Tampa! I suffer this train because it gets me to South Florida at a decent late morning hour, assuming somewhat on time. (The return on Sunday leaves Delray Beach about 4 PM and gets here at 11 PM, not all that bad.)

Fortunately, the other two Silver trains run through DeLand and Palatka, each only about 75 minutes east, about as convenient as the major airports (Orlando and Tampa). That's what one gets when living in one of the most beautiful parts of the state.

As to The Villages, we are very pleased to have them contribute to the tax base without too much of a burden on services. But I must as what you mean by "train riding age?" I thought everyone, of all ages, loved the train (like the circus)

Oh, and a quick correction, the Palmetto (and indeed the CSX main line between Tampa and Jacksonville is not on the old SAL route, but rather on the SCL? The two actually cross at a diamond at the Ocala station and the station has an unusual L shaped platform to serve both lines. Alas, the old SAL is abandoned and torn up in parts; and in Ocala it is now the Florida Northern RR short line.

[This message has been edited by Kairho (edited 06-03-2004) to correct typos but not to correct the misinformation due to acronym-deficiency.]

First, I'm not sure because I'm no arborist, but is the Palmetto even indigenous to Florida, even I know the Silver Palm is.

Secondly, because CSX in their great wisdom decided to abandon some 55 miles of mainline SAL, the "Palm" although it serves Ocala on SAL rails (the rather dissheveled line crossing at "Union Station" is a piece of the ACL/Florida Northern), does not switch to the ACL until South of Wildwood. I'm not completely certain of its routing until it rejoins the SAL on an Amtrak-paid-for "wye" at Auburndale.

But, alas, the "ACL faction" up at 500 Water must have polished their "meeting skills' better than that of the SAL.

And lastly, thinking of you Mr. Kairho, I'll wear my "The Villages" golf cap when taking my walk today on which I will likely observe #4, #5, and #6 "passing in review". Where else in this land can one observe three Superliner trains on the main line all passing (if more or less on time) within a half hour of one another? Hang around for an additional half-hour and you can throw in #3 for good measure.

I don't know if the palmetto is indiginous, I just don't like the name as I always associate it with the bug rather than the tree, and would prefer having a train named after a tree than a cockroach!

Is the Auburndale wye the one where the train reverses into Tampa station?

Incidentally, I hope it wasn't one of those feisty Villages boyz who managed to cause a CSX derailment on said line just north of Wildwood Friday night! Apparently it was "minor" and the Palmetto ran through it on Saturday evening. Yesterday evening we also picked our way through and I could just barely get a glimpse of overturned stock as we passed in the moonless night. If I weren't chained to a desk this week I would drive down to take a look.

As to reviewing 12 total hours on the Palmetto, it was, well, it was the Palmetto. With only coaches, snack bar and a business class car, it was basically a long-distance commuter. I always sit in business class, the $20 extra buying plenty of space and quiet, and a pillow. Other than arriving an hour late and losing another hour on the southbound, it was an easy ride; I love watching the sunrise on Amtrak. The return lost an hour by Ocala, mostly from 40 minutes sitting on a siding waiting for 2 or 3 CSX freights to pass. I suppose it's a little too much to hope for double traking between Tampa and Jax.

Staff was friendly and efficient except for one grumpy snack bar guy (I didn't show my business class stub in time, even though he saw me come through that entrance, and, horrors, he had to put the still unopened bottle of juice back and pour from the box!). As I had to accomplish a fair amount of computer work (yes, this was really a busines trip!) on both directions, I was extraordinarily aware of the poor condition of the rails most of the way. I am told this is a problem all up and down the east coast (I have found that the rails are much smoother west of the Mississippi).

The Sabal palmetto is the State Tree of Florida. ... Some call it a cabbage palm because
they are harvested for hearts of palm sometimes used in salads -- delicious salads at that!

The wye through the NW quadrant was built by the SCL, but Amtrak was the primary user. During the 80's, the Tampa sections of both Meteor and Star were split there in what always appeared to be a well choreographed exercise.

The wye through the SE quadrant has "always been" there. Both predecessor roads served the citrus processing plants there and made use of the yards in that quadrant.

Even though I do not believe Auburndale was ever a line haul interchange between the roads, the physical connection was there. As such when during 1962, the Clerks went on strike against the FEC resulting in either a secondary boycott (or lock out depending on which side's Mother Lode you choose to believe) by the other crafts, The ACL passenger trains that would have been interchanged to the FEC (there was never an SAL-FEC passenger interchange) at JAX were detoured (as distinct from interchanged) over the SAL. Fortunately, the SE quadrant physical connection existed and passenger service was not disrupted when the FEC Clerks "hit the bricks" and the other crafts chose not to "cross".

There never was any wye through the NE quadrant at Auburndale.