Tavares, Eustis & Gulf Railroad
Coordinates: 28°48′07″N 81°43′32″W / 28.801960°N 81.725600°W
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| Locale | Lake County, Florida, USA |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | October 8, 2011– |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Tavares, Florida |
The Tavares, Eustis & Gulf Railroad (TE&G), advertised as the Orange Blossom Cannonball, is a tourist railroad company operating excursion trains on track owned by the Florida Central Railroad,[1] located in the northern portion of Central Florida. The TE&G is a subsidiary of the Reader Railroad located in Arkansas.
History
The oldest segment of track on which the TE&G routinely operates, between Eustis and Tavares, was originally constructed by the St. Johns & Lake Eustis Railway Company between 1882 and 1883.[2] The segment of track that the TE&G uses most often, between Mount Dora and Tavares, was originally constructed by the Sanford & Lake Eustis Railway Company between 1886 and 1887.[3]
Train Services
The Orange Blossom Cannonball is a train service run by the TE&G utilizing a wood-fired steam locomotive. Currently, the excursion is a 1-hour & 45-minute trip between Tavares and Mount Dora with 30 minutes each direction and a 45-minute stop in between. Special excursions are also offered, including Trains of the Wild West, The Great Pumpkin Limited, and The Cannonball Christmas Express.
Locomotives
- No. 2: 1907 Baldwin 2-6-0 steam locomotive. Only operational standard gauge steam locomotive in Florida and the oldest operational steam locomotive in the state of any gauge.[4] It has been featured in several recent Hollywood movies, including O Brother, Where Art Thou? and True Grit.[5]
- No. 33: 1941 GE 45-ton switcher diesel locomotive. When this engine is pulling the train, it is listed as the Lake Dora Limited.
No. 2 steam locomotive
No. 33 diesel locomotive
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- Florida Railroad Museum
- Gold Coast Railroad Museum
- Hogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort)
- TECO Line Streetcar System
- Walt Disney World Railroad
References
- ↑ Federal Railroad Administration Press Releases - FRA Announces $2.2 Million Grant for Central Florida Rail Upgrade
- ↑ Saint Johns River Historical Society, Inc. - The Railroad
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel - Florida's Little Railroads That Could
- ↑ Steamlocomotive.com - Florida
- ↑ Orland Sentinel - All aboard! Cannonball express is ready to roll this weekend
External links
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