ACL Coaling Towers

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I am preparing an article on ACL coaling towers for a future issue of Lines South. One of my goals for the article is to provide a "roster shot" of every coaling tower on the ACL. To date I have been unable to locate photographs of the coaling towers in Savannah GA and Sanford FL. Any leads or potential sources of information / photographs would be greatly appreciated.

I have located coaling towers at the following locations: VA: Petersburg NC: Rocky Mount, Fayetteville, Wilmington SC: Florence, N. Charleston, Orangeburg GA: Savannah, Jessup, Waycross, Thomasville, Albany FL: Jacksonville, Palatka, Orlando, High Springs, Sanford, Lakeland, Uceta, St. Petersburg, Wilcox Jct. Trilby, Ft. Meyers AL: Dothan, Montgomery

Does anyone know of any other former ACL towers that I may have missed? One suspect area is the Haines City-Everglades line in Florida, possibly in the area of Palmdale. As with the Savannah and Sanford towers, I will need to locate photos to complete the article. Any help in identifying missed towers and locating photos of the same will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Buddy Hill (no emails please-using someone else's computer)

-- Buddy Hill (FandR65@aol.com), December 21, 1998

Answers

Thanks for the lead - I didn't know about this one.

-- Buddy Hill (palmettoLTD@hotmail.com), May 07, 2001.

Buddy, don't forget the coaling tower that once stood @ Shops [South Richmond Yard]. I didn't see it listed in your original message. Wish I had a photo of it to provide to you, understand it was a wooden structure too. Of course it had been dismantled by the time I worked at Shops. Herman Wilkins

-- Herman Wilkins (Railrdn@aol.com), May 06, 2001.

The railroad museum at Florence has photos of the Florence coaling tower during its demolition, but the photos are undated. Does anyone know the date of demolition of this tower? I am planning to include the Florence yard on a model RR layout circa 1957 and I need to know whether to include the coaling tower. Thanks for any help.

-- Sandy Bridges (smb@bridgeslaw.com), March 22, 2000.

There was an ACL coaling tower in the ACL Yard in Ocala, Florida, I gave Larry Goolsby a aerial photo made sometime in the 1920s, when I was in Jacksonville for the ACL/SAL HS meeting. I have not been able to find a ground shot of the tower, but I am still looking. Hope this helps in your search. Allen Wiener, Ocala, Florida

-- Allen L. Wiener (SouRwy@aol.com), March 15, 2000.

John: I briefly visited the GHS this past Friday and the photos of the coaling tower at Southover Yard were back in the file. Great photos. Buddy Hill

-- Buddy Hill (palmettoLTD@hotmail.com), September 04, 1999.


Thanks for the update. I had heard about the photograph but had not had the chance to view it. Fortunately, my job will take me to Savannah over the coming months. I'll check in with the GHS and let you know if it ever resurfaced. Now for that Sanford FL tower.....BH

-- Buddy Hill (palmettoLTD@hotmail.com), August 28, 1999.

Hi Buddy! About ten years ago I found a superb photo of the Coast Line's Coal dock at Southover Yard in Savannah. The dock was a large, two bin type (probably around 300-400 tons), and I recall it was kind of funny looking. The photo was located at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah in their small railroad files. I went back there a few years later and the photo was gone...obviously it's either lost, hidden, or stolen. I was going to make a copy but they charged $25.00 a copy at that time and I couldn't afford it being a poor college student. I don't know if the photo's still there but I plan on checking again when I visit Savannah in Feb, 2000. Good luck, and I can't wait to see your article! JG

-- John Golden (Golden1014@yahoo.com), August 28, 1999.

I guess I should have said " I have located photographs of ACL towers in ...." Sorry about that. The Florence coaling tower like all others were razed in the early 50's shortly after steam operations ceased. Still need photos of ACL coaling towers in Savannah, GA and Sanford, FL to complete the article. Any leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Buddy (No emails please)

-- Buddy Hill (FandR65@aol.com), March 09, 1999.

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