Bridge Overpass Name

greenspun.com : LUSENET : ACL and SAL Railroads Historical Society : One Thread

Hi guys,

Heres one for you guys. I understand that the "A" line from Jax south is so named because before CSX this was the "A"CL line. The S lines are named because they were SAL lines. Well I just happened to notice the other day a bridge overpass in Jax that allows the A line to go over a road has the name Seaboard Coast Line painted on it. Wouldn't this bridge have the name Atlantic Coast Line? Just wondering.

John

-- John Buckley (dragondog@juno.com), June 26, 2002

Answers

"So maybe I should go get a picture of this overpass now as you never know when someone from csx will get around to painting it"

not very likely, there are still plenty that still say either Atlantic Coast Line or seaboard. CSX does not like to spend money on things like this

Ironically some that have been overpainted with CSX (little blue metal sign) you can see they did a really bad paint job and the predacessor paint is easily seen

For instance Waycross, GA. One of the most half ass repaintings i have ever seen, and its on 3 or 4 overpasses

-- troy nolen (tnolen12@tampabay.rr.com), June 27, 2002.


So maybe I should go get a picture of this overpass now as you never know when someone from csx will get around to painting it?

JOhn

-- John (dragondog@juno.com), June 26, 2002.


John, In a way this is mixing apples and oranges. You are right that the "A" line and "S" line designations come from the two railroad names, although to be specific, they come from the milepost prefixes, A and S, and were assigned to former ACL and SAL lines after the merger. Regarding the Seaboard Coast Line painted on the overpass, this was done during the SCL years (obviously) as the railroad put its name up on equipment, buildings, etc. Many highway overpasses got either SCL stenciled on them or a sheet metal SCL sign. All overpasses that got painted got the same RR name whether former ACL or SAL. Incidentally most of these SCL-lettered overpasses have since been painted over (occasionally replaced by a sheet metal SBD or CSX sign), so very few are left that still say SCL. For some reason, neither SCL nor the successors have been in much of a hurry to identify steel railroad girder bridges, with the result that a good many still have the big ACL initials applied during the mid-60s bridge repainting program. A few are still around with Seaboard as well.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), June 26, 2002.

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