I often go to ST. Pete's Beach and access the Pinellas Trail at Pasedena Blvd where the former SAL main crosses. It looks asthough there may have been a station in that curve but we were told that the closest SAL station to St. Pete's Beach was at Bay Pines. Can anyone confirm that and give its location? Thanks.

-- robert bregent (railassociates@yahoo.com), December 09, 2004

Answers

I think I can probably add to all the answers thus far and help all get a better picture of the past and present. My replies ARE IN CAPS

Troy Nolan's Answer: There was a spur to bay pines, but to my knowledge was not a passenger station. THE SPUR WAS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BAY. THERE ARE PICTURES OF THE TRESTLE FROM THE MAINLAND TO THE BAY PINES SIDE OF THE BAY WITH A FREIGHT W/A CABOOSE ON THE TRESTLE.

There was (is?) a KOA campground at the end of a road (96th St.?) YES, THE KOA IS STILL THERE AND IS A VERY NICE KOA AT THAT. TO ENTER THE KOA, YOU HAVE TO CROSS THE PINELLAS TRAIL WHERE THE TRACKAGE WAS ON 96TH. THERE WERE SEVERAL REALLY SHORT SPURS IN THAT AREA, I MEAN SHORT! YOU COULDN'T FIND THE REMAINS OF THEM TODAY TO SAVE YOUR LIFE WITH THE NUMBER OF NEW BUILDINGS AND REPAVING THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE. I SAW IT IN THE LATE 50's/EARLY 60'S.

On the other side of bay pines blvd (ALT 19) the spur served the industrial park (a couple masonry companies, a scrap dealer, a pipe works), wickes lumber and a few other businesses. THIS IS ALL GONE. NOW THERE IS A TAGET, DON PABLO'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT, LONE STAR STEAK HOUSE (WHERE OUR DAUGHTER WORKED) AND A STEAK AND SHAKE. Right where the spur crossed bay pines blvd, there was an ABC Liquor. THE NAME WAS LIGHTHOUSE LIQUOR STORE AND ABC CAME IN AND TOOK IT OVER ABOUT 5 YEARS BEFORE IT CLOSED AND WAS TORN DOWN. ALL THAT IS LEFT IS THE "LIGHTHOUSE" THAT WAS PART OF THE STORE FRONT. THE AREA IS ALL NOW REFERRED TO AS THE "LIGHTHOUSE AREA". I dont think it is an ABC anymore, but in the parking lot, you can still see rail embedded in the concrete. I COULD NOT FIND ANY BUT IT HAS BEEN REPAVED. If I remember right, this was all single track, although on one side of the wye to the spur there may have been a team track or a short siding. On the east side of the bay pines trestle was CPC concrete, FORMERLY BAY PINES CONCRETE CO. THIS IS WHERE THE TARGET/LONE STAR ETC. ARE. which was one of the last active customers on the line, there was a bit of track plant on the property and a dedicated siding for them and Gulf Steel. This is no longer there and this entire compound is now some huge shopping center. AS I DESCRIBED.

Bill Donohue's Answer:

I believe there was once a spur that entered the grounds of the VA hospital at Bay Pines. It served a warehouse in the building (#11, I think) that today houses the VA police department. I believe the spur also served the hospital's boiler house. This was mentioned in a hospital employee's magazine, a couple of summers ago. YES, AS A KID I WAS A VOLUNTEER AT THE HOSPITAL AND REMEMBER THE TRAIN PULLING IN THERE. Across Bay Pines Blvd from the VA regional office are a couple of buildings that look like old lumber sheds, PINELLAS LUMBER COMPANY, BAY PINES BRANCH that look like they were served by rail at one time. YES ONE OF THE MANY SPURS I MENTIONED. I walked the trail from Tyrone Mall to Bay Pines, and there is an area at Bay Pines, where the subroadbed looks to have widened. It looked to be a small yard, no more than 2 or 3 tracks wide. This is in line with the VA regional office, and looks to be the place where the spur into the hospital grounds originated. Of course there is nothing remaining of the railroad, it is just an area where the drainage ditches spread apart. AGAIN, THE MANY SPURS OF BAY PINES.

Tom Underwood's Answer:

Bob - The SAL had a station named Pasadena between Bay Pines and Gulf Port. THIS IS NOW THE TOWN OF PASADENA. PASADENA AVE. RUNS FROM CENTRAL AVE., ST. PETERESBURG TO THE BRIDGE(S) THAT TAKES YOU TO ST. PETERSBURG BEACH. THIS IS COREY CAUSEWAY. I don't have the exact location, but would bet it was within a block, or so, of Pasadena Blvd. Pasadena station was originally named DeVista in circa 1915, and the stop was dropped around 1947. THIS WOULD BE EASILY ANSWERED THROUGH THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF ST. PTERSBURG. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I KNOW ABOUT. Between Bay Pines and Pasadena, the SAL had a freight siding (15 cars) named Jungle. THIS AREA IF YOU LOOK AT A MAP WOULD BE FOUND USING THE NEAREST INTERSECTION IN ST. PETERSBURG OF 22 ND AVENUE NORTH AND PARK STREET. (JUST FOR INTERST SAKE, IN THE MOVIE COCOON, THE HOUSE WITH THE INDOOR SWIMMING POLL WHERE THEY WENT SWIMMING AND THE COCOONS WERE IN THE WATER IS LOCATED ON PARK STREET NOT FAR FROM THE TRACKAGE AREA.)

NOW FOR MY ANSWER: From the intersection of Tyrone Blvd/Bay Pines Blvd. (Same road, just a name change as you go west) and Park Street, you travel west about 3/4 of a mile and on the right (Northside of B.P. Blvd. is a building and is the business of Thunder Marine.

http://www.yachtworld.com/thundermarine/index.html.

The Pinellas Trail runs directly behind this building, maybe 30 feet and travels west across the bay from the St. Petersburg side to the Bay Pines side. (This is the now "trail bridge" formerly the Bay Pines Trestle mentioned earlier). This building's history has been the old Milne O'Berry citrus packing plant and store. It was a citrus packing store in the late 50's through 80's. Then an antique store with bait house (strange) and the building was abandoned for several years until it reopened as Thunder Marine in the late 90's. Local folks who are now long gone said that it was in fact a railroad depot and was the "Bay Pines Station" When first built and prior to being the packing plant. To look at it, you would swear it was because of the architecture. The backside or trackside had a platform, it was just right to stop a passenger train and several cars could be tended when stopped. The design was more "passenger" then loading platform". On the Thunder Marine website, look at the picture of the boats, then look past the boats and you'll see the bridges. You are looking west in this picture. This is the Bay Pines Bridge and on the other side o f the bridge on the right of it is looking at the land where the Bay Pines VA Hospital is located. To the right or North of this bridges is where the SAL trestle (now trail bridge) was/is. The photo is taken from a position, which would be where the tracks would be behind the photographer’s right shoulder to the north, and the building would be behind the photographer's back to the east. I cannot say beyond a shadow of a doubt that he B.P. Station was the now, Thunder Marine. But the people who lived there when it was just trees, fishing boats and animals say it was a depot, so who am I to argue. Take Care....

-- Fred Harriman (snowshu@knology.net), December 24, 2004.

There was a spur to bay pines, but to my knowledge was not a passenger station.

There was (is?) a KOA campground at the end of a road (96th st?)

On the other side of bay pines blvd (ALT 19) the spur served the industrial park (a couple masonry companies, a scrap dealer, a pipe works), wickes lumber and a few other businesses. Right where the spur crossed bay pines blvd, there was an ABC Liquor. I dont think it is an ABC anymore, but in the parking lot, you can still see rail embedded in the concrete. If I remember right, this was all single track, although on one side of the wye to the spur there may have been a team track or a short siding. On the east side of the bay pines trestle was CPC concrete, which was one of the last active customers on the line, there was a bit of track plant on the property and a dedicated siding for them and Gulf Steel. This is no longer there and this entire compound is now some huge shopping center.

-- troy nolen (tnolen12@tampabay.rr.com), December 13, 2004.

I believe there was once a spur that entered the grounds of the VA hospital at Bay Pines. It served a warehouse in the building (#11, I think) that today houses the VA police department. I believe the spur also served the hospital's boiler house. This was mentioned in a hospital employee's magazine, a couple of summers ago. Across Bay Pines Blvd from the VA regional office are a couple of buildings that look like old lumber sheds, that look like they were served by rail at one time. I walked the trail from Tyrone Mall to Bay Pines, and there is an area at Bay Pines, where the subroadbed looks to have widened. It looked to be a small yard, no more than 2 or 3 tracks wide. This is in line with the VA regional office, and looks to be the place where the spur into the hospital grounds originated. Of course there is nothing remaining of the railroad, it is just an area where the drainage ditches spread apart.

-- Bill Donahue (BillD53A@yahoo.com), December 10, 2004.

Bob - The SAL had a station named Pasadena between Bay Pines and Gulf Port. I don't have the exact location, but would bet it was within a block, or so, of Pasadena Blvd. Pasadena station was originally named DeVista in circa 1915, and the stop was dropped around 1947. Between Bay Pines and Pasadena, the SAL had a freight siding (15 cars) named Jungle.

-- Tom Underwood (tlu1650@attglobal.net), December 10, 2004.