Friday, February 12, 2021

Report from Florida

Having just gotten back from a couple of weeks in Florida, I can report that it's warmer, sunnier, and drier than Illinois, and we had a great time.  Not much in the way of railroad preservation to present, however.  In fact, about all I ran into was this short train of out-of-service equipment on a disconnected siding in the town of Lake Wales, presumably the relics of a former tourist operation.

First, we have this unusual Whitcomb switcher, built for the Army in 1944:



The builder's plate tells you everything you need to know:


Then there was a wretched old heavyweight, which appears to have a collapsing roof and plenty of other problems.  There was no apparent way to identify it.


Finally, a wooden caboose which has been nicely restored and is in much better condition:



And the station building has been preserved, used as a community center.



But there's no place like home, and now I'm ready to get back to work!

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