One of the most famous railroads today in the sunshine state is the Walt Disney World Railroad in Orlando. The states first railroad was the mule-powered Tallahassee Railroad completed in 1834. Today, the state is served mainly by the Florida East Coast RR and the CSX, transporting goods over the more than 2800 miles of the railways. Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Baileys "Greatest Show On Earth" trains are repaired in Palmetto. The Amtrak passenger trains, the Silver Star and the Silver Meteor, terminate their routes in Miami. Amtrak's Auto Train terminal is located in Sanford.
Florida is host to some very fine scenic railroad excursions and museums. The Seminole Gulf_Railway in Ft Myers offers a very popular Murder Mystery Dinner Train along with various themed train rides year round. The Gold Coast RR Museum in Miami and the Florida Railroad Museum offer popular train ride excursions, as well as a "hands on" experience to actually ride in the cab of a locomotive. Industrialist, Henry Flagler was responsible for the development of the Florida East Coast RR and Florida's famous "Railroad to Nowhere", Key West, completed in 1912.
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Enjoy a nostalgic look at the glamorous days of train travel via a guided interior tour of two 1947 Seaboard Air Line streamlined rail cars. Historically restored to their original splendor, the unique Budd dining and lounge rail cars are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum includes a 1930 restored Florida East Coast depot (also listed on the National Register) as well as a 1940s Atlantic Coast Line caboose and Baldwin steam engine. The tour includes railroad safety info for kids.
Central Florida travelers can enjoy scenic excursions departing Mount Dora, Wednesday through Sunday. Also available is a 3 hour dinner train and a 2 hour lunch train that departs Eustis, Thursday through Saturday. Directions
Located on Florida's west coast, the 22 mile Seminole Gulf Railway excursion train rides offer both dinner train and murder mystery train excursions with 5 course meals. Specials include Valentines, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. Scenic excursurion train rides travel north through Fort Myers and across the historic Caloosahatchee Trestle and Drawbridge to Bayshore, with views only accessible by rail. A special narration is given during the trip with information on the history and the environment of the area over the original Atlantic Coast Line Railroad route which opened up the development of Southwest Florida during the early 1900's Directions.
Housed in the former Atlantic Coastline Railroad depot, the Museum is home to the history of Southwest Florida. Paleo Indians, the Calusa, the Seminoles, Spanish explorers, and early settlers are just a few of the people you will meet as you view our exhibits, a pioneer "cracker" house, a 1926 La France fire pumper, and a 1929 private Pullman rail car are also part of the tour. Directions.
Have you ever wanted to ride at the controls of a real locomotive? Well, the Gold Coast Railroad Museum is the place for you. It is located on 2,100 acres in southern Dade County on the former property of the Naval Air Station Richmond (NASR) - A WWII airship base). Offering classroom instruction as well as strict supervision on running an actual locomotive, you can make your dream come true. It is home to a inventory of some of the most prestigious rail cars and engines still in existence, including the Florida East Coast 4-6-0, #153 which ran to Key West until the hurricane of 1935 and the Ferdinand Magellan, unique among Pullman railroad cars in that it is the only car ever custom built for the President of the United States in the 20th century. A 20 minute excursion train ride is also available. Directions.
Venture into the Magic Kingdom® before the Park opens, and accompany the railroad engineers as they ready the massive steam trains for another day of service. Walk the backstage roundhouse where the trains are stored and serviced, and ride the rails as you explore how Walt Disney's lifetime love of steam trains led to their becoming an integral part of the Magic Kingdom. All aboard! Tour the two 4-6-0s (Walter E. Disney and Roger Broggie) a 2-6-0 (Lilly Belle) and a 4-4-0 (Roy Disney). The engines were repatriated from Mexico.
Henry M. Flagler was the developer of the Florida East Coast RR and luxury hotels on Florida's east coast, starting in 1885. With the completion of the Overseas Railroad in 1912, rail travel to Key West was now possible. Admission is free to organized school groups from K through 12, with advance reservations. Directions.
Rent a locomotive for an hour at the Florida Railroad Museum. After a brief instruction session, you can take the controls and run a locomotive with an engineer. Special services include train charters, entire car charters, cab rides and birthday specials. Weekend train rides are scheduled year round. Museum is the rolling stock with historical items on display. Directions.
Electric streetcars are back in Tampa, supporting continued growth in downtown, Channelside and Ybor City. TECO Line Streetcar System is a 2.4 mile section that connects these three areas, improving transportation capacity, supporting Tampa’s thriving cruise industry and transporting workers to and from their jobs. Group tours available Monday through Friday, appropriate for all ages from pre-school to adult. Directions.
The Central Florida Railroad Museum, opened in 1983, is located in the former Tavares and Gulf depot. One of Florida's virtually undiscovered gems, the museum has the finest collection of Florida railroadiana anywhere -- including a collection of fine dining car china. Museum includes a Clinchfield caboose and a 1938 Fairmont motorcar. Directions.
