Elizabeth and I woke up at the Best Western and after our morning preparations, we went downstairs and had the hotel's breakfast. After we checked the Internet, we drove down to the U.S. Sugar Railroad shops. This day dawned cold with a very brisk wind blowing from the northeast and a temperture of 33 degrees this morning.
We parked our rental car and walked over for a few pre-departure pictures.
U.S. Sugar 148 is on the point of our train this morning.
U.S. Sugar 4-6-2 148 ready for departure time. The train consisted of U.S. Sugar 148, 10 U.S. Sugar cane cars (all empty), Sugar Express table car 7137 "Palmdale", Sugar Express Baggage Car "Miami Locks" and platform observation car "Georgia 300" PPCX 8000113. These trips would be brand new trackage for both of us.
Sugar Express coach "Lake Okeechobee" 1002, ex. United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey, exx. New Jersey Transit 5333, exxx. Central Railroad of New Jersey 123, exxxx. Great Northern 1002, nee Union Pacific 5471 built by American Car and Foundry in 1953, in the shop preparing the car for later in the year.
U.S. Sugar engines lined up for their work. We then boarded through the Georgia 300 and took one side of table in the Palmdale Car with a gentleman. The train departed the U.S. Sugar yard and soon I was in the vestibule for that big curve as we departed Clewiston.
U.S. Sugar 148 took the big curve and headed east.
Two views of the U.S. Sugar Mill in Clewiston.
United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey coach 326 "Erie", nee Great Northern 1139 built by Pullman-Standard in 1950, now CHOX 1139, awaiting restoration.
United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey coach 327, nee Great Northern 1127 built by Pullman-Standard in 1950, now CHOX 1137, also awaiting restoration.
Two views of of U.S. Sugar Mill in Clewiston with U.S. Sugar motive power in the scenes.
The U.S. Sugar Mill in Clewiston.
Railroad tracks are all over these fields.
Canals also bring water to the sugar cane fields.
These are some of the young sugar cane fields.
Canals bring the needed water to grow sugar cane.
These fields will be harvested in the near future.
More newly-planted sugar cane fields.
The canal along Rogers Road, the location of the first four photo runbys. We all detrained and set up. All of the runby locations had been chosen by Trains Magazine videographer Kevin Gilliam and vegetation had been cleared with the assistance from U.S. Sugar and the Sugar Express. Since we were operating on an active railroad, the chosen runby locations and their duration were fluid.
Reverse move number one at Rogers Road.
Photo Runby One at Rogers Road.
Reverse move number two at Rogers Road.
Photo Runby number two here.
Reverse move number three.
Photo Runby number three.
Reverse move number four at Rogers Road.
Photo Runby number four at this location. We all re-boarded and the train reversed to the railroad diamond with the U.S. Sugar Railroad line to the Okeelanta Sugar Mill. I went and sat behind a bush so I would not be in anybody's picture.
Reverse move number five.
Photo Runby number five at the railroad diamond north of Rogers Road.
Reverse move number six.
Photo Runby number six at the railroad diamond north of Rogers Road. We reboarded the train then continued to go southeast.
More cane fields and canals.
These cane fields had just been harvested.
The Okeelanta Sugar Mill receives all of its sugar cane by trucks.
We crossed the Miami Canal then detrained for the next photo runbys.
Reverse move seven.
Photo Runby number seven at the Miami Canal.
Reverse move number eight.
Photo Runby number eight at the Miami Canal.
A loaded cane truck bound for the Okeelanta Mill.
Reverse move number nine.
Photo Runby number nine at the Miami Canal.
Reverse move number ten with the Sugar Express drumhead on the rear of Georgia 300.
Reverse move number eleven.
Photo Runby number ten at the crossing before the Okeelanta Mill.
Reverse move number twelve.
Photo Runby number eleven at the crossing before the Okeelanta Mill.
Reverse move thirteen showng you that US Sugar Express drumhead again. After a morning full of fantastic runbys, the passengers were all ready for lunch. A caterer from Moore Haven had been organized and prepared a delicious meal of pulled pork, coleslaw and baked beans with chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
The train crossed a canal before we wyed that train.
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