Interesting stuff around Orlando. (Trains and planes)
Mar 2, 2015 8:50:09 GMT 1
deteulada likes this
Post by ronturner on Mar 2, 2015 8:50:09 GMT 1
The new commuter railway, Sunrail, running North/South through Orlando is in service. It runs only Monday/Friday. There is pressure from local businesses and attractions to extend its schedule to include weekends. By 2016 the line will have been extended both northward and southward and will eventually connect to the airport (MCO). The former freight line has been acquired by the operating company to run this service. Amtrak still use the line for the twice daily Miami/New York/Boston service.
Here are some photos taken at the Winter park station.
Announced recently is a plan to build a new rail track from Orlando, through the airport to link with the former east coast line down to Fort Lauderdale and Miami. (and north to Daytona etc.) This could eventually link directly to the Disney area ( and SeaWorld etc.) and could conceivably go on to Tampa, but this latter is far into the future. Route I4 which runs Orlando/Tampa is become a toll road, so it gives the railway a better chance of success.
To the North of Orlando is a very attractive small town called Mount Dora. Here you will find a Beaver floatplane giving pleasure flights in the winter season. In the summer the machine goes North to Minnesota.
Starting right in the centre of Mount Dora is a heritage railway , usually hauled by a wood burning steam loco. This is called the Orange Blossom Cannonball. It runs to another small town called Tavares, where it is quite a sight steaming along the high street into the centre of town. (In fact many of these trains when they were running in their heyday, hauling mostly citrus fruit, ran right into the towns where the warehouses were and you see plenty of evidence if you go "off piste" into these small places away from the attractions.
Unfortunately due to a camera malfunction, I have no photos, but hope the attached link will amuse you.
www.orangeblossomcannonball.com/
Finally, a visit to Universal studios to see the newest extension to the Harry Potter exhibits and rides was only partly successful as the Hogwarts Express had broken down and not running.
Here are some photos taken at the Winter park station.
Announced recently is a plan to build a new rail track from Orlando, through the airport to link with the former east coast line down to Fort Lauderdale and Miami. (and north to Daytona etc.) This could eventually link directly to the Disney area ( and SeaWorld etc.) and could conceivably go on to Tampa, but this latter is far into the future. Route I4 which runs Orlando/Tampa is become a toll road, so it gives the railway a better chance of success.
To the North of Orlando is a very attractive small town called Mount Dora. Here you will find a Beaver floatplane giving pleasure flights in the winter season. In the summer the machine goes North to Minnesota.
Starting right in the centre of Mount Dora is a heritage railway , usually hauled by a wood burning steam loco. This is called the Orange Blossom Cannonball. It runs to another small town called Tavares, where it is quite a sight steaming along the high street into the centre of town. (In fact many of these trains when they were running in their heyday, hauling mostly citrus fruit, ran right into the towns where the warehouses were and you see plenty of evidence if you go "off piste" into these small places away from the attractions.
Unfortunately due to a camera malfunction, I have no photos, but hope the attached link will amuse you.
www.orangeblossomcannonball.com/
Finally, a visit to Universal studios to see the newest extension to the Harry Potter exhibits and rides was only partly successful as the Hogwarts Express had broken down and not running.
