All aboard for South Florida's best train adventures
Ellen Wolfson Valladares
South Florida Parenting
Anyone who knows our family knows that our 4-year-old son Gabriel has a thing about trains. Not just a little thing, mind you. At the young age of 16 months, he was already expressing his love for choo-choos by making us rewind the scenes of Casey Junior, the circus train in Dumbo, over and over again.
Now, our lives (and home) are filled with wall-to-wall toy trains, train videos, train songs, and every kind of train paraphernalia you can imagine. His passion shows no signs of waning, and much to Gabriel's delight, little brother Michael is following in his tracks.
So when it came time to celebrate Gabriel's fourth birthday recently, we drove three hours north to the tiny town of Parrish, Fla., for the ultimate train experience. Family members from South Florida and St. Petersburg gathered at the Florida Gulf Coast Railroad Museum to celebrate Gabriel's birthday by taking a 1 1/2 hour ride in a little red caboose. We even came back the next day so that Gabriel (and Mommy) could ride in the engine's cab and help the engineer drive the train. What a thrill for both of us! The look on Gabriel's face was worth every minute we spent in the car getting up to Parrish.
If you are not quite up for a 150-mile drive with the kids, however, there is good news. There are plenty of exciting train adventures waiting for you, right here in South Florida. From Miami-Dade County to Palm Beach County, you can find old trains, new trains, toy trains, and trains to ride on, if you just know where to look.
The Gold Coast Railroad Museum
Possibly one of Miami's best-kept secrets, the Gold Coast Railroad Museum is a hands-on history lesson sitting right at the entrance of Miami Metrozoo. Operated and supported by volunteer members, this unique nonprofit museum offers visitors the chance to explore a variety of train cars and engines that date from the early 1900s to late 1940s.
"This is a great place for kids," says the museum's executive director, Connie Greer. "Most museums are pristine, and kids have to look but not touch. Here, they can climb on most everything. They can sit in the chairs, even lie on the beds."
The 30-plus exhibits include everything from steam locomotives, steam-operated wreck cranes and diesel engines, to baggage cars, passenger cars and cabooses. Highlighting the lineup is Miami-Dade County's first national historic landmark, the presidential rail car U.S. No. 1 Ferdinand Magellan. Built in 1942 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Ferdinand Magellan is the only train car custom-built for a U.S. president in the 20th century. The car was used by presidents Roosevelt, Harry S Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and most recently by Ronald Reagan during his 1984 campaign. Remember the famous news photo of Truman holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune banner headline that mistakenly announced "Dewey Defeats Truman"? That was taken of the platform of the Ferdinand Magellan in 1948.
The Gold Coast Railroad Museum itself is rich in history, started in 1957 by a group of Miami rail fans. It has endured moves from Miami to Fort Lauderdale and back to Miami again. And it has survived a direct hit by Hurricane Andrew.
"In 1992, Hurricane Andrew took the entire building (that covers the trains) down. Many of the cars were destroyed and damaged," said John McLean, a 20-year member of the museum. "Eight and a half years later, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is still helping us rebuild."
When the reconstruction is complete, the museum will be a $6 million facility, according to Greer. To date, the train shed has been rebuilt and the museum now boasts a new station entrance and expanded gift shop.
In addition, the Edwin Link Children's Railroad offers rides at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Children and adults alike enjoy the 15-minute ride aboard the General, a small-scale, steam-engine train that runs on a 2-foot-wide track and operates on compressed air. (On our recent visit, Gabriel particularly liked the part when the engineer stopped the train and invited everyone to try their hand at "throwing the switch" on the tracks.)
Before leaving the museum, don't forget to visit the model-railroad section, which is hidden in a smaller building toward the back of the museum. You will find an ever-expanding collection of both operational and display layouts in a variety of scales.
The Tradewinds &Atlantic Railroad
On the third weekend of the month, hundreds of train lovers from around South Florida can be found at Tradewinds Park in Broward County. That is when the Tradewinds & Atlantic Railroad, another volunteer-run organization, makes its miniature "live steamer" trains available to the public. For $1 (free for children under 4), you can take a ride on one of the pint-size, custom-built steam or diesel-electric trains.
While they may be only 1/8th the size of a real train, everything about these homemade trains is authentic, says club president Jon Hollahan, who also happens to be an engineer for the Florida East Coast Railway.
"These are the smallest trains that you can ride on," he said. "We have engines that burn coal or propane, diesel-electrics, trolleys that run on batteries, and gas engines."
Club members build and maintain their own engines, often sharing tools and shop space. On the second Saturday of the month, they meet to make any necessary repairs to the railroad tracks their trains use at Tradewinds Park.
On the third Saturday and Sunday of the month, they do what they love most - operate their trains. At the same time, they share their hobby with the general public.
The trains haul about 1,500 people of all ages each weekend they are out at Tradewinds Park, Hollahan says.
"It's universal. Every kid loves trains," he says. Hollahan's own passion started at the age of 3.
Of course, grown-ups can ride, too. "The adults won't admit it, but they like it more than the kids do."
The Boca Express
The next time you are near Mizner Park in Boca Raton, you may want to make a quick stop at the nearby Count de Hoernle Train Pavilion at 747 S. Dixie Highway. There, sitting on either side of the restored Florida East Coast train depot, you will find several delightful train treasures including a shiny black steam "switcher" engine from the 1930s, a red caboose from the 1930s, and two streamliner cars from the 1940s era.
All of the cars impress with their size, and you can even get close enough to touch the mighty engine and caboose. By next year, thanks to a special project being undertaken by the Boca Raton Historical Society, there will be even more to see at the Count de Hoernele pavilion.
In a unique community project, being called "All Aboard The Boca Express: The Great Train Restoration," the Boca Raton Historical Society is working together with Boca Raton Magazine, Design Center of the Americas and DuPont-O'Neil & Associates to restore the interiors of the two streamliner cars. When the project is completed in the spring of 2002, the dining car and observation lounge car will look much the way they did in the 1940s. At that time, the cars will be open to the public for touring, educational programs, and special meetings and parties.
According to Mary Csar, executive director of the Boca Raton Historical Society, while the train cars are just over 50 years old (young by historical standards), they are a vital part of South Florida's history.
"Just after World War II, these cars brought tourists to Florida. That had a great impact on the development of South Florida," she said.
The sleek, streamlined cars, which were built for high-speed transportation between New York and Florida, are the only cars of their type in Florida.
Real Trains
South Florida may not exactly be a busy hub for train travel, but there are still some opportunities to experience the thrill of a real train ride or catch a glimpse of a powerful freight train passing by.
For an affordable train adventure, climb aboard the Tri-Rail at any one of its 18 stations between Miami and West Palm Beach. Ride just for fun or combine it with a trip to the zoo, beach or other attraction. Connections via bus or the Metrorail (Miami's elevated railroad) can get you just about anywhere you want to go.
Looking for something even less expensive? We have found that some of the most exciting encounters with trains are actually free! When Gabriel and Michael (who will be 2 in May), get the chance to see a 100-car freight train thunder by, it makes for a very special day.
Great places for viewing freight trains include the Las Olas Riverfront, where trains cross the river via the Fort Lauderdale train bridge. A horn sounds six minutes before a train's arrival, so you have time to get your family in position to watch as the bridge goes down and the train passes through.
Another popular viewing site is the Fort Lauderdale freight yard at Southwest Second Avenue and 29th Street (behind Lester's Diner). Here, mostly in the late afternoon and early evening hours, you can see crew members switching and coupling cars. It also offers a very close vantage point for watching passing freight trains.
The down side of freight-car spotting? There are no guarantees that you will actually get to see one. According to FEC engineer Jon Hollahan, the freight trains do not have a set schedule. They roll out randomly, when all the cars have been assembled and the train is ready. Additionally, many of the 20 or so freight trains that go out daily often run between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.
The most important part about freight trains, Hollahan added, is to have respect for them by keeping your distance. A typical freight train can pull as many as 150 cars weighing over 10,000 tons, and they travel at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. Today's trains are so quiet, Hollahan says, that they can be on top of you without warning.
"We tell everyone that they should expect a train at any time in any direction, on any track. Even if it looks like an abandoned track and you never saw a train run there, stay away. You just never know."
Train fun worth a day's drive
For those of you who just can't get enough of trains (we know who we are), there are a few destinations around Florida that are worth mentioning, and certainly worth the drive.
Seminole Gulf Railway, Fort Myers - Just two miles west of Interstate 75, this diesel-engine train takes passengers out for scenic rides, dinner theater/murder mystery rides, and other special events. Call 941-275-6060 or visit their web site at www.semgulf.com.
Florida Gulf Coast Railroad Museum, Parrish (35 minutes south of Tampa) - This volunteer-run, not-for-profit railroad museum offers rides every weekend on a diesel-powered train. Groups can charter a caboose, lounge car or coach for parties. You can even ride in the engine cab or make arrangements for a special one-hour lesson to learn to run the locomotive yourself. Call for rates, schedules and information, 941-365-5738, toll-free 877-869-0800. Or www.fgcrrm.org.
Mount Dora Scenic Railway, Mount Dora - This is the home of the Mount Dora Cannonball, Florida's only operating standard-gauge steam engine. The authentic 1913 steam-powered train runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On weekdays, the railway operates "the Dora Doodlebug," a 50-passenger, self-propelled, gasoline-powered rail car. For rates, schedules, and special events, call 1-800-625-4307. Or www.doradoodlebug.com.
A Special Place to Stay in Orlando On your next trip to theme-park land, consider a hotel with a train theme. The Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort at Lake Buena Vista offers a "train depot" lobby, a special caboose check-in desk for children, a model train display, and even train-themed bellman cars. Call 407-387-1490 or www.hifamilysuites.com.
Ellen Wolfson Valladares is a freelance writer and mother. She lives in Weston.
